The RV Industry Association (RVIA)’s Government Affairs staff are the industry experts for our members, state legislators, regulators and RV industry stakeholders. Their federal and state affairs teams champion the RV industry on Capitol Hill and closely follow relevant regulations, legislation and policies. To further elevate the Government Affairs team’s regulatory efforts, the association recently onboarded new Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs Bill Erny.
Erny, who received his Master of Engineering from Widener University, has over 20 years of experience in regulatory affairs, particularly in the oil, gas and chemical industries.
Erny spent 13 years at the American Petroleum Institute, which represents oil and gas manufacturers in the United States. “My work was primarily focused on safety and health-related regulations through OSHA and the Department of Energy,” he recalls.
However, Erny adds, his role at the American Petroleum Institute changed after the events of 9/11: “When the events of 9/11 happened, I was a part of a team at the American Petroleum Institute that helped stand up a security policy program.”
“There were a lot of things happening at the time,” he continues. “We initially worked with the Department of Energy on securing oil and gas operations and infrastructure from intentional acts of terrorism. However, the new Department of Homeland Security was just booting up and we began working with the Infrastructure Security Division to develop baseline security standards, which ultimately turned into regulation.”
In 2010, Erny began working with the American Chemistry Council, where he led the Chemical Security Policy Program for the chemical industry. “From 2010 to 2018 that was really my focus over there,” he explains. “There were a whole series of new industry regulations and requirements that were being developed. I helped coordinate the engagement and collaboration between the private sector (members of the American Chemistry Council) and the public sector (the federal government, particularly the Department of Homeland Security).”
In 2021, Erny joined CHEMTREC, a division of the American Chemistry Council that provides emergency response support for hazardous material incidents in the transportation sector. “I had the chance to do something a bit different. As Senior Director of Government and Industry Affairs, I helped developed an outreach program to strengthen our relationship with key government and industry partners.”
Now, in his current role with the RV Industry Association as the Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, Erny will be supporting RV Industry Association members by shaping policy and helping them understand their compliance obligations, as well as representing the RV industry before some of regulatory bodies at both the state and federal levels.
“I’m acting as a vehicle or a mechanism to provide input into new regulations whenever they’re being developed,” Bill explains. “It’s important to make sure any new regulations being developed won’t hamper our members ability from manufacturing and selling their products on the market.”
When considering how the RV industry is meaningful to him, Bill explains: “One of the initial things that attracted me to the RV industry is my love of the outdoors. Growing up as a kid, we often went on family camping trips and those are some of the best memories I have.”
He adds that many of his current hobbies reflect his enjoyment of the outdoors. “I love to get outside, traveling, golfing, hiking, and biking. I love the fresh air and seeing new places. I think the whole vibe created by the RV industry is something that is really attractive to me.”
As he settles into his new role, Bill, who has valued collaboration throughout his career, says he is most looking forward to engaging with others to solve problems: “I enjoy reaching out to people and working together to solve problems. I love a collaborative environment; it’s a key part of the job: finding solutions that that solve a common problem through proactive outreach and engagement.”