Board Of Directors
Scott Rood – President
Email: scott.rood@rcra.org
Bio: Scott Rood is the Assistant Chair of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI. He has over 30 years of industry experience. Scott worked in the tourism/commercial recreation/leisure entertainment sector for 18 years in the positions of General Manager, Operating Partner and Area Manager. He has 14 years of entrepreneurial experience in the food service industry, including ownership of 6 Big Apple Bagel franchises. Scott served on the State of Michigan’s Carnival-Amusement Safety Board, and is an elected council member for the City of Norton Shores, MI. He previously served on the RCRA Board of Directors as President – Elect, Secretary and At Large member.
Dan Preston– President-Elect
Email: dan.preston@rcra.org
Bio: Dan Preston is orginally from St. Clair, MN and graduated from the Univeristy of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2007. Following graduation, he spent his internship in the Valley Valley in Colorado with the The Club at Cordillera before moving to Vermont to work at The Quechee Club where he is now Recreation Director. RCRA lead Dan to his first full-time job and he has been an active member since. He thinks it is a very important organization for both students and professionals, and he is looking forward to contributing to the organization by being on the board of directors in an effort to further the success of RCRA and all of its members.
Kari Bowman– Past President
Email: kari.bowman@rcra.org
Bio: Kari Bowman earned her bachelors degree at Iowa State University in 2003 following the completion of a Recreation Internship at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Currently at Kiawah Island Golf Resort she is the Recreation Program Manager, primarily overseeing the Kamp Kiawah program, Holiday and Special Events, Recreation Internship Program, Teen and Family Programs and the Kiawah Island Golf Resort Marathon. She has been a RCRA member since 2003 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2008.
Gary Bleil – Treasurer
Email: gary.bleil@rcra.org
Bio: Gary Bleil has been involved in RCRA for more than 8 years, first as a student and then since 2006 as a professional from Omni Amelia Island Plantation in North Florida. Gary graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Bachelor of Science in Parks and Resort Recreation Management / Tourism and a Minor in Business Administration. Since graduating, Gary has worked his way through the recreation field in various positions such as Camp Counselor, Social and Group Recreation Intern, Pool Operational Technician, Assistant Club Manager, the Manager of Amelia’s Wheels and is currently the Director of Recreation at Omni Amelia Island Plantation. Gary currently serves on the Board as the Treasurer.
Bruce Boliver – Director-At-Large
Email: bruce.boliver@rcra.org
Bio: Bruce Boliver has taught at Slippery Rock University for the past 34 years and coordinates the Resort Recreation Management/Tourism program. He also serves as the coordinator of the department’s internship program and has supervised over 1300 students during his tenure at SRU. He served as Chairperson for his department for 15 years and other capacities during his tenure at SRU. He was Associate Athletic Director, Intramural Director and Assistant Football Coach. Bruce has been an NCAA basketball official for 22 years and a PIAA high school basketball official for 35 years. He has served on the Grove City YMCA Board of Directors for the past 15 years. Bruce has been a member of RCRA since 1984, and has served on the board for the past six years, including two terms as President. He has been married to his wife Tracy for 30 years, and has two children, Bethany and Craig .
Pam Petcash – Director-At-Large
Email: pam.petcash@rcra.org
Bio: Pam is the Senior Director of Guest Activities, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas. She supports the island team working on new ideas for summer camps, special projects and partnerships. From 1982 – 1996 Pam worked at sea with Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Viking Line and Princess Cruises serving in most of the Cruise Staff positions, most notably, as NCL’s first female Cruise Director on the S/S Norway. Moving to land in 1996, she worked as a Vice President of Entertainment with the Florida Fun-Train; Director of Guest Activities, Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas; Vice President Operations, Ta’Facil Corporation; consulting at Atlantis, Bahamas and Palm Jumeriah, Dubai; and Specialist with Celebrity Cruises in Guest Activities and Enrichment.
Emily Savko – Director-At-Large
Email: emily.savko@rcra.org
Bio: Emily Savko attended Slippery Rock University and graduated with a degree in Resort Recreation Management/Tourism. At SRU, Emily joined RCRA in 2006 and obtained an internship at Sunriver Resort. Upon completion of two summer internships at Sunriver Reseort Emily continued working at Sunriver Resort as their Teen & Family Supervisor and then the Youth Programs & Bike Rentals Manager . Emily is now the Recreation Programs Manager with the Sunriver Owners Association in Sunriver, Oregon. While focusing on managing SROA’s recreation programs including summer camps, after-school programs and tennis, she is also apart of their newly built $18 million recreation and aquatic center.
Alison Jenks – Secretary
Email: alison.jenks@rcra.org
Bio: Alison attended Central Michigan University on a student leadership scholarship where she earned a business degree in Commercial Recreation and advertising. In 2008 she completed a 30 week internship at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort and worked there full time from 2008 until 2011 where she worked in several different roles in the programming department for 4 seasons. In 2011 she made a major life decision to move back to the Midwest to be closer to her family, but is still contracted for large scale events including the annual Kiawah Island Marathon and the recent PGA Golf Championship. Upon moving back to the Midwest in the spring of 2011 Alison started her current position at the Bellbrook Sugarcreek Park District as the program coordinator.
Rob Macgowan – Director-At-Large
Email: rob.macgowan@rcra.org
Bio: Rob Macgowan has been in the recreation industry for the past 22 years. Rob has worked in both nonprofit and commercial segments and has served as a camp counselor, social recreation director, challenge course facilitator and is currently the Director of Recreation at Sunriver Resort in Oregon. He has served on the RCRA board as Director At Large and President for a three year term. Rob has a B.S. degree in Management Recreation from Radford University in the great state of Virginia. When he is not leading recreation fun/adventures for his guests, he can be found recreating (camping, kayaking, skiing, playing videos) with his family and friends!
