Source: MA.

Motorcycling Australia has announced that four new directors have been elected by the MA Council, which is made up of state controlling bodies representatives.

The newly-appointed directors include John Bolitho, Leanne Knowles, Tania Lawrence and Michael Strano, while three more are still to be appointed following recommendations by the MA Council.

Bolitho is an experienced lawyer who has practiced in Australia and South Africa, with a longtime interest in motorcycling, road safety and competition.

Knowles has 25 years experience in business communications and has served as an independent director on Motorcycling Victoria’s Board while also spending 12 years as a recreational rider, in track days and road racing.

Lawrence works in business development, has been a rider for 25 years and, until recently, held her motorcycle race license competing in local competitions at Barbagallo Raceway. She also supported her partner for 10 years with running the Western Australian chapter of the Honda Riders Club, while also being an active contributor to motorcycle safety initiatives.

Strano is the senior producer of motorsport at Fox Sports Australia, who has been the producer of on air broadcasts for V8 Supercars, MotoGP, WorldSBK, Speedway GP, Speedway World Cup and the Troy Bayliss Classic over the past five years. He has a total of 30 years in television production and is an avid rider and passionate supporter of all two-wheeled racing.

The MA Council has also delivered a list of recommendations to the new MA Board on some matters crucial for the ongoing reform of the MA federation:

– That the new MA board is authorised to implement the recommendations of the Whole of Sport Review Panel report, subject to the comments made by each SCB on those recommendations.

– That the SCBs all support an alliance model as the basis upon which MA and SCBs will work together in the future.

– That the SCB’s and MA, in a principle-based alliance, will work towards integrating the management personnel of the SCBs and MA, as well as developing a flexible financial model that ensures the ongoing sustainability and success of MA and every SCB.

The 2015 MA Annual General Meeting has presented the MA federation with the most exciting opportunity for the cooperative development of motorcycle sport in the history of the federation.

Meanwhile, it has also been announced that Michael Burns has been appointed Motorcycling Victoria’s 17th president. Burns got involved in the sport of motocross through his son over a decade ago, has been an official at the Rosebud Motorcycle Club for much of that period and has been an MV Board member and member on MV’s operations sub-committee since 2014.