Greetings CRCA Community!

The 2021 CRCA Board of Directors nomination period has concluded. By next week, you should receive an e-mail from our online election service to cast your vote. Further instructions will follow on that.

Below are the candidates for each position on the 2021 Board of Directors along with their personal statements. We appreciate you taking the time to read through to get to know each candidate before it is time to vote.

In addition, by affirmative vote of the Board of Directors, the Board is recommending the addition of a new Director of Advocacy whose role will be to:

Serve as liaison between CRCA and select organizations, as directed by the Board, to nurture CRCA's relationship with the broader community, seek or develop new initiatives for CRCA and Member involvement relating to advocacy efforts that benefit CRCA and the broader racing and cycling community, and report such advocacy related opportunities or issues to CRCA Members and the Board.

The CRCA Bylaws requires a two thirds majority vote of the Members to ratify the changes to the Bylaws needed to add the Director of Advocacy to the CRCA Board. Please review the proposed amendment here. The proposed Director of Advocacy position will only be installed if the Bylaws amendment is ratified by the Members.

If you have any questions please feel free to email secretary@crca.net or reach out to any of the current board members directly.

President:

Kevin Hsieh

Hi. My name is Kevin Hsieh (pronounced “Shay”). I’ve been a CRCA member since 2013, and since 2019, I’ve served as the Vice President of Club Racing. You may also know me as a member and leader on KruisCX, one of the CRCA subteams. Thinking back to the end of the 2019 season, I remember feeling incredibly fulfilled to have run a full season of racing with positive feedback from all parties (the Board, Parks Dept., and our membership base). 2020 has been tough, to say the least, navigating the uncertainty of Covid-19 and reflecting on the role that the cycling community plays in issues championed by the Black Lives Matter movement. 

I am truly grateful to Lucia Deng for her leadership as President of the Board for the past two seasons. Her friendship and support was what made me feel comfortable with taking on the Club Racing position to begin with, and she has been an amazing leader to collaborate with. I’m hoping to carry over many of the values, ideas, and initiatives that she started through her work at CRCA.

The Century Road Club Association is a not-for-profit organization that puts on high quality races in the area and has a strong member base. I believe that the club can utilize its reach and influence more effectively, and enact more positive change. To that end, my goals this coming season fall into three buckets: improving board operations, striving for operational excellence, and fostering an inclusive and diverse community. My hope is that after reading this you understand the intentions behind the actions I take as CRCA President.

The way that the organization currently operates and the high standards that we’ve set for ourselves as board members means that each member is asked to take on a lot. The sheer amount of work required to run operations means that Board Members are not given enough room to think creatively about their roles or the broader role of CRCA. This makes it incredibly challenging to enact sustained change beyond minor operational improvements. Ultimately I would like to make these roles less intimidating, so that serving on the CRCA Board feels exciting for more people. By gradually distributing the work across more levels of involvement (volunteer or paid), we can create more mental and emotional space for our Board Members to focus on functions of their role beyond maintaining the status quo while reducing burnout and turnover.

CRCA exists to serve two primary functions: 1. To provide its membership base with quality racing and development opportunities. 2. To maintain a healthy membership base with outreach and rider development. On the racing side, assuming there are clear timelines around a vaccine, I will work with the Open and Club Racing directors to prioritize safe and responsible racing. As with everything related to this pandemic, things may change, and we will make decisions that keep the safety of members and the residents of New York City top of mind. From there, I’m hoping to support my teammates in continuing to host great races, coaching sessions and development clinics to continue to grow our sport.

That being said, we can do a lot to make our sport more accessible. I believe that improving access to the sport supports a healthy and diverse membership base. Racism exists in our sport, and CRCA has an obligation to work to unwind it. Bike racing is inherently classist due to the cost of equipment and fees, and can be unwelcoming towards women and LGBTQ folks.  These are the issues that our Board Members should be thinking about, and by distributing the operational efforts, we can provide space for the organization to grow and enact sustained change.

If you got this far in my manifesto, thank you for reading. Hope to see you all in a race in 2021, and stay safe and healthy this winter.

Director of Teams:

Tommy Nesel

To the CRCA Board of Directors and Members, The Foundation Cycling Team nominates Tommy Nesel for the Director of Teams role on the 2021 CRCA Board of Directors. Cycling has been a powerful influence on his life. It’s been a great utilitarian form of transportation – it took him half the time to bike to high school versus taking the bus, and allowed him to visit friends and get to practices under his own autonomy. Cycling has been a wonderful way to explore for Tommy – from discovering the summit of Mount Greylock in Massachusetts and roads around his childhood home outside Albany, to experiencing the great cafés, terrain, and breweries of the lower Hudson Valley. Last but not least, cycling is a great competitive athletic outlet – from serving as cross training for his high school and collegiate rowing career, to racing at Floyd Bennett Field on weeknights, there’s no better thrill and challenge than racing bikes in NYC. Tommy has had a phenomenal experience being part of the CRCA since 2018. He raced over 30 times last year with the Foundation sub-team. CRCA's rich history made itself known to Tommy when the CRCA arm patch was recognized so well outside of the NYC area. This helped him see the value of the club and made him want to do his part to contribute to its success and give back to the sport that he loves. Tommy has developed management, planning, and communication skills through leadership roles in the athletic and non-profit realms: he captained the Harvard lightweight rowing team in 2012, he has Chaired the Events Committee for Row New York’s Associate Board since 2018, he fund-raised over $40k for cancer research tied to athletic events, and in his current job where he manages a team of 5. He would love to bring these skills to the Director of Teams role, and bring his passion and energy for cycling with it. Thank you for your consideration, Foundation Cycling Team

Charlie Stein

Hello, my name is Charlie Stein and I am running for CRCA’s Director of Teams.  I joined the CRCA as a new member to the bike racing community in 2019 and I am currently a member of the Lonely Hearts Cycling Club.  In addition, I am also the captain of Team MSK, a cycling team composed of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center employees.  Team MSK’s mission is to raise money to fund cancer research and foster a sense of community through cycling by participating in team events such as the Garden State Fondo.

In 2020, I joined Lonely Hearts and assisted the team captain with the submission of the sub team application and helped to coordinate and assign team duties internally. If elected Director of Teams, I will create a welcoming environment for both new and established teams and streamline the sub team application process.  The current process is difficult to navigate for newer teams and I hope to assist in its simplification and help expand the CRCA’s already amazing sub team culture.

Elizabeth Tobey

Hi! I'm Elizabeth, and I hope to be your new Director of Teams next year. 

I have raced with CRCA on KruisCX for three years and am proud to have been able to build up and manage the f/t/w squad over the past year. In addition, I have spent two years helping CRCA  in different capacities: first as Director of Communications in 2019 and then as the Women's Development Coordinator in 2020. Through these roles, I've learned a lot about the board, its responsibilities, been able to take on a multitude of tasks that go into running a race, and have gotten to know most of our subteams, which is why I would like to serve as the Director of Teams during the 2021 season. 

I'm very operationally-focused, allowing me to balance the various needs of all our teams and the organization. It's been so long since we've raced, so frankly, my primary goal is to make certain the team managers and their racers have what they need to be successful and have fun from the first race to the last. This means clear and consistent communication and support throughout the season, something I already do as leadership for Kruis. Having been part of CRCA's operations in the past, I know what it takes to prepare and support an event, and I'm excited to do that next year. 

Thank you for considering me for this position, and I hope to be able to continue to take on new roles within the CRCA board and to help grow our racing community and put on awesome events.

Public Relations:

Euan Stevenson

This is a position that really allows me to tap into something I enjoy, engaging with the broader community, and also tap into the more commercial aspects of fund raising.  I run the sponsorship engagement for 42x21ATQ and also was part of the team in engaging the NYC community to participate in the event we hosted to raise funds for Australian Wild Fires.  This included collaborating with international brands but more specifically tapping into local brands like Hammerhead.

Through various partnerships, and my collaborative approach I think I’d be a strong candidate for the role not to mention my day job is to raise capital and communicate with clients for one of the largest asset managers in the world.

Vice President of Rider Development

Tara Parsons

Tara Parsons’ CRCA BOD statement 2020

I have been a CRCA member since 1997 and a CRCA coach since 2011. I was an active racer between 1995-2005, and a few years later I began coaching. I love bike racing, and I love helping others to love bike racing. 

During my time as a rider, and later as a coach, I’ve had the opportunity to work with other amazing coaches—they’ve made the CRCA coaching program what it is today, one of the best club-level coaching programs there is. These coaches have been a true inspiration to me, and I want to help the CRCA continue its legacy of developing strong and skilled riders. 

As a board member for CRCA for five years, as well as a veteran educator and cyclist, VP of Rider Development is a role that I know well. I am familiar with the scheduling and admin work with USACycling and I also know what’s needed to improve our program to keep our racers succeeding. 

 I am looking forward to creating safe protocols for coaching in our post-COVID world for 2021, and to the continued  challenge and the opportunity of serving the CRCA community in the position of VP of Rider Development. 

Vice President of Racing

John D’Agostino

Hi All, 

I was the Marshaling Director during the 2020 season, my first as a board member for the CRCA.  Despite the shortened season, this role allowed me to be a part of the race day operations and manage an important piece of the park races.  During this span, I worked alongside Kevin Hsieh (incumbent who has been nominated for President) and have had a front row seat as he set up and ran park races, which included communications and permitting with both USAC and the parks department, race day registration/operations, finalizing results and reporting them to USAC, and managing the ambulatory, moto pacers, and timing services.  This experience has given me a firm understanding of the responsibilities I would be undertaking and I would be excited to be a part of the process.  It has also allowed me to see the challenges this position faces, including the necessary steps to take leading up to the season, during race weeks, and on race day, which will give me a head start in knowing what to expect.  As Vice President of Racing, my main focus will be to administer a safe, inclusive, fun and competitive racing season while meeting park, USAC, and COVID safety requirements.  I believe this position requires a strong focus, great organization, and a high level of accountability.  

To let you know a little about myself - I have been working in the finance industry for 10+ years and currently work as a senior manager at a “Big 4” accounting firm, where some of my primary responsibilities include managing teams, client relationships, and large engagements. I also served as President of the Syracuse University MBA Class of 2012, which gave me experience serving the needs and goals of a constituency.   

In regards to cycling, it is a huge passion of mine and I love the tight knit community that exists in NYC due to the hard work and efforts of the CRCA. I want to continue my involvement in the Association so that we can continue to grow the sport and share the sense of community that we are all attracted to.  I started cycling in 2013 as a way to stay fit while giving my surgically repaired knee a break from the pounding pavement that came with running. I quickly became a racer soon thereafter and have been for 7 seasons.  In the offseason, I race cyclocross up and down the East Coast. Suffice to say, giving back to the sport that gives me so much joy would be an honor. 

I appreciate your vote and I’m always happy to answer any questions.

Treasurer

Mitchell Napolitano

I have served for 2 seasons as Treasurer for CRCA. I spent the 2019 season getting up to speed on all things CRCA and the 2020 season prepping for two races then closing things down when Covid broke loose. Through my experience as Treasurer I have mastered the various tools used by my predecessors to manage the clubs finances, and expanded on the toolkit used for payments and billing. I was responsible for managing the clubs overall budget, handing out prize money, and paying the many contractors and vendors that help make races happen. Managing the accounting for reimbursements, USAC officials, Central Park Conservancy, marshalls, etc took up a large chunk of the operational time of the position. At the conclusion of each season, I spend time reconciling the books, filing taxes for the club, and drafting the next season's budget.I am seeking reelection to the CRCA Board of Directors in 2021 as Treasurer. I am looking forward to continuing to serve the cycling community of New York City and specifically our CRCA members. In 2021 I plan to focus on further digitizing CRCA’s financial accounting, continue creating sources of recurring revenue outside of membership/sponsors, and expand the CRCA's digital footprint for billing and payments.

Membership Director

Randy Locklair

Hi everyone! I’m excited to be running to be your membership director for the 7th year! Over my tenure as Membership Director, I have been able to make improvements to the membership, race morning registration, and waiver and marshal processes. Last season, for instance, we upgraded our membership platform to add chip timing (without adding any number pickup delays and eliminating race morning check in for most of you!). I can’t wait to get back to testing and improving that system when it is safe to resume racing.Speaking of racing safely, I’m proud of how so many of our club members have continued to find ways to ride while being distant and safe. I am looking forward to helping guide the club back to racing as soon as we are cleared to do so.Every year, the CRCA board works together to learn how we can make our beloved sport more inclusive. I am looking forward to working with our new Advocacy Director on this! I will also continue to find ways to add value to your memberships, and allow you to focus more on racing and training and less on filling out forms and waiting on lines.

Communications Director

Emily Singleton

Hi! I've been an active racing member of CRCA with Rockstar Games for 7 years, and I am the current Director of Communications for what we’ve had of a season. I have loved the opportunity to give back to the organization that has taught me so much about racing and myself and would be thrilled to continue in the role. My background is in journalism and communications, and my narrative personal Instagram stories are a joy for all.

Communication is essential to attracting and retaining members. In 2021, I will work to increase member social engagement and encourage new and different voices for website content. In particular, I would like to focus on appealing to a more diverse set of riders and continuing to help grow the fields for women/trans/femme racers. I have plans for recurring features, rider and team profiles, and general reminders why we all wake up before dawn to ride in circles. I am organized and detail-obsessed, and I believe my experience and collaborative nature has been an asset to the Board through this challenging year. As a Board member, I will also ensure we stay accountable for items outlined in the CRCA Black Lives Matter Statement and foster an environment of inclusivity within the Club. Thank you for your consideration!

Marshal Director

Evan Bauer

Hi, I'm Evan Bauer.  You may remember me from such CRCA events as 'Is that guy attacking from the whistle?' and 'Club Race #6 - A Lap too Soon'.  I'm here today, seeking your vote as I look to fill the Marshal Director role for the 2021 race season.  Having been a member of CRCA since 2013, and a racing member of KruisCX since 2014, I am excited to be able to give back my time and energy to the club in this position.  My goal will be to build on the amazing foundations that have been put in place, especially over the past two years, and bring the Marshaling experience to a digital and more streamlined process.  

When I'm not racing, training, or reviewing the same power data over and over, I am a project manager for a real estate wellness company, and I look forward to bringing my process and management skills to this role.

Thank you.

Director of Open Racing

Alex Klafehn

Hey! I’m Alex; I’m a Brooklyn-based rider on NYCC Racing with five competitive seasons on my legs. Since I started riding regularly nine years ago, I’ve become a daily bike commuter, worked as a bike messenger through my first NYC winter, raced at the Kissena velodrome, volunteered with Transportation Alternatives, and current co-captain of NYCC’s A-Classic SIG program, a three month intensive training program. Every group I’ve been privileged enough to have been a part of has their own unique culture & qualities, providing a rich set of experiences that have made me grow as a better cyclist. I'd like to continue to give back to the community by returning to my position as Director of Open Racing.

For the 2021 CRCA open racing season, my goals as the Director of Open Racing will be to:Ensure that any events in 2021 are safe for everyone involved;Continue the tradition from past seasons of developing races to be more inclusive & supportive for underrepresented groups within the cycling scene;Create coalitions with other organizations & clubs to help cross-promote and share cycling with others;While I don't know what the 2021 open racing season will look like, I look forward to the chance to ensure that CRCA is prepared for any opportunities!

Secretary

Travis Torsky

Hello, my name is Travis Torsky and I am excited to run for reelection as Secretary for the CRCA Board of Directors in 2021. I have been an active racer in CRCA for over 5 years and last year was my first year as a member of the board. While we only had 2 races before lockdown, I still learned a ton and am excited to apply that experience to the 2021 season. I’ve been a cyclist my entire life and have worked in the cycling industry in New York City for nearly a decade. I am very passionate about growing our sport and as Secretary I hope to help the rest of the board in the initiatives started in 2020 to bring a more diverse population into CRCA and am especially interested in finding ways to get more local youth riders involved.

Thank you for taking the time to vote in our election and I am excited to help improve our club regardless of what 2021 brings.

Director of Advocacy

Enrique Cubillo

My name is Enrique Cubillo. The CRCA community taught me to race a bicycle very well. I think the more NYC community members know CRCA exists the greater chance bicycle racing in the park will have to continue for future generations. I hope you vote for me or become inspired to run against me and spear head the first year of the Director of Advocacy initiatives. I’d be happy to answer your questions prior to your voting. EnriqueCubillo@gmail.com. Thank you.

Nathan Brauer

Fellow CRCA members,

I would be honored to be the director of advocacy for our club.  

I’ve been racing for over 35 years, and a member of CRCA since 1998.  I’ve participated peripherally in advocacy circles, riding with Transportation Alternatives, Kidical Mass, Cranks and I Challenge Myself and wanted to bring these groups and others together with CRCA.  As Director of Advocacy for CRCA, I see the opportunity to expand the NYC peloton.  Not only do I want to bring advocacy to the forefront of CRCA, but I want to make sure that CRCA and people who ride fast responsibly have a place in our city, on our streets and in our parks and in the mind of the next generation. 

I see three objectives for this new position. First, introduce members to advocacy opportunities. Second, share the joy of bike racing in NYC with those who might not be aware of it.  Finally, represent CRCA’s cycling interests to city organizations. To accomplish these goals, I propose an advocacy events calendar(similar to the coaching calendar) for club members and to reach out to organizations and cycling groups that might be interested in racing.  Finally, I will show up when needed.  

Thank you for your consideration.  

Nathan Brauer
CRCA Foundation since 2001