New Leadership for Escapees RV Club 1

Passing the Torch: Next generation of leadership for Escapees RV Club

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vermont- July 2016

Sunday evening, during the opening ceremony of Escapees’ 56th Escapade, President Cathie Carr shared with attendees news of her retirement.  Her husband, Bud Carr, is retiring as President of Rainbow Parks, as well. Carr announced her son, Travis Carr, would be succeeding her as President. His wife, Melanie Carr, now serves as the Vice President of Escapees. C.E.O. Shawn Loring will take over as President of Rainbow Parks. Travis and Melanie are the third generation of Petersons/Carrs to lead the Escapees RV Club, which was founded by Joe and Kay Peterson in 1978.

Cathie Carr has served Escapees members since 1983. She began as the Executive Secretary, was soon promoted to Chief Executive Officer, and ultimately took the helm as President. In her 33 years with Escapees, Carr built the headquarters in Livingston, Texas, created and grew the mail service, and developed additional programs to serve the changing needs of RVers. Exemplifying Escapees’ mission to serve all RVers, Carr led the fight for RVers’ voting rights in Texas. She also established the Good Neighbor Policy, a policy of courtesy while boondocking. It has since adopted by many in the RVing industry.

Travis Carr has been part of Escapees since childhood, travelling to events and meeting members all over the country. In 2012, after serving as an Army Ranger, Carr began working alongside his parents. He started doing outdoor maintenance at Escapees headquarters then later became Vice President of Rainbow Parks. Melanie Carr began creating and managing Escapees’ social media accounts, as well as escapees Travel Agency. In March of 2015, Carr and his wife Melanie founded Xscapers, a lifestyle group of Escapees members focused on the working RVer. They look forward to extending the reach of Escapees’ benefits and services to make RVing more enjoyable for all RVers.

New Leadership for Escapees RV Club 2

Photo: ( L to R) Melanie Carr, VP Escapees RV Club; Shawn Loring, CEO Escapees RV Club, President Rainbow parks; Travis Carr, President Escapees RV Club, VP Rainbow Parks; Cathie Carr, retiring President Escapees RV Club; Kay Peterson, founder Escapees RV Club; Bob Pinner; Molly Pinner