Spotlight on 2021 MH Hall of Fame Inductees

RV PRO Staff July 12, 2020

6 minutes read

In yet another sign that life is returning to normal, the RV/MH Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set to return this year after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s ceremony is set to take place Monday, Aug. 16, at the Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind. The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner, a speaker and the induction ceremony, featuring the 2020 and 2021 classes.

Read on to learn about the notable individuals working in the manufactured housing industry who are being feted for their careers, as well as their contributions to the larger industry.

Ken Anderson, president, MHIA

When tough times hit the manufactured housing industry in 2009, Ken Anderson sacrificed personally to help keep the Manufactured Housing Institute of Arizona afloat.

“His most important contribution is perhaps accepting his peers’ request to become the president of the MHIA at the end of 2008 when the housing sector, ours in particular, was hit so hard with the recession,” says Kimberly Merrill, director of operations at MHIA. “He was able to cut expenses and programs that were deemed not necessary to help the MHIA survive a turbulent six-year rut.”

Anderson gave up his own retail sales operation of 30 years to become the president of the MHIA. Once in that role, he helped create the Arizona Image Committee, which included several media campaigns to help improve the image of manufactured houses. He also held annual home shows to increase sales and awareness.

Nationally, Anderson served as Arizona’s delegate to the MHI, and served on the MHI board of directors and National Retailers Council. He worked to secure Democratic support for the Dodd- Frank Reform bills, including securing the support of the lead Democrat co-sponsor and six additional congressmen.

“I have had the opportunity to watch him many times work the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C., to garner support year after year for the preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Bill,” says Cody Pearce, president of Cascade Financial Services. “Ken’s tireless efforts on behalf of the national membership, and more importantly, the consumer that we all serve has been nothing short of inspiring.”

Without Anderson’s contributions, the landscape of the manufactured housing industry in Arizona would likely be very different.

“Our industry is fortunate to have a humble, dedicated servant like Ken,” says Pearce.

Alan Spencer, president, Dakotaland Homes

Alan Spencer has developed, managed and owned his own successful manufactured housing companies for more than 30 years – all while volunteering with industry organizations and working on their behalf to make the industry better for everyone.

Spencer has spent much of his time as an industry volunteer working to pass laws or fight against legislation that would have negatively impacted the industry or its consumers in South Dakota and several Midwestern states.

“He was instrumental in passing a law in South Dakota that enabled manufactured homes to be placed on foundations, allowing them to be converted to real property, giving the customer the option to obtain mortgage financing and therefore making manufactured housing more appealing to a larger customer base,” says Ralph James Scoular Jr., who currently serves with Spencer on the SDMHA executive board.

Others like Steven K. Like, senior vice president at Cavco, attribute Spencer with creating favorable conditions for the industry and lobbying for changes to state law favorable to manufactured and modular housing, including sales tax, zoning, shipping and other regulatory constraints.

“His most important contribution at a national level may have been his participation in the advisory committee to HUD that developed our national installation standards where he was influential in making sure these remained practical and affordable,” says Like.

Spencer continues to serve in multiple industry volunteer roles and is president and owner of CAJ Enterprises, DBA Dakotaland Homes.

Keith Casenhiser, owner/ director, multiple manufactured housing parks

When Keith Casenhiser was a senior at the University of California Riverside, he started his career in the manufactured housing industry as an intern at Fleetwood.

He made other career moves, eventually joining Dick Bessire to form Bessire and Casenhiser, to manage-+ and consult manufactured housing community owners. They started out with only a few properties, growing to become one of the largest MH property managers and owners in the nation. They now own 10 MH parks and manage 80 parks.

Casenhiser has served on multiple industry organizations, including the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, California Manufactured Housing Institute, Manufactured Housing Educational Trust, Idaho Manufactured Housing Association, California Mobilehome Park Owners Association and the Manufactured Housing Institute.

Outside of the industry, Casenhiser has devoted time volunteering as a coach and director of the board for Little League, youth soccer, youth softball and basketball. He also served as the Board of Directors for the alumni association for the University of California, Riverside.

“Keith is knowledgeable about industry issues and has dedicated his life to his family and our industry,” says Barry Cole, nominator. “He is a valuable friend of the MH industry and just a great person.”

Charles E. Lott, president, Fleetwood Homes

You just can’t keep a good man down. Charles E. Lott started his career in 1970 at Fleetwood and climbed the ranks until retiring in 2002. It didn’t take long for Lott to decide retirement wasn’t for him.

In 2005, Lott was re-hired by Fleetwood and named vice president of the National Housing Group. Within one year of leading the housing group, Lott was promoted to president of the housing group for Fleetwood Homes.

Cavco Industries acquired Fleetwood Homes in 2009 after the company filed for bankruptcy. Lott became the president of Fleetwood Homes, a division of Cavco Industries, the same position he holds today.

Lott has done industry volunteer work on the MHI Board of Directors, MHI Manufactured Housing Division, MHI-PAC, MHI National Modular Housing Council, MHARR Active Member and several state association boards.

“For five decades, Charley has played a pivotal role in leading affordable housing in America. He has stayed consistent over the years with a strategy that was rooted in designing and building astonishing homes with a focus on affordability for all Americans,” says Jeff Chrisman, regional vice president, Cavco Industries. “Every stakeholder in our industry is better from the impact Charley has made on the evolution of manufactured homes. Most importantly, homeowners continue today to reap the benefit of current trends, needs and wants because of his relentless goal to improve both the homes and the people he has trained over his lengthy career.”

Debra J Pizer, president, Zeman’s RV North Division

Debra Pizer started her career as a sales secretary at Alpine Village in 1983. She worked her way up to assistant manager and then manager when Zeman Properties purchased the community.

Pizer eventually worked her way up to CEO of Zeman Properties. She retired in 2017 but couldn’t leave the industry she spent her career in. In 2019, she came out of retirement to become president of Zeman’s RV North Division.

Nominator and current CEO of Zeman Homes Jeff Fannon says the most important contribution Pizer has made is the time she has given to others.

“I believe it is her tireless energy to participate in MHI leadership meetings in Chicago as well as MHI Community Congress in Las Vegas each year. The time she gives new community owners and operators at these meetings has been a tremendous help to new operators in the industry. Her reputation and success make her a great source of information and she always makes herself available.”

Fannon says Pizer also works to help change the perception of the MH industry as being an “exclusively male-oriented” industry.

“We at Zeman Homes are extremely fortunate to have Dee as part of the leadership group. She has not only been essential to the growth and success at Zeman Homes, but the overall growth and continuing success of the community industry as a whole. There is no doubt that Dee will continue to be instrumental in the future of our industry.”