Fireside Chatter
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Good Sam Club Executive Director Sue Bray
Announces New Business Venture
Affinity CEO and President Mike Schneider made the announcement, stating, "Sue has dedicated her 33-year career to enhancing our members' experience through excellent membership benefits, development and service. Much of Good Sam's phenomenal growth over the years can be attributed to Sue. We wish her the very best of luck in her future endeavors, and I'm proud to announce that the Good Sam Club will be one of her first clients. She now has the opportunity to expand her outreach, public relations and development functions for the club as well as providing her expertise to other organizations. We are fortunate Sue will remain available to the members for the foreseeable future."
Sue joined the Good Sam Club, a division of Affinity Group, Inc., in 1976 as chapter activities director. In 1979 she was named executive director of the club, and became an Affinity vice president in 1980. During her tenure with the Good Sam Club, the organization grew from less than 200,000 members to nearly one million families today.
Sue spent most of her career with the Good Sam Club developing partnerships and benefits for members, including the popular trip routing service, an RV financing program, a member credit card, and was deeply involved in the design of the club's popular emergency road service. She marketed and managed club events, including Affinity's annual event, The Rally, which attracts upwards of 8,000 guests each year, and provided editorial direction for Highways, the club's monthly magazine.
Bray managed the Good Sam Club's participation in several major charity initiatives, including the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics, Dogs for the Deaf and Hole in the Wall Camps. She also managed its legislative and lobbying efforts, which she'll continue to do on behalf of the club and its members.
In 2009, Bray was inducted into the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Ind.-one of the youngest members and only the ninth woman selected for the RV industry's most prestigious honor.