Gene Zanger, part-owner and a general manager of Casa de Fruta
and its 300-space RV Orchard Resort, has received the campground
industry’s highest honor for an individual, the Stan Martin
Memorial Award.
Presented by the National Association of RV Parks and
Campgrounds, the Stan Martin Memorial Award recognizes campground,
RV park and resort operators who serve as role models for their
peers in the industry through their exceptional volunteerism and
commitment to help strengthen the campground segment of the tourism
business, according to an announcement from the organization.
Gene Zanger, part-owner and a general manager of Casa de Fruta and its 300-space RV Orchard Resort, has received the campground industry’s highest honor for an individual, the Stan Martin Memorial Award.
Presented by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, the Stan Martin Memorial Award recognizes campground, RV park and resort operators who serve as role models for their peers in the industry through their exceptional volunteerism and commitment to help strengthen the campground segment of the tourism business, according to an announcement from the organization.
“This is a big deal,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, in a statement.
Zanger, 48, the son of Casa de Fruta co-founder Eugene Zanger and his wife, Pauline, served on the board of directors of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds from 2003 to 2009, ultimately serving as vice chairman of the association. Then, he helped launch the campground industry’s GuestRated online consumer satisfaction survey program.
Some 30,200 camping and RV enthusiasts participated in the online survey in 2010, which evaluated guest experiences at 2,400 independent campgrounds and RV resorts affiliated with the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.
Guest feedback is used to assign letter grade ratings to campgrounds, while also provide private park operators with feedback they can use to focus their attention on the specific improvements guests would most like to see at their parks.
Also, according to the announcement, Zanger was also deeply involved in efforts to encourage the national association to make improvements to its website, while also stepping up its media outreach efforts to inform consumers of the growing array of activities, entertainment, amenities and rental accommodations that are available in America’s privately owned campgrounds, RV parks and resorts.
Zanger has also been involved in promoting tourism in California, serving on the boards of directors of the California Travel and Tourism Commission from 1998 to 2002 and on the board of the California Travel Parks Association from 1991 to 1992.
Zanger has spent most of his life working at Casa de Fruta, which was co-founded by his father, Eugene Zanger, and brothers, George and Joseph.
