The RV Industry Association (RVIA)’s marketing and communications content manager, Catherine Barsanti, was selected for RV PRO’s 40 Under 40 recognition this year.
RV PRO’s 40 Under 40 program recognizes an extensive lineup of the next generation of RV industry leaders under 40 years old across all market segments.
“I started with the association in the spring of 2021 and haven’t looked back!” Barsanti said. “I previously worked in the outdoor industry and had made a connection who alerted me to the position when it became available. I love traveling, especially going to places like national parks, so it felt like a very natural intersection of my interests and professional expertise. It has personally been a great fit and has been incredibly rewarding.”
As content manager, Barsanti designs much of the internal creative content for RVIA. This includes the physical and digital designs of flyers, infographics, brochures and collateral materials for events. She also oversees website management and maintenance, e-mail marketing, video editing, photography, videography and any other association needs that fall under the visual umbrella.
“It’s been great. I’m an eclectic person so I enjoy doing something a little different every day,” she said.
Since joining the association staff, Barsanti has embraced any opportunity to learn more about the RV industry, RVIA said.
“When I first started, the world was still navigating COVID-19’s impact. This meant that in my first year there were fewer events, and the full scope of my position was a bit reduced. However, this gave me the time to learn and ultimately build a solid foundation in understanding the industry overall. As time went on and we were able to resume operations as normal, I was able to build upon that foundation by becoming more involved in the creation of collateral materials for events. I’ve also assisted some of our team’s programmatic work,” she said.
This includes attending the RV Technical Institute’s recruitment events and sharing information about their training program with interested audiences, RVIA noted.
“This increased involvement provided valuable insight into the efforts the association makes on behalf of the industry as a whole and gave me the pleasure of meeting so many integral individuals,” Barsanti said. “I was able to take the insight from these experiences and put it back into my overall work. This past year, I was able to expand my role by taking on photography and videography work for events, which has been so enjoyable. Looking ahead, I’m excited for opportunities to become more involved, especially with the Go RVing program and the Emerging Leaders Coalition.”
RVIA said Barsanti’s biggest accomplishments involve transforming creative visions into digestible content that can help support industry initiatives or aid in association goals. Some of her highlights since joining the team include being a part of the News & Insights newsletter redesign, which launched at the beginning of this year; assisting the RV Technical Institute’s recruitment campaign by redesigning and launching their website; and contributing to industry events.
“It’s great to get to be a part of the preparation efforts by creating collateral materials. Then I see the event through by capturing our attendees’ experiences as a photographer, all while having the wonderful opportunity to connect with people all throughout the industry.”
The most meaningful aspect of her role is meeting other individuals who are also a part of the RV sector: “I really enjoy having the chance to interact with people within or who are impacted by the industry. It’s great spending time with others and learning from them, hearing and seeing what efforts are helpful, and identifying areas where I can achieve even more. Then I can take what I’ve learned and apply it to the work I do. This is such an inviting and fun industry to be a part of. It’s impossible not to enjoy the times where we’re all brought together.”
Reflecting on her 40 Under 40 nomination, Barsanti expressed her excitement about the achievement and her optimism for the future.
“I feel so honored to be included and have really enjoyed being a part of the RV world. Joining the class of 2023 has only inspired me to keep doing what I can to help and improve the industry within my role.”
In 2024, she will take on a new leadership role by becoming the staff liaison to the RV Industry Association’s Emerging Leaders Coalition, along with the association’s Assistant General Council Kyle Correa-Brady, who will also be serving as staff liaison for the group.
“I had an incredible experience at the inaugural Leadership Conference this past year and I’m thrilled to be stepping into the liaison role along with Kyle,” says Barsanti. “I’m really excited to collaborate in what’s next for the Emerging Leaders Coalition; I think it’s critical to build these relationships to establish a framework and a clear direction for the future of the industry.”