RV Industry Association Announces Nominations For 2026 Board Of Directors

Nominations have been finalized for the RV Industry Association Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors is the highest-level authority in the Association’s overall organizational structure and is responsible for setting and overseeing strategy and policies related to critical topics such as standards, marketing, government affairs, industry education, statistical data, and Association finances.

Eight candidates are running for this year’s four open seats. Members will have the opportunity to cast their votes in September to fill two RV manufacturer seats and two supplier seats. The election takes place during the month of September and the results are announced near the end of that month. The newly elected board members will begin serving their 3-year terms on January 1, 2026.

Each member company is permitted one vote, cast by the member's official representative. More information will be shared in the coming weeks with specific details on how to vote.

Meet your candidates:

RV Manufacturers

Ryan Elias, Triple E Recreational Vehicles/Leisure Travel Vans
Ryan has been the President and General Manager of Triple E Recreational Vehicles/Leisure Travel Vans since 2021. He previously served as the company’s Vice President from 2009 to 2021 and as Marketing Coordinator from 1998 to 2007. Prior to rejoining Triple E, he also held the roles of Assistant General Manager at Leisure Travel Vans (2008–2009) and Director of Marketing at Lode King Industries (2007–2008).

Ryan is extensively involved in volunteer leadership with the RV Industry Association. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2016 and currently holds the roles of Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Emerging Leaders Coalition. He also serves on several RV Industry Association committees, including the Market Information, Strategic Planning, Audit, and Investment Committees, as well as the Canadian Coalition. He is a past Chair of the Awards Committee and has served as both Secretary and Treasurer of the Board.

In addition, Ryan is a member of the Board of Directors of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) and has previously served with the Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA). He earned his diploma in Business Administration from Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Jeffrey C. Hunter, Storyteller Overland, LLC
Jeffrey is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Storyteller Overland, LLC in Birmingham, AL, a position that he has held since the company’s inception in 2018. Prior to launching the pioneering adventure-ready lifestyle brand and stellar community hub that is Storyteller, Jeffrey first fell in love with second-stage and lifestyle-enhanced luxury automotive manufacturing with his business partners at McSweeney Designs, LLC, where he led product innovation, branding, and business development initiatives as CEO from 2012-2018.

Since its initial launch as a Class B RV manufacturer in 2018, Storyteller has now grown to provide an industry-leading range of turnkey, adventure-ready vehicles and technology/product solutions across the full spectrum of Storyteller Overland adventure vans, Global X (GXV) expedition rigs, as well as Flarespace, nVader, Evictus performance and accessories and lifestyle gear. 

Jeffrey and Storyteller have been proud members of the RV Industry Association since 2018, and what some might not realize is they actually officially introduced their game-changing MODE Adventure Van line-up to the world for the first time on the floor at the Association’s RVX event in Salt Lake City, Utah in March of 2019.

Jeffrey lives just outside of Birmingham, AL, in the small town of Helena, with his wife, Lisa, and their three children. In his free time, he enjoys occasionally strumming the guitar in an attempt to relive his “glory days” as a touring musician and, whenever possible, he embarks on his own off-grid adventures with family and friends in his personal STO MODE Adventure Van, affectionately known as Article #1.

Brett Randall, Aliner
Brett Randall is President, CEO, and majority owner of Columbia Northwest, Inc., dba Aliner. The company is an RV manufacturer located in Mount Pleasant, PA and employs over 80 people.

Brett is proud to be serving the RV Industry Association for the benefits of its members and promoting the outdoor lifestyle. He has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018, where he currently serves on the Executive Committee in the role of Treasurer. He also currently serves as Chair of the Audit and Investment Committees, as well as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee. He has served as Chair of the Government Affairs Committee and as a member of the Awards Committee.

Brett actively participates in the community. He serves proudly on many non-profit boards, including Life’s Work of Western Pennsylvania (Past Board Chair), The University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (Past Board Chair), the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Charity Randall Foundation. He has also participated in other industry organizations, including the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA). Brett has also been a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) since 2005 and is the current Chapter Chair and member of the Board of Directors.

Brett Randall was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. Brett enjoys traveling, golfing, fishing, and skiing. He is the father of four and resides in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

Suppliers

Matt Carboneau, Wesco Distribution, Inc.
Matt is the Strategic Accounts Manager for RV for WESCO Distribution (2016—Present). Prior to joining WESCO, he worked in sales leadership roles at Amerimax Building Products (2007—2016), Owens Corning Fabwel Division (1998–2007), and Fabwel, Inc. (1989—1998). 

Matt has served on the RV Industry Association Board of Directors for the last 6 years. He has been an active member of the Governance, Government Affairs, Awards, and Supplier Committees and worked on an extensive update to the RV Industry Association By-Laws. Matt’s other RV Industry Association involvements included working on committees for membership, helping redefine what qualifies as an RV to help protect the industry’s reputation, participating in the Advocacy Day the last 6 years, and volunteering in the emerging leaders rehabilitation projects the last 3 years. 

Past community work includes leading fundraising events for St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, the United Way, and for the restoration of the Diocese of Norther Indiana’s Episcopal Retreat Center. He also coached youth sports leagues for six years and volunteered as a summer camp counselor for 8 years. He recently started volunteer work in construction for Habitat for Humanity. Matt earned his Bachelor of Science degree in general management from Purdue University with a minor in finance.

Brent Diver, Ranger Distribution Inc.
Brent Diver is Partner and Chief Revenue Officer for Ranger Distribution Inc., a company he co-founded in 2019. Prior to co-founding Ranger Distribution, Brent served as Sales Manager for Dave Carter & Associates from 2010-2019 and held multiple sales roles at Odyssey Group LLC (2001-2009), Lester Sales Company (1998-2001), and Babsco/Shelter/Kevco (1990-1998).

Brent has been active in the RV Industry Association since 2011 and currently serves as Chair of the Electrical Technical Subcommittee, a role he has held since 2019. He has also served on the Membership Committee since 2020, the Standards Steering Committee since 2019 as well as the Plumbing Technical Subcommittee, Life & Fire Safety Technical Subcommittee, and Electrical Technical Subcommittee all since 2011. 

As a strong supporter of his community, Brent served as the President of the Concord Football League from 2012-2018 and has dedicated his time to many community organization including Concord Little League, Habitat For Humanity, LaCasa, Loveway, Cultivate Food Rescue, Elkhart Public library summer reading program, Salvation Army – Bell Ringing CAPS, Boys and Girls Club, Samaritan Center, Bashor Homes, Ryans Place, Big Brother / Big Sisters, and the Elkhart County 4H Fair. 

Brent also sits on the board of Elcona Country Club in Elkhart, as well as serving on the board of the Pumpkinvine Trails Coalition, a regional non-profit focusing on creating safe, scenic pathways that bring together neighborhoods, parks, schools, and downtowns, enhancing quality of life for everyone. Brent attended Ball State University and he and his wife live in Elkhart, where they raised their two children.

Craig Floyd, Intellitec Products, LLC
Craig Floyd is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Intellitec Products, LLC, a leading provider of electronic control systems to the RV, marine, and specialty vehicle markets. With nearly 40 years of experience in the RV industry, Craig has held key leadership positions with top OEMs and aftermarket suppliers, including Coachmen, Carriage Carpet Mills (now part of Shaw), Southwire Company, and Industrial Finishes & Systems. 

He served on the RV Industry Association Board of Directors from 2016-2018 and has remained actively involved through extensive committee leadership. Craig chaired the Supplier Committee (2008–2012), Membership Committee (2016–2018), and the Electrical Subcommittee (2014–2016) within the Standards Steering Committee. He continues to contribute to several standing committees including Marketing Information, Supplier, Membership, and Aftermarket.

Craig was awarded the RV Industry Association Distinguished Achievement in RV Standards in 2015 and has been a longtime participant in the Association’s annual Advocacy Day since 2008. He also supports the Association’s Emerging Leaders initiative. Craig earned his BBA in Management from Emporia State University and Strayer University, graduating magna cum laude. Outside of the industry, he remains engaged in community service with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Suncoast Brotherhood’s Toys for Tots. Craig, who resides in Clearwater with his family, also has a daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter living in Middlebury.

Akbar Ghous, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.
Akbar Ghous is the Vice President of Sales, Aftermarket Service and Marketing for Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC), the industry leader in the production of luxury diesel Class A and Super C chassis. In his role, Akbar leads the ongoing, comprehensive strategy and management of sales and marketing operations for FCCC, which produces more than half the market in luxury Class A diesel motorhomes and a growing segment of the luxury Super C diesel market. He currently serves on RV Industry Association Board of Directors. 

Akbar has nearly 20 years of experience in the specialty vehicle segment; he has spent his entire professional career within Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), the parent company of FCCC and the largest manufacturer of commercial trucks in the world. At DTNA, he currently serves as a member of the company’s Specialty Vehicle Operating Committee; previously, he served as Chief of Staff to the company’s head of sales and marketing and as chair of its New Employee Opportunity Network. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in international business and accounting and a master’s in business administration from Eastern Michigan University, where he was also President of the school’s International Student Association.

For the past 10-plus years, Akbar has worked to raise money and awareness for Al Mustafa USA, a nonprofit that provides medical care and clean water for impoverished regions all over the world. More recently, he has helped raise awareness of autism through the Autism Strong Foundation of Charlotte, volunteering with the organization in several different ways.

Mike Hesse, Blue Ox
Mike Hesse is the CEO and owner of Blue Ox, based in Pender, Nebraska, proudly family-owned company celebrating its 100th anniversary this August. Since taking the helm in 2016, Mike has focused on expanding the company’s reach and diversifying its offerings. Under his leadership, the Hesse Enterprises portfolio has grown to include Automatic Manufacturing, Inc. and Mad Ramps in Nebraska, Ideal Meat in California, Arena Sports Academy in Sioux City, Iowa, and Caicos Dream Tours in the Turks & Caicos.

Mike is also the founder of the Hesse Foundation, which supports Sioux City youth through sports—covering the cost of club participation, gear, mentorship, and coaching, with the goal of building confidence and creating pathways to college scholarships. Before Blue Ox, Mike served as President and Director of Sales for BPI Technology, Inc. from 1998 to 2016. He was also the youngest Chairman of the North American Meat Institute.

Mike served on the RV Industry Association Board of Directors (2018–2021) and is a current active member of the Aftermarket and Government Affairs Committees. He and his wife Paula advocate annually in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the RV industry at RV Move America week working closely with their Congressman Adrian Smith to advance industry priorities and policy goals.