James D. Rogers
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James D. "Jim" Rogers is the President and CEO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA). He currently lives in Billings, MT and Reno, NV. He has a wife, Sandy, and three sons: Ben, Judd, and Tyler–all three are Eagle Scouts.
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[edit] Large Scout family
Rogers became an Eagle Scout in Greenbrae, California in 1965 and a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Nevada Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Reno, Nevada in 2002. Scouting's values play an important role in this entire family. He is the brother of T. Gary Rogers, who is also an Eagle Scout and Distinguished Eagle Scout. Their brother Don is also an Eagle Scout; as are seven of their sons, for a total of 10 Eagle Scouts across two generations of this family.
[edit] Career
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in 1972, he contacted KOA for an interview and got a quick, positive response. As an executive of the Billings, Montana, company later told him, "We wanted to meet an Eagle Scout that went to UC Berkeley."
Rogers had worked each summer during college at the Lair of the Golden Bear, the California Alumni Association's camp, and he dreamed of building a company that would develop alumni camps across the country.
Rogers got the job at KOA and stayed for two years before heading to UCLA to complete a master's degree in business administration. After a couple of years as general manager of a South Lake Tahoe resort, he went to work for Harrah's Entertainment Inc. in 1978, eventually becoming senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's Reno in 1994. Then, in January 2000, he returned to KOA as president and chief executive officer.
[edit] Scouting helps throughout life
Throughout his career, both the skills and the values he learned as a Scout have served Rogers well. The advancement program, he said, "helps you understand what it takes for achievement." And the values? "I can't tell you the number of times I think of trustworthy, loyal, helpful, and all the rest as being requirements for the people who work for us at KOA," he said. "The Scout Law is just a wonderful value list."
The aptness of having an Eagle Scout in charge of North America's largest camping company is not lost on Rogers. He's thrilled to see Scout troops using KOA campgrounds for family campouts and views the campgrounds as the perfect place to introduce new Scouts to camping skills before they head off for more rugged adventures.
Rogers has also found ways to use KOA facilities to support Scouting. He helped the Montana Council create a program called Jamboree Day. Held at the Billings KOA, the event included a camping for area Boy Scouts, a fund-raising luncheon to benefit the council, and the "Eagle's Nest," a reunion get-together that reached out to adult Eagle Scouts in the community. John Nunn, an Eagle Scout who is a member of the U.S. Olympic Team, spoke at the luncheon and visited with the Scouts in camp. The event had a terrific impact, helping identify potential volunteers and financial supporters as well as reconnect with alumni of the program. Rogers serves on an ad hoc committee of Montana CEOs who work to support the council.
