My reasons for running for the NEBRA Board of Directors can be summed up in a few words. I
love this sport, road racing in particular, and I’d like to continue to give back to it at a regional
level.
My racing career started in 1981 at Wells Avenue, and concluded at Ninigret Park in 2015. In
2014, I became a USA Cycling Official. In 2018, I achieved the Category A level (one from the
top at USAC), being supported by a grant from NEBRA, and I am grateful for that support. I was
a member of the Northampton Cycling Club Board of Directors from 2017-2019, and I’ve been a
co-director of the NCC Tour of the Hilltowns road race since 2015. The past few years of this
race have been challenging, with rising costs and declining participation. However, we have
worked hard to reduce costs yet maintain the unique experience that this long-running race
provides.
The upcoming changes at USAC – simplifying categories, reducing payments to NEBRA and
centralizing administration, has some positive aspects. I believe that this will drive the focus of
the local associations like NEBRA towards grassroots development. It’s going to take planning,
prioritization, and perseverance. One thing I would like to see is a more formalized Beginning
Racer Program structure for the region. There have been several successful development
efforts to date (I was a coach at the Bethel Spring Series), but I believe some structure and
consistency across programs in the region would support better and safer racing.
Finally, my friend, and past NEBRA BOD member David Hoyle and I spoke a lot about the state
of road racing in New England. Last year, he asked me if I would run for the NEBRA BOD. I
declined, due to my NCC BOD obligations. Now that my term is up, I can think of no better way
for me to honor his contributions to this sport than to follow through with his request.
Thank you for your consideration, and see you at the races!
Chris