RV Women’s Alliance Recognizes Companies That Champion Women

During the upcoming Educational Symposium, the RV Women’s Alliance will present the Champion of Women Award to a company that embodies the RV Women’s Alliance mission to elevate, educate, and promote women. Six companies have been recognized as finalists for the award and the winner will be announced on Thursday, October 12 at the RVWA Awards Dinner.

“Each of these finalists recognize the incredible value of women within their ranks and are doing amazing things to promote women in their companies,” said RV Women’s Board Member and Award Taskforce Chair Monika Geraci. “This award celebrates the companies that continue to help women thrive within their organizations and within the entire RV industry.”

Recipients of the Champion of Women award have made it part of their daily efforts to make the RV industry a place where women thrive. Recognizing those making the biggest difference for women in the RV industry, the Champion of Women Award is awarded annually to both an individual and a company.

The finalists for the award are:

Grand Design RV

Grand Design, a Winnebago Industries company, has over 90 members in its Women's Inclusion Network (WIN) that supports the professional development of women by encouraging access to learning, mentoring, and networking opportunities with the goals of increasing women's sense of belonging and the percentage of women in leadership roles within our business. The group meets monthly to monthly for book discussions, educating team members on the importance of women in key roles and discussing how to advance women into key roles. Grand Design is also committed to ensuring they interview candidates that are diverse and promote from within when possible.

Great Canadian RV

Great Canadian RV owners Stacey and Al Robinson have created an environment where women thrive in the workplace by promoting women and encouraging women to apply at the dealership and explore various roles in the RV industry. The owners are huge advocates for expanding education and training for all employees. Stacey is an active RV Women’s Alliance Board member who hosted an RVWA Breakfast at the Toronto RV Show this spring. She was able to draw a great crowd of men and women and encouraged them to join RVWA and enlightened them about how they could be advocates for women in this growing industry.

Jayco

Jayco Family of Companies is full of strong women, many of whom are in positions of leadership. Women in the company feel a tremendous amount of appreciation from the leadership team are inspired by the women seen taking leadership roles in Marketing, Purchasing, Accounting, HR, Design and more. Team members feel valued and empowered to grow in their roles.

RV Trader

RV Trader is proud to be a company that supports and uplifts women at every stage of their career. From their executives to their talented staff, the company encourages the advancement of women in the workplace. Many women have come to RV Trader at the early stages of their careers and have risen through the ranks as powerful leaders. A key example is CEO, Lori Stacy, who started her career in sales in 1997, and has since went on to lead the launch of several successful initiatives and brands. RV trader provides women with the opportunity to either lead or contribute their own unique skills to company initiative and product launches, and consistently celebrates their accomplishments.

Storyteller Overland

Storyteller Overland has made it clear that their priority is to elevate women in the RV industry by the intentionality and dedication to hiring and promoting women in leadership positions. After acquiring GoCamp in 2021, leadership was dedicated to keeping and supporting a 100% female leadership team at GoCamp. Storyteller Overland also prioritizes hiring female leaders for their manufacturing business, recently hiring two women to serve in C-Suite roles. The company makes it clear to staff that diversity is key and that promoting women in leadership is one of the many things that will make the company successful and has implemented a culture and work environment that allows women to grow and thrive.

Thetford/Norcold

Thetford's unwavering commitment to promoting gender equality, supporting working mothers, and providing opportunities for growth and advancement truly sets them apart as a leading advocate for women in the manufacturing industry. Thetford's dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce is evident in their impressive female representation. With 45% female representation across the organization and 30% representation on the plant floor, Thetford has created an environment that embraces the value of gender diversity, even within a traditionally male-dominated manufacturing setting. Thetford's dedication to providing opportunities for training and growth further exemplifies their commitment to women's advancement. Through various development programs and initiatives, Thetford encourages employees to continuously enhance their skills and knowledge. By investing in their employees' professional growth, Thetford empowers women to expand their capabilities and seize leadership positions within the organization.