The RV Industry Association has named Curt Hemmeler to lead the Elkhart, Ind.-based RV Technical Institute’s (RVTI) technical training and education teams. As executive director, Hemmeler will play a key role in establishing RVTI’s new headquarters and training facility, as well as managing and executing RVTI’s strategic business plan.
Hemmeler brings 20 years of professional experience in technical education and training to RVTI. He currently serves as vice president of operations and strategy for WyoTech, a division of Zenith Education, which trains auto and diesel technicians. In that position, he leads a team of more than 300 with a $43 million P&L across three locations. His responsibilities include sales, marketing, fundraising and community partnerships.
Previously, Hemmeler served as a regional campus president for WyoTech, leading a turnaround for the company’s campuses in Ohio through improved staff training, marketing and community relationships. Earlier in his career, Curt spent six years with Kaplan, culminating as vice president of operations and admissions for a start-up region in Florida where he was responsible for site selection, staffing, marketing and operations. Curt began his career with DeVry in sales marketing and community development roles.
Hemmeler was selected after an exhaustive recruiting process led by RVIA President Frank Hugelmeyer and a small team of RV industry executives. Hemmeler will begin as executive director for RVTI in mid-January and will join RVIA’s senior management team. Curt and his wife, Tracey, are expecting to be relocated to Elkhart by the end of February 2019.
“Curt is the perfect person to lead the RV Technical Institute,” said Hugelmeyer. “He brings a high energy level and his strengths are in development and sales, recruiting candidates into technical trade careers and managing for success. These are precisely the areas that need the most attention for the Institute to deliver on its mission of improving the RV consumer experience by reducing repair event cycle times and aggressively growing the pool of trained service technicians.”
“RVs are so iconic, and the life-long memories created through the enjoyment of the RV lifestyle truly makes this industry part of the fabric of our nation,” said Hemmeler. “After meeting with RV industry leaders and learning more about the opportunities to help improve the experiences of RV consumers, I am thrilled to be entrusted with the responsibility of launching and leading the RVTI. I look forward to working with leadership across the industry to build first class technical and educational programs and ensuring that the RV industry’s success continues for generations and generations to come.”
