Toby O’Rourke Named First Female CEO
of Kampgrounds of America Inc.
Kampgrounds of America Inc. President Toby O’Rourke has been named the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KOA. The announcement was made by Oscar Tang, whose family has owned KOA since 1980.
O’Rourke is only the sixth person to lead KOA, and the first woman in the top leadership role.
O’Rourke takes over the top leadership role at KOA from Pat Hittmeier, who announced his retirement after 38 years with the company. Hittmeier served in a variety of roles at KOA’s corporate headquarters in Billings, Montana before being named CEO in 2016. He will continue to serve as a consultant to KOA.
O’Rourke has served as KOA’s President since March 2018, and will retain that title in her new role as KOA President and CEO. She first joined the company in 2011 as its Director of Digital Marketing, and quickly rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Marketing and then Chief Franchise Operations Officer in 2016.
Her arrival at KOA in 2011 coincided with a period of strong growth for the 57-year-old camping company, which was founded in Billings, Montana in 1962.
Kampgrounds of America Inc. now has 517 camping locations throughout North America and has achieved record revenues under the leadership of Hittmeier and O’Rourke.
“It’s truly been a highlight of my career at KOA to be able to work with someone of Toby’s caliber,” said Hittmeier. “I can’t tell you how confident I am to turn the future of KOA over to someone with her drive, vision and track record for success. Toby does so many things so well, every day. She is a strong, natural leader who provides the kind of direction that fuels progress towards achieving short- and long-range strategic goals. I have complete trust in Toby’s ability to move KOA into the future while maintaining the valuable culture and integrity of this great company.”
O’Rourke is a Sheridan, Montana native. Before coming to KOA, she worked in brand management and digital marketing for WhiteWave Foods in Broomfield, Colorado, and the Hillshire Brands (now Tyson Foods) in Downers Grove, Illinois. She also has a background in software development and business architecture consulting. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In 2017, she was named to the exclusive “Forty Under 40” list by Advertising Age Magazine.
“We are very fortunate to have had such a strong leadership team in place at KOA,” said Tang. “Pat has successfully dedicated nearly his entire career to the advancement of family camping. As the CEO of KOA for the last seven years, he led the company to a period of unprecedented growth, not only in its business levels and profitability but also in the capabilities of its organization. He has now chosen to turn the leadership over to Toby and her team, who we are confident will take this established company in new directions, keeping us relevant in the marketplace while never losing sight of providing the quality outdoor experience that our guests have come to expect.”
ABOUT KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA
Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) is the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds with more than 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada. The industry leader in outdoor hospitality, KOA’s family of campground brands – KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort – offer sites and amenities designed for every type of camping experience. The company was founded 57 years ago in Billings, Mont., and today serves more than a million camping families each year, who rely on the standards of excellence and unique outdoor adventures KOA is known for. |
