Timeshare Legend: Harvey Baron Passed Away

HARVEY BARON

March 2, 1927 – January 17, 2018

Harvey Baron passed away peacefully on January 17, 2018 with family members at his side. He was 90 years old. Harvey is survived by his sons Gary Baron, (Taylor Billington) and Todd Baron, (Bea Baron), Gary and Todd’s mother Gertrude Baron, his four grandchildren Lani, Rhett, Alison, Todd Jr. and great grandchild Arden.

Born in The Bronx, New York, Harvey compiled a long list of accomplishments in his 30-year Land and Timeshare development career, least of which included long-time membership in the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) where he was often a featured speaker at national and regional conventions.  Harvey’s membership started back when organization was known as The American Land Development Association (ALDA), through the growth transition to The American Resort and Residential Development Association (ARRDA) and eventually ARDA.

Harvey began his career in the land development business in 1960 with the Gulf American Land Corporation (GALC), at that time the largest land developer in the world, as Regional Marketing Director, later becoming the Executive Staff Leader in charge of GALC (later GAC) International Division.  At GAC, Harvey was the early innovator of tour generation programs, developing the well-known “Fly and Buy” Marketing Program that ran nationally in the early to mid-1960’s.

In 1970 Harvey joined ITT Levitt Development (later to become ITT CDC) as their sixth employee.  It was there that Harvey developed and deployed the company’s successful national broker and offsite marketing office strategy.  Harvey went on to become ITT’s National and International Director of Sales and Marketing for Palm Coast Florida through 1982.

Harvey culminated his outstanding career in the timeshare industry as Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 1983-1990 with Sandstone Marketing Group.  Harvey was a pioneer of on-site (in-house) sales, and during those years was responsible for sales and marketing activity for resorts in Padre Island, TX, Steamboat Springs, CO, and Lake of the Ozarks in Branson, MO in addition to managing off-site sales throughout the State of Texas.

Our sincere sympathies go out to his family and friends. Harvey was not only admired by many but loved by all that knew him, and he will be greatly missed.