Building a Better AMA: Change and improvement are the lifeblood of your Association

By Stan Simpson

As the chairman of the AMA Board of Directors, I am pleased to report that your Association is making great strides to provide members with better services and benefits. If you read these pages and follow industry news, you are no doubt aware of some of the changes.

The most newsworthy has been the sale of certain AMA Pro Racing assets to the Daytona Motorsports Group, which the board unanimously approved, and we announced on July 10. Following the promotional success pioneered by Live Nation with the AMA Supercross and Arenacross series, the marketing, promotion as well as the sanctioning of the AMA’s other professional racing series—Superbike, Motocross, Flat Track, Supermoto, Hillclimb and ATV—are now in the hands of a highly capable and resourceful company. This in turn allows the AMA to focus on its core mission: promoting and protecting the motorcycling lifestyle.

This is a significant change in strategic direction, and it would not have been possible without the collective wisdom and experience assembled on the AMA Board of Directors. Five of our corporate members are CEOs, including three from motorcycle manufacturers: KTM, Buell and Ducati. Among the elected members, many run successful businesses. We are not only passionate about motorcycling, we understand the dollars-and-cents of everyday business management and are applying these fundamental skills to the oversight of the AMA.

The same can be said of AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman, who we selected from scores of applicants in a nationwide search to bring a new generation of leadership to the AMA. Rob and his management team not only understand marketing, customer service and profitability, they also possess considerable non-profit experience and specific knowledge of the legislative and regulatory issues that threaten motorcycling. They are striving to work even more closely with other organizations to preserve your motorcycling freedoms. In fact, this issue of American Motorcyclist showcases one of the heroes on the rights battlefront, Charles Umbenhauer (see page 44). Expect more activism by the AMA in the areas of noise reduction, access to public lands, rider discrimination, increased education and awareness, and opposition to mandates.

Another area of improvement that Rob and his team have spearheaded is member communications. We are very proud of the redesigned American Motorcyclist magazine that you hold in your hands. In its pages and on the AMA website, we are telling the stories of AMA members like never before. Wherever we can, we include your words and photos because they convey the excitement of motorcycling in a way that makes us all want to go out and ride more.

Not as obvious, but just as important, are structural changes that the AMA Board has undertaken. For example, we recently limited the number of consecutive terms that a Board member can serve to two. This will assure a continual flow of fresh thinking and energy. We have also tightened up our oversight of AMA finances. These two changes improve the board’s professionalism and help us avoid the kind of financial shenanigans that we recently experienced with a former board chairman. On that subject, I would like to add that we have recently entered into a six-figure settlement that satisfies the board’s demand for reparations, but does not eliminate the possibility of a criminal proceeding by local authorities.

There is a well-worn expression that says, “In times of peace, prepare for war.” In other words, when times are good—and motorcycling has enjoyed an extended period of growth and prosperity—get ready for the time when the very existence of motorcycling is threatened. We all know about these threats; they circle our world like orbiting warheads. That is why the AMA’s board and executive management are working long hours to build a defense that will fend off these perils. Each of us is a foot soldier—and recruiter—in this effort, and I thank you for your invaluable support of the AMA.

Stan Simpson is the chairman of the AMA Board of Directors.