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I’ll always think of Tom Franks as a man who kept
his cool. And I mean that both figuratively and lit-
erally. In the 1980s, as we crisscrossed the United
States in pursuit of constructive industry regula-
tion, things sometimes got tense. With legislative
hearings, there might be times when two bills were
being heard by committees at the same time, and
we had to run from one hearing room to another
to testify.
And then there was the outdoor legislative
dinner meeting in Missouri, where temperatures
were in the 90s. Tom and I, in suit and tie, sweltered
as the folks we met with were all in short sleeves.
Our meeting dragged on until I couldn’t take it
any longer and removed my jacket, tie, and shirt.
I don’t know what was more humorous: that I
continued the meeting in a T-shirt—or that Tom
stayed buttoned up. At any rate, when the heat
was on, he remained cool and collected.
Changing Climate
Tom passed away in December. He was a passion-
ate persuader and a respected colleague, with the
poise and skills of a seasoned negotiator—even as
a young man. He played a pivotal role at a crucial
point in the history of timesharing. It was a time
when a number of elected officials were running on
“ban timeshare” platforms. Tom was a key player
among a dedicated cadre of industry champions
who lobbied for legislation that helped overcome a
public perception aggravated by complaints, fraud,
and unsavory business practices.
These early efforts to establish consumer
protections formed the basis of how the industry
operates, even today. Establishing the “rules”
provided certainty and created an environment
of respect and credibility. This climate then
encouraged large, branded hospitality companies
and independent developers alike to invest in
vacation ownership.
Consumer protection regulation continues to
be the very keystone of the industry in the U.S.,
the support piece that bears the weight of a much
larger structure that works for all: from consumers
to lawmakers to investors to businesses.
The burgeoning sharing economy could take
a few lessons from our successes—that con-
structive regulation is a means of sustaining and
strengthening an innovative business model, and
that measures that ensure consistency, safety, and
security are a good thing.
An Evolving Model
The timeshare business model is evolving. And
while we’ve made adjustments under the old struc-
ture that we created, there are other inhibitors to
expansion, whether that’s accounting recognition
rules, increased taxes, or state-based registration
regulations. There’s little doubt that we need to
continually seek changes in order to evolve over
the longer term. We have to be just as vigilant as
we were back then, just as laser-focused on mov-
ing the ball forward.
As I prepare for ARDA World 2017, I look for-
ward to seeing many of you who knew Tom as a
lobbyist and then as a leader of ARDA, and I’m
reminded that the story of vacation ownership
comes down to the human factor. After all, the
industry was built on coalitions and developing
relationships with groups such as the Association
of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO)
and the National Association of Attorneys General
(NAAG), as well as individual regulators and legis-
lators throughout the country.
And as ARDA prepares to celebrate its
golden anniversary in 2019, it’s important to rec-
ognize and remember trailblazers like Tom who
cleared the way for healthy progress and created
a foundation that has supported an industry for
50 years.
4
VIEWPOINT
BY
Craig M. Nash
CHAIRMAN,
PRESIDENT, AND CEO
ILG
Salute to a
Trailblazer
APRIL – JUNE 2017 RESORTDEVELOPER.COM VACATION INDUSTRY REVIEW
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