After five years serving as Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) Executive Director and a total of 38 years with the association, Dave Kelly is officially retired as of Friday, April 17.
“This is it, today is the day,” Kelly said. “A job is just the people that you work with. When you spend so much time together, they are not just acquaintances, they are basically a family. You get to know their families and their kids and all the ups and downs. I think more than anything, I will miss the people.”
Kelly announced his retirement during FRVTA’s annual convention in September 2025.
He said, “I just felt like it was time to give someone else a shot to run this thing.”
That someone is Ken Loyd, who took over as acting executive director around the time of the Florida RV SuperShow in January.
“I know I’m leaving here with much confidence that things are going to be handled, in some ways, probably better and different,” Kelly said. “He has been in the campground industry for 15-20 years. He’s been on our board and served as our president at one point. He knows the association in and out. I think they are going to be in great hands with Ken leading.”
Loyd said Kelly has represented the association with class and professionalism throughout his career.
“Dave has been like a brother to me,” Loyd said. “He has been an excellent representative of the FRVTA. Everything he has done, from being involved in the SuperShow to being our marketing director and our executive director … he is going to be greatly missed.”
FRVTA recently announced Karina Policy as the organization’s new marketing manager.
“Both are going to do just a fabulous job,” Kelly said.
When Kelly announced his retirement in September, he said he was looking to purchase a motorhome for he and his wife. In the six months since the announcement, he says he has kept busy through show season and will become a more serious shopper in the coming months.
“I have continued to visit the dealers and find something that works,” Kelly said. “Looking at probably a Class C for just me and my wife.”
Kelly said he told the new FRVTA leadership that he will always be just a phone call away should they need him.
“We are going to get out and see country and travel and enjoy what I’ve been talking about for 38 years,” Kelly said. “I have seen so many other people enjoying RVing at the shows. We are looking forward to it.”
A Letter from Dave Kelly: See You Down the Road
As I close the book on a 38-year career with the Florida RV Trade Association, I do so with very mixed emotions. When I interviewed for the job, it came down to two candidates and I was not chosen. I knew in my heart that this was the job I was supposed to have. About three months later while working at Blockbuster Video, a young lady named Lesa Colvin called and said the person they’d hired had lied about her experience and they had let her go. They needed me to start right away. This was just weeks before the 3rd Annual Florida RV SuperShow and there was a lot of work to be done with the holidays around the corner. I was ecstatic that the job was mine even though I knew very little about RVs.
Since that first day, I have fallen in love with the RV Industry and the people in it. What a great industry that sells people not just vehicles, but also an entire lifestyle. Over the years we’ve had hundreds of thousands of people come to our events and many of them are still on the road enjoying the fun and freedom of RV living. I am very proud of what we have built over the years and hope to somehow still serve the industry.
I say “we built” because it took a lot of people over many years to create successful events and a strong Association. There are so many people I owe a huge thank you to, not only because of their hard work and dedication to FRVTA, but also for their contributions to my growth and education. The current board of directors and those that I have served with, thank you for your help and for volunteering to direct this organization. Five years ago, you had confidence in me and promoted me to Executive Director. I will never forget that. It’s an honor to represent this great organization on the national level. I also must thank my current staff and everyone that has worked here over the years. Each of you should be proud of the work you’ve done and the programs we’ve created.
There are a few people that I need to thank and mention by name since I worked so closely with them, and each had a hand in my success. First my wife Jody and my daughters Sarah and Megan, I could never have done this without your encouragement and support. Lesa Colvin and Patty Flanagan, you two built the best RV shows not only in Florida but in the country. Jim Whidden and Deanna Pearce, your hard work created the FRVTA publications that rival anything any other organization is publishing. From other state associations: Tim DeWitt, Bill Schaffer and Darrly Ing from Michigan, Bob Zagami from New England, Heather Leach from Pennsylvania and Matt Rose from Indiana. Thanks for letting me know that I was not on an island and giving me invaluable advice over the years. Phil Ingrassia from RVDA and Craig Kirby from RVIA, thanks for your support of the FRVTA. It was greatly appreciated. Lyn Hart, Jim Carr, Jeff and Dorinda Chene, Heather Brewer, Gayle and Jay
Cowart, Terry Varvil (the first Executive Director I worked with), Jack and Alene Carver and Steve Lombardo and Mike Jones, the best entertainers in the business. And last but certainly not least, Lance Wilson, who I worked with for 27 years. Your openness, honesty and mentoring taught me more about the industry, dealing with people, and keeping my emotions in check (which I still work on) was invaluable!! So, as I paddle down the Florida spring-fed rivers in my kayak, all of you will be with me in my thoughts. Without your help and assistance, I would never have been as successful as I have been for 38 years. Thanks, and I’ll see you down the road!!
