Outdoor hospitality icon, campground co-owner and association board member David L. Berg passed away suddenly at his winter home in Florida on Feb. 3.
Berg was born in 1957 and raised in Aroostook County, Maine. The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), of which Berg was a board member, said he often proudly claimed his connection to “the County.” He held a career as a photographer, police officer, union and management negotiator before becoming an owner of Red Apple Campground in Kennebunkport, Maine.
“David was truly one of a kind,” ARVC President and CEO Paul Bambei said. “When David was chairman of the ARVC Board of Directors back in 2010, he hired me as ARVC’s CEO, and we formed both a professional and personal relationship through the ensuing years that I will cherish forever. He cared for people and spoke often of the importance of industry unity. He mentored others, especially those younger, spoke his mind in a way people respected, and was one of the most charitable persons I have ever known. David and Jane will always be bonded in heart and spirit. I loved him as a brother.”
Berg served 14 years in two terms on the ARVC Board of Directors, from 2004 to 2013 and then 2016 to 2021, and was chairman from 2010 to 2011. He also served as vice chairman from 2017 to 2019.
ARVC stated Berg’s service legacy in the association’s community was highlighted in 2013, when he was awarded the organization’s highest honor, the Stan Martin Memorial Award. The ARVC Foundation also honored Berg with its highest honor, the Herb Strauss Award, in 2019.
Berg had an advocacy passion, ARVC stated, serving as chair of the association’s Public Affairs Committee since 2018 and traveling each year to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators about the industry’s value.
“Thank God for David,” ARVC’s immediate past chair Al Johnson said. “At a time of transition and lack of direction in the campground industry and ARVC, his boundless energy and active wit brought stability and direction. As chairman of ARVC, he set us on a road that has led to both financial and influential strength that were out of reach before. More than that, he continued to share his talents for the industry wherever he could do the most good – on the ARVC Board, the ARVC Foundation, the Public Affairs Committee, the annual auction. Even with his intellect and energy, he served humbly. He found humor all around. And he found ways to negotiate the most gnarly problem when there seemed to be no way.”
In 1997, ARVC stated Berg purchased what previously was known as Fran Mort Campground and changed the name to Red Apple in honor of his parents, who owned and operated “Red Apple Camps” in northern Maine for several decades. Berg and his wife Jane married in 2001 and together developed Red Apple Campground’s mission to provide campers’ an experience that is “Clean, Quiet and Relaxing – The Way Camping Should Be.” The site held a perfect Good Sam rating for the past 11 years consecutively.
“I drew encouragement and insight from him throughout my leadership time,” Johnson said. “I would ask myself ‘what would David L. Berg do?’ or I would simply call him and ask. Now I can’t. It feels to me like a little bit of energy and light have left the world. I am grateful to God for the impact of David L. Berg to me personally and to the greater camping enterprise.
ARVC stated that Berg would regularly be seen driving the campground in his 1948 Ford F-1 “Lobster Delivery Truck,” delivering the day’s catch to hungry campers. The association stated Berg believed every campground had a special component to set them apart, and Red Apple’s was fresh Maine “lobstahs” delivered to a camper’s site.
Under his ownership, Red Apple Campground became a Maine Campground Owners Association member. Berg served on the association’s board since 2001, including two termd as president, from 2003 to 2004 and again from 2011 to 2012.
“David’s legacy of passion, leadership, dedication and commitment to the success of all RV parks and campgrounds as well as to the entire tourism industry, will live on forever,” said Kathy Dyer, executive director of the Maine Campground Owners Association. “David was a gift to this industry and to all of the hearts he touched day in and day out.”
Some of Berg’s other industry accomplishments include:
2019—Award of Gratitude, ARVC Foundation
2017—Top 11 Family-Friendly Parks in the United States, US News and World Report
2017—Governors Award for Leadership and Industry Growth, State of Maine
2015—Above and Beyond Award, The ARVC Foundation
2013—The Curtis Fuller Service Award, Northeast Campground Association (NCA)
2013—Chairman’s Award, National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
2013—Outstanding Service Award, National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
2007—Richard A. Hartford – Kenneth R. Griffin Award, Maine Campground Owners Association
2003—Campground Owners of the Year Award, Maine Campground Owners Association
