Rogers Steps Down, Hittmeier Promoted To President/CEO of KOA
KOA NEWS SERVICE (Billings, Montana / January 1, 2016) – After 15 years at the helm of Kampgrounds of America Inc., Jim Rogers has stepped down as KOA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
KOA’s current President, Pat Hittmeier, has been promoted to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2016.
“In Jim’s tenure, he has transitioned KOA into a dynamic and progressive company and built a foundation of customer service that has elevated KOA to a premier position in the camping marketplace,” said Oscar Tang, Chairman of KOA’s parent company, KOA Holdings, Inc. “His ebullient personality and organizational strategy have built a corporate culture that will be to KOA’s benefit for many years.”
Rogers will continue to serve as a member of KOA Holdings Inc.’s Board of Directors, and will consult on special projects for Kampgrounds of America. He also serves as a member of the KOA Care Camps Trust Board of Directors. The KOA Care Camps Trust raises funds to support more than 100 specialized summer camps throughout North America for children with cancer.
Rogers came to KOA in 2000 as the new President and CEO after a long career with Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. in Nevada. He rose to the rank of senior vice president and general manager of Harrah’s Reno. He had previously worked for KOA for two years after graduating from college in the early 1970s.
Hittmeier has had a 34-year career at KOA that has seen him in leadership roles in several key KOA departments. Early in his KOA career, he worked in KOA’s Company Owned Properties Division, and later was in the field, involved in the construction of several new KOA properties. He’s also served as the leader of KOA’s Franchisee Services Department, a complex operation that provides education and services to Kampgrounds of America’s 490 locations throughout North America. He was also the Vice President of the KOA System Development Division. He was named Chief Operating Officer of KOA Inc. in 2009 and was promoted to President in 2010.
“Pat has done an outstanding job as KOA’s President, leading the company to achieve record financial and quality results for the past five years,” Tang said. “Pat’s many years of experience and success will ensure a seamless succession for KOA staff and its franchise system as he takes on his new position as Chief Executive at KOA.”