On Monday night, our generous host Steve Brown opened his room at Madison's to host the 2008 Club Business Meeting. Tables were set for 80, and they were all full as we enjoyed a Lasagna feast.
John Ohnstad kicked off the meeting by giving special thanks to the 2008 leadership team (Carlo, Ty, John Ohnstad, Traci, Martin, Lynne, Kimberly, Linda, and John Lucas) and welcomed our newest members John Elrod (Ride Operations) and Marc Altman (Member Liaison).
Recognition & thanks were extended to all of our Ride Leaders, Events Volunteers, and Charity Ride Volunteers. We had a tremendous turnout and enormous enthusiasm for our participation in the LiveSTRONG Challenge in June, Providence Bridge Pedal in August, and Harvest Century in October of this year. It is the strength of our people, our amazing volunteers, that has made Portland Velo the community that it is.
Ty presented the fantastic growth and accomplishments of the race team, with win counts exceeding those of 2007 including 3 state championships, and the team currently ranked #5 out of 84 teams in the state. He also provided a quick overview of the discounts extended to the club - including Defeet and a Velo Vie custom Portland Velo team-color bike frame (with 20 orders already placed!)
Matt D'Elia, in addition to his recognition for the ride leaders, provided an overview of the immense success of the team's first sponsored race, Cyclocross at Pain on the Peak. This was accomplished in 34 days, from conception to race day - an amazing feat that impressed racers and OBRA Officials alike. This has led to some fantastic opportunities for 2009, including a repeat of the CX race slated for September 12, 2009.
Linda displayed the results of our survey, where the bulk of our active members provided feedback. The take away is that we love to ride, and want to continue to do so with emphasis on location diversity. Not shockingly, most people want to be able to ride close to home. All of the results will be reviewed by the leadership team and taken into consideration as we finalize the plan for 2009. Again, we greatly appreciate the feedback, as this club IS truly all about the ride, and its members.
In an amazing bit of news, our treasurer John Lucas showed us just how in the black we are. The club is financially sound, and finally self-sustaining, rather than relying upon the pockets of Carlo or Ty. As such, we were able to pay for this meeting, rather than charging per person - again, Steve's generosity contributed to make this affordable. Total profits are split between the club and race team, based on the participation of our volunteers and divided accordingly. One of our significant fundraisers this year was Bridge Pedal, which brought in $3000 total.
Unfortunately, Carlo Delumpa, club co-founder, president and director, was unable to attend in person. Instead, he recorded a special video address to the club - in which he announced the end of his term and welcomed Kevin Rhea (KRhea - pronounced “Kay-Ray”) as his replacement. It was a touching video, closing with a montage of 2008 set to the tune of Queen's "Bicycle Race". In addition, John Ohnstad will be stepping out of his role, replaced by another John, aka “J-Rod”. John Ohnstad will continue representing Portland Velo in a community events liaison role and will inform us what future involvements will be in such events as LiveSTRONG (to be held in Seattle next year) and the Providence Bridge Pedal.
Enter KRhea ~ in three quick statements we are laughing and smiling and wondering if our new Director is also a stand up comic. His energy captivates the room as he weaves the tale of his first Century, humbly dates himself with a reference to Nashbar's beginnings (and being there to see it) only to turn and sincerely thank us all for the opportunity to serve our club. His excitement for the upcoming year is palpable, and the meeting closes.
Conversations flow, amazing Pain on the Peak videos play on the screen, a few last beers are downed, and we disperse, energized and excited for 2009.
Stay tuned for more announcements as the Leadership Team begins work on 2009 planning. We'll also put an article together with some interview qusetions so you will have an opportunity to get to know "KRhea" better.
We need you!
A reminder that the role of Events Director for Portland Velo is currently vacant – so if you have time and the ability to organize events, we’d like to hear from you! If you are interested in being on a planning committee to help volunteer with events, let us know by sending an email to info@portlandvelo.net.
We also have a need for a Treasurer to help out with the Race Team. Working with John Lucas, this individual would manage what was formerly known as the "bank of Ty".