CRCA Board Meeting Minutes

CENTURY ROAD CLUB ASSOCIATION

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Time and Date:           7:00PM – 9:00PM, March 7, 2017

Location:                     Offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York

Attendees:                   The following members of the Board, constituting a quorum of the Board, were present in person or telephonically:

Gabrielle Fisher – President
Tara Parsons – Vice President of Rider Development
Julius Quito – Vice President of Racing
Fred David – Secretary
Ken Edwards – Treasurer
Daniel Goldberg – Communications Director
Jeff Young – Public Relations Director
Madeleine Pascolini Campbell – Membership Director
David Moss – Marshal Director
Hank Greenberg – Director of Teams
Ted Teyber – Director of Open Racing

Absentees:                  None

Lucarelli & Castaldi Club Racing Series:

·       March 4 Club Race Debrief:

o   Feedback from NYC Parks:

§  Marshal issues:

§  NYC Parks and CPC are closely watching our marshal process.

§  Marshals missing from certain key points in park. System for tracking marshals makes difficult to determine which marshals were not in the correct spot. David has prepared a new chart to better track marshals by the location to which they are assigned. To be implemented at future race in Central Park.

§  Quality of marshals also could be improved. David to bring print outs of marshaling guide to future races in order to be able to provide copies to all marshals (rather than relying on marshals reading the guide online in advance).

§  Check-in process for marshals requires optimization.

§  Gabby to reach out to Matthew re: setting up email inbox for marshal waivers (to allow marshals to submit waivers prior to race morning).

§  CRCA racers riding backwards on Park Loop Road and riding on paths / sidewalks:

§  CRCA rules call for any rider riding backwards on Park Loop Ride or riding on paths / sidewalks to be disqualified. This rule is to be emphasized in upcoming races. Dan to email members prior to the next Club Race to re-emphasize this rule. David to emphasize to Paulette / marshals that marshals should be recording the number of any rider seen riding backwards or on paths and to report that number to Paulette or a race official. Board to also enforce this rule by calling out and reporting to Alex R or another official for disqualification any rider seen riding backwards or on paths.

§  Julius to talk to Charlie Issendorf re: how he handles this in Prospect Park, including whether riders caught doing so are suspended for one future race in addition to being DQ’d from that day’s race.

o   Results: Alex R said camera was in a mode that made hard to read results from C field. Point of emphasis to ensure this problem is not repeated.

o   Trailer: Needs to be cleaned out ASAP. Julius to reach out to Alex R. re: availability to assist. Hank to find a team to assist for team duty credit.

Open Racing

·       Grant’s Tomb Criterium:

o   Generally on track to have all open items finalized in time for Saturday’s race.

o   Over 700 racers registered. Lower revenue than 2016 due to more pre-registrations.

o   Tara/Ted to coordinate e-mail to clinic participants regarding meeting before 8AM clinic. Tara to hire additional coach for clinic if necessary.

o   Food Trucks: Wafles & Dinges confirmed. Ted talking to other food trucks about coming.

o   Publicity: Jeff to reach out to NYT re: write-up.

·       Orchard Beach Criterium:

o   To be held May 7.

o   CRCA still looking for a title sponsor.

o   Still waiting for permit to be approved by NYC Parks.

o   Possible that fields (Juniors / Masters) will get cut due to time restrictions imposed by NYC Parks.

o   Ted to reach out to Tomi re: best option for selling poster memorializing Zach Koop at OB. (Past attempts to sell posters over BikeReg have not yielded many sales).

o   Prizes / Swag: Gabby to reach out to Chomper for goods to give out to prizes. Ted to talk to Per from RBNY re: the same.

·       Bear Mountain Classic:

o   CRCA still looking for a title sponsor.

§  Ken/Ted to talk to Jordan family to gauge interest in sponsoring Bear Mountain.

§  Julius to reach out to marketing contacts for potential sponsor leads.

Donors + Sponsorship

·       Lucarelli & Castaldi: Jeff reached out to L&C to discuss expectations in connection with club race series sponsorship. Board to ensure that at all club races (1) L&C tent and business cards are set up and (2) announcements re: L&C are made. All references on website to the club race series now include reference to L&C.

o   Julius to send NYC Parks contract to Jeff to confirm what promotions are permitted before/during/after club races.

·       Hincapie: Jeff having discussions with Hincapie re: hosting a ride + dinner for CRCA Donor Members with George Hincapie as part of Hincapie sponsorship of Maltese and Mengoni races.

·       Donor Membership: Jeff continuing to explore ways to codify donor process and make it more attractive/offer better value. Gabby to put Jeff in touch with Olivia from Specialized.

Marshaling

·       Currently 69 remaining unfilled marshaling spots for 2017. 38 are in the new August 19 race date that replaced the Turkey Race after NYC Parks declined to give CRCA a November race date.

o   CRCA has budgeted for paying up to 50 marshal substitutes in 2017, so likely not an issue.

·       Marshal pages on CRCA.net: Gabby to follow up with Nick for marshal assignments and marshal suspensions.

Communications (deferred at February meeting)

·       Dan creating mailchimp account to allow better formatting of emails (including adding sponsor logos) and longer distribution lists than allowed on “emailer” on crca.net.

·       Monthly communication calendar: Dan to initiate process whereby Board submits all proposed emails/social media posts for entire month in advance to allow sufficient time to schedule and plan out those posts.

Finance + Accounting

·       No risks / major issues.

Teams

·       Coffee/Bagels after Club Races:

o   Scheduled for at least three dates: June 18, September 2 and one date TBD.

o   (Cost to CRCA for coffee/bagels is $750 per race.)

·       Rapha has offered to host end of season race. Hank has confirmed that Rapha expects to have a liquor license by end of season.

·       Group Rides:

o   Gabby to check with USAC to determine whether insurance / waivers are necessary.

§  Tara to set up dates on MindBody account once determined.

o   Rides may be held on race dates. May be held on other weekend dates.

o   5 planned so far (April, May, June, July, August).

Membership

·       Maddy to reach out to Randy regarding updating macro for roster list.

Rider Development / Coaching

·       Skills sessions have been fully subscribed. Added additional sessions. Doing best to accommodate all new riders. Long-term Board needs to consider allocating funds to allow hiring additional coaches and hosting additional sessions.

Secretary

·       Preliminary discussions underway regarding upgrading database / back-end of CRCA.net. Researching “out-of-box” options.

CRCA Board Meeting Minutes

CENTURY ROAD CLUB ASSOCIATION

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

January 5, 2017

Time and Date:  7:00PM – 9:00PM, January 5, 2017

Location:               Offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York

Attendees:          The following members of the Board, constituting a quorum of the Board, were present in person or telephonically:

Gabrielle Fisher – President
Tara Parsons – Vice President of Rider Development
Julius Quito – Vice President of Racing
Fred David – Secretary
Ken Edwards – Treasurer
Daniel Goldberg – Communications Director
Jeff Young – Public Relations Director
Madeleine Pascolini Campbell – Membership Director
David Moss – Marshal Director
Hank Greenberg – Director of Teams
Ted Teyber – Director of Open Racing

Absentees:          None

Club Racing:

●      Number Pick-Up: The Board is planning to have two number pick-up events at Veselka. The Board is considering having numbers held at NYC Velo’s East Village location after the pick-up events for later pick-up. TBD whether numbers will be available for pick-up at club races as has been done in past years. The Board is also considering whether team managers (or a designee) will be able to pick up numbers for all teammates.

○               Madeleine to reach out to Etsu (@ Veselka) to coordinate.

○               Ken to coordinate getting numbers to Veselka

○               David to reach out to Andrew & NYC Velo.

●       Women’s Development Series Numbers: Gabby/Ted/Tara to come up with number best practice for W’s Dev Series - this was a pain point last year.

●       Marshals: The Board discussed NYC Park’s new requirement for 2017 requiring an additional 10 marshals at each Central Park Race. Ken/David to discuss expected number of marshal duties vis-a-vis number of marshals required for 2017 races.

●       Masters Fields: Gabby/Julius to review 2017 schedule and see if Masters races can be moved to points race dates

Donors + Sponsor Expectations:

●      Lucarelli & Castaldi will be sponsoring the Club Race Series in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

●      The Board discussed the need for additional sources of revenue (in particular, sponsorships and donor members) to offset potential increase in costs due to additional marshaling requirement imposed by NYC Parks.

●      Jeff/Ken to speak to L&C regarding expectations from sponsor and goal of providing bagels + coffee after warm-weather club races.

●      Dan to reach out to Team Managers for rosters + will encourage members to join at the donor level

●      Gabby to send Jeff list of 2016 and 2015 donor members

●      Jeff to start the dialogue with Hincapie Sportswear (sponsor of Maltese and Mengoni omnium) for donor events this summer

●      Jeff to consider new ways of attracting donor members.

Open Races:

●      Grant’s Tomb: 

○               Scheduled for March 11.

○               Permitting and preparations on track.

○               Still looking for someone to handle over-night duty night before race

○               Still seeking a title sponsor. GT. 

○               Ted to reach out to Gorilla Cheese for sponsorship and bringing a food truck to the race.

○               Ted to reach out to Bicycle Habitat re: providing neutral support services.

●      Orchard Beach: 

○               Scheduled for May 6, 2017

●      Bear Mountain:

○               Scheduled for May 13, 2017 (Saturday (!!!) of Mother’s Day weekend)

○               Specialized might want to sponsor

●      Dave Jordan Classic:

○               Scheduled for June 3. Conflicts with White Plains Crit. The Board determined to not change the date of the race due to lack of available Central Park race dates, difference in time of day of race and White Plains Crit, and difference in types of races. The Board noted that in 2016, the Dave Jordan Classic was held on the same day as the Harlem Crit and both races had strong attendance.

●      Fort Lee Crit: CRCA has agreed to serve as the race promoter (which is owned / organized by the Fort Lee police department) in 2017. The race was not held in 2016.

Coaching:

●       Tara to work with ML on adding dates of coaching sessions to calendar

●       Gabby, Ken, Tara + David to review opportunities for supplementing coaching budget in light of increased Club Series operational costs

Marshal Prep

●       David to review communications sent to marshals, simplify language and ensure information is concise.

Membership + Waiver Management

●       Madeleine / Randy to discuss overall process for managing members, waivers

●       Board agreed that series waivers (for Club Racing Series) would only be accepted via e-mail going forward. Paper waivers may still be submitted on day-of for individual races. All members (Racing, Season Pass, Life, Donor) will now be able to submit series waivers (previously Racing members were not permitted to submit series waivers and instead had to submit waivers for each club race they attended).

Proposed Feb 2017 Topics

●      Review big picture of mission statement of CRCA + how we can deliver

●      Discuss pre-/post-race opportunities for community building and/or teams leading post-race rides

●      Walk through budget and Club’s revenue sources

Respectfully submitted,
Fred David, Secretary

2017 CRCA Board Election Results

Elections for the 2017 CRCA Board elections concluded at November 4, 2016, 10:30PM ET.The election committee (Rod Millott, Sarah Chubb Sauvayre and Matthew Erchull) has certified the results, and the following are the members of the 2017 CRCA Board of Directors.Many thanks to the election committee, to all who volunteered to put their names forward for a position, and to CRCA members who voted.

President: Gabby Fisher

Vice President of Rider Development: Tara Parsons

Vice President of Racing: Julius Quito

Secretary: Fred David

Treasurer: Ken Edwards

Communications Director: Daniel Goldberg

Public Relations Director: Jeff Young

Membership Director: Madeleine Pascolini Campbell

Marshal Director: David Moss

Director of Teams: Hank Greenberg

Director of Open Racing: Ted Teyber

CRCA Board Meeting Minutes

CENTURY ROAD CLUB ASSOCIATION
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

October 6, 2016

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Century Road Club Association (the “CRCA”) held a duly noticed meeting on October 6, 2016 at the offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York.

The meeting was called to order by Alexis Kraft, President of the Board, at approximately 7:00 PM.

The following members of the Board, constituting a quorum of the Board, were present in person or telephonically:

Alexis Kraft – President
Gabrielle Fisher – Vice President, Racing
Fred David – Secretary
Ken Edwards – Treasurer
Tara Parsons – Vice President, Rider Development
Mim Gilbert – Communications Director
Ted Teyber – Director of Open Racing

2017 BOARD AND OTHER POSITIONS

The Board discussed the stats of nominations for 2017 Board positions. The Board also approved the creation of an open racing logistics coordinator and individual open race director positions and compensation for such positions.

TURKEY RACE

The Board discussed logistics and marshals for the Turkey Race. The Board determined to hire paid marshals for the race using the revenue from Lucarelli & Castaldi’s sponsorship of the race.

WEBSITE REVAMP

Mrs. Gilbert showed the Board a preview of the new revamped front-end of the CRCA’s website, which is expected to be ready to be launched by year-end.

The Board also discussed next steps for revamping the back-end / database of the website.

MEMBERS’ SURVEY

The Board reviewed a draft of the year-end members’ survey and discussed certain of the questions in that draft. The Board signed-off on the draft with some changes that were discussed and Mr. David agreed to make those changes and circulate the survey to the CRCA members.

2017 RACING CALENDAR

Ms. Fisher presented a draft of the schedule of CRCA races for 2017. The Board agreed to attempt to hold the 2017 Bear Mountain Classic on the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend, subject to approval from NYS Parks.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

__________________________
Fred David
Secretary

CRCA 2017 Board Candidate Statements

PRESIDENT:

Gabby Fisher —

I have been a dedicated and involved CRCA member since 2008. In 2010 I sat as Director of Open Racing, where I managed and delivered our Open Race series. In 2016 I returned as VP Racing which provided invaluable exposure to the operational side of CRCA, including the intersection and need for alignment across financial, logistical, marketing/PR, membership, and rider development pillars – all critical to the success of the organization.

Some highlights from 2016: executed 12 race series netting 2,000+ registrants (and catalyst for reviving the 2016 Turkey Race); optimized W’s field start position reducing neutralizations by +50%; ensured motos followed neutralization protocols and matched with appropriate fields. Additionally, I’ve built upon existing relationships vital to maintaining our partnership with key Central Park stakeholders – the CPC, NYC Parks Department and the CPMU. I feel confident that we are heading towards a successful 2017 season as a result of this.

The Board is currently positioned to continue delivering our signature quality products:  excellent coaching opportunities for CRCA members; incredible racing experiences through our Club and Open race series; continued effort on creating robust junior and rider development programs.  Areas of optimization include improving internal processes, streamlining pre- / post-race activities, developing a user-friendly website + communications program, and identifying ways to secure CRCA growth through increased sponsorship, collaboration with external organizations, and expanding our membership base.

Outside CRCA, my professional background includes leading teams through global e-commerce initiatives aimed at increasing revenue and improving customer experience through B2B and B2C applications.  Stakeholders range from C-level executives to third party vendors where maintaining alignment across relationships and demonstrating added value are vital to ensuring project success.

I would welcome the opportunity to leverage my professional skillset along with my 2016 VP Racing experience and facilitate forward momentum towards a successful 2017 season.

VP OF RIDER DEVELOPMENT:

Tara Parsons — Statement to come.

VP of RACING:

Julius Quito —

Having helped the previous CRCA’s board of directors over the years as a marshal and race supervisor on club and open races, I have seen first-hand what it takes to run races that rely heavily on networking and coordinating with community organizations, city entities, and racers. I am eager to step up my contribution, to give back to an organization that does so much for its members, not for money or glory but for the love of the sport.

Outside cycling, I direct a team of IT professionals to solve problems, keep business continuity a priority, and maintain a high level of versatility while operating within a non-profit budget. I believe I can apply these same skills as the VP of Racing. In this position, I will continue the CRCA’s mission statement: to provide a safe and fun racing program in New York.

SECRETARY:

Fred David —

I am a Cat 3 with e2Value and a finance lawyer. I spent this past year as CRCA’s Secretary and would appreciate the opportunity to serve the club again in 2017.

This year I’ve worked to make the club more responsive to members’ wishes and to improve the value of club membership and the club’s open races.

I have learned a lot about CRCA and the challenges it faces during the last year and I hope to put that knowledge to work in 2017.

TREASURER:

Ken Edwards —

As the 2016 Treasurer, I have worked very hard with the Board on four important fronts – first, with financial discipline and strong record keeping, and through the hard work of the board, I helped turn a projected loss into a slight gain for the year. Second we provided important financial support to the Central Park Conservancy and the CDCDF. Third I assisted with infrastructure investment and moved excess operating capital into better long-term savings. Finally, and perhaps most exciting, I developed a proposed 2017 budget that will allow us to continue Season Pass at its current rate.

In 2017 I’ll continue to focus on instilling financial discipline that benefits members, and helping the board prioritize safety during park races and implementing new member initiatives to attract new racers and grow the sport.

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR:

Jeff Young —

Members and friends,

When I moved from Texas to New York in the fall of 2011, I immediately found a race I could do a few days after arriving in town. It was the Turkey Race – a great CRCA tradition I’m glad to see restored this year.

While the comradery of the Club was immediately apparent, what also struck me was the incredible privilege of being able to race in an arena like Central Park.  And that impressed on me straight away, what a remarkable and valuable institution the CRCA is.  It’s an impression that has only grown stronger with me.  Over the last five years of my membership, participating in all the park races I could, the Club has given me wonderful friendships and spirited competition.

Today, I’m thrilled about the opportunity to serve to the Club and excited to continue the fine work that this year’s board has provided our membership.  My objective is to continue to deliver a safe, competitive, full race program with fields and opportunities for all members from beginners to experts.

We’ll continue to enhance check-in, provide quick results, cultivate the junior development program and make it easier for members to fulfill their marshalling obligations.  In addition, I look forward to continuing to maintain and build the Club’s reputation with the local community by finding ways to support others outside our organization, with the cycling community by recruiting more members, and with the Central Park Conservancy by doing our part to keep the park beautiful.  The CRCA has been generous to me, and I want to give something back and work to safeguard and preserve its future.

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR:

Ceren Bingol —

I would like to serve on the CRCA Board as Membership Director as a way to give back to a community that has enriched my life over the past four years by making it possible and enjoyable to race and train in NYC.  When not riding my bike, I manage large scale projects and big teams as an architect, a task that requires organizational skills as well as a knack for communication, coordination and problem solving.  Without its sub-teams and members, CRCA would cease to exist, therefore I look forward to having the opportunity to promote and facilitate membership.

Madeleine Pascolini Campbell —

I was first introduced to bike racing in a CRCA Central Park Women’s Development race three years ago and was immediately hooked. Since then, I have completed two seasons of racing with Houlihan-Lokey and also two collegiate seasons with the Columbia University Cycling Club. At Columbia University I am currently entering the 4th year of a PhD program, and during my time there I have been fortunate to get involved with managing the CU Cycling Club. In 2015 I helped organize the CU race weekend at Rockland Lake, where I was in charge of obtaining sponsorship and organizing logistics for 200 participating racers. For the 2015-2016 academic year, I served as Vice President for CU Cycling and helped with multiple aspects of the club ranging from contacting sponsors, recruitment, organizing collegiate race weekends and coordinating with University administrators. Being on the CU Cycling board was a great experience and I hope to now contribute my skills and enthusiasm for cycling to CRCA.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR:

Daniel Goldberg —

As a new member in 2016, I know firsthand the importance of good communication and the ability for members to stay up to date on CRCA happenings and events. I believe this provides the groundwork to build out a strong community while simultaneously welcoming new members into the fold. From my brief conversation with the current Communications Director, Mim, it seems the majority of responsibilities of this role fall into one of two categories – email communication and social media – which aligns well with my work experience.

I’ve been doing this “marketing” thing for a little while now and have covered several related areas. Working as an in-house marketing manager, I’m responsible for both internal and external messaging, developing and deploying key communications to various audiences. This may cover existing messaging that simply needs to be distributed in a digestible format or new content that needs to be developed from scratch. In my previous marketing agency life, I worked at an agency creating and managing digital and social content for clients and fully understand how that ecosystem works and the various channels interact. While certainly different, the skillsets developed in these roles will translate well into the needs of this position.

Even though I only recently joined CRCA, I’ve jumped in taking advantage of various clinics (road & cx), CP races, and general local cycling knowledge. The Communications Director position will allow me to not only increase my involvement within the community, but also help engage existing and new members.

MARSHAL DIRECTOR:

David Moss —

I’ve been racing with CRCA since 2012 and it’s been a pretty incredible and rewarding experience; I’d like to give something back to the organization and help make the 2017 another successful season. I’ve previously served on multiple boards in advisory and executive positions, and would look forward to working with the CRCA Board and all of you to see continued growth of racing in and around NYC.  In addition to contributing to the broader goals of the Board and Club, I would try to bring back additional options for double marshalling credit (e.g., early season races, open races), continue to ease the identification of substitutes, and provide additional options for removal from the suspension list (e.g., donations to the development program).

DIRECTOR OF OPEN RACING:

Ted Teyber —

Ted Teyber was CRCA’s 2016 Director of Open Racing and is excited to return for another year to continue to improve CRCA’s open races and the experience of members.  Ted’s enthusiasm for cycling at all levels, as well as his experience as a land use and commercial real estate attorney provide an excellent tool-set for municipal and USAC permit applications, as well as promoting registration among regional racers.  Growing up in Southern California, Ted’s entree to cycling was mountain biking, and he was on the University of California Santa Barbara’s MTB team as an undergraduate.  Ted moved East for law school, and with the free time that became available upon graduating, became interested in road racing as an adrenaline substitute for the elevation and features of mountain biking the western states.  In addition to being a member of CRCA, Ted is a contributing member of IMBA, Transportation Alternatives, and Rails to Trails.

DIRECTOR OF TEAMS:

Hank Greenberg —

Over the past four seasons, I’ve taken so much from CRCA: fitness, friends, and access to competitive road racing 15 minutes from home. CRCA teams are the heart of our club. As your Director of Teams, I will give back what I’ve taken by serving as a team resource, ensuring that the CRCA supports its teams, and ensuring that teams support the CRCA. In addition to my love for our sport, I bring to this job excellent organizational skills, sound judgment, and a commitment to our club. I don’t miss deadlines or emails, and I have the time to give this job the attention it deserves.

Edward Sirya —

I am passionate about cycling and about NYC. I hope to contribute to the CRCA in ways that will add value to our riders and to our city. I would like to join the board as the Director of Teams to help cultivate new sub teams, coordinate team duties efficiently, and support the CRCA in its vision and purpose. I would love to see bike racing thrive here in our city. I have five years of experience in executive leadership and I serve on the board of a large non-profit organization. My family is originally from Thailand and I am an ordained Presbyterian minister. I race with an exceptional group of guys from RBNY and live on the Upper East Side with my wife, Roz, who is my biggest fan.

2017 Board Nominations - Now Open

Just a reminder, nominations for the Board of CRCA are still being accepted through this Sunday September 25. All positions are open, and we still have a couple of positions without a nominee, so if you have an interest in any position, please contact Fred David, the CRCA Board's secretary, at secretary@crca.net.

Self-nominations are allowed and encouraged!

A description of the roles of each position are included in the bylaws at http://archive.crca.net/about/by-laws/, and anyone interested should feel free to contact a current Board member about any questions (for contact info, see http://archive.crca.net/about/2016-board-of-directors/).

Each person accepting a nomination for a Board position needs to submit a brief statement (less than 300 words) explaining his or her qualifications for the position, interest and motivation for running. These statements will be publicized to club members in advance of the vote for the 2017 Board.

Outgoing Board members will be available to provide a handover of responsibilities to incoming Board members. A smooth transition to simplify the job of a newly elected member is key to the organization continuing to provide excellent racing and training opportunities.

Board members receive free club membership, free entry to club races, exemption from marshaling duties, and team duty points for their sub-team.

Serving on the Board is also a great way to meet other New Yorkers that are passionate about bicycle racing. Please consider nominating yourself or a fellow member to help the club move forward into 2017.