Change in Colorado: Bill Peterson Becomes President of USA Cycling Board of Directors

Bill Peterson replaces Mark Abramson as president of the USA Cycling Board of Directors. Abramson previously led Collegiate cycling but had a soft spot for ‘cross, winning the Sandbagger title at the Cyclocross National Championship in Baltimore, MD.  Peterson comes to the position with a background of working with USPRO, Tour of California and the NFL. Will Peterson help take American cyclocross to the level of the Tour of California and the NFL, or will he focus on USPRO road cycling? Full press release below.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 11, 2010) —The USA Cycling Board of Directors elected Bill Peterson as president at its biannual meeting, Wednesday in Colorado Springs. The board of directors of the national governing body for the sport of competitive cycling in the United States also re-elected three additional officers.

Peterson takes office immediately and replaces Mark Abramson, who served a two-year term beginning in March of 2008.

As board president Peterson will work closely with the organization’s senior management team to fulfill USA Cycling’s mission of achieving sustained athletic success and growing the sport of cycling in America. The office carries a two-year term with the next election slated for the spring of 2012.

Abramson was elected as one of two Vice Presidents on the board as Wayne Stetina was also re-elected as Vice President. Jim Patton was re-elected as Secretary.

“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to be in this position especially at a time when USA Cycling and its staff has done a nice job of creating a solid plan for the future in both business development and athletic support,” stated Peterson. “It is exciting to be around such great energy and focus. We hope to continue to grow the organization’s relationship with our members and other partners within the sport, while at the same time increasing our profile on the international stage and continuing to be a good Olympic partner.”

Peterson served on the USPRO’s board of trustees as an at-large representative for two years and has been the group’s representative on the USA Cycling Board of Directors for that same span. USPRO is a trustee organization within the USA Cycling umbrella whose purpose is to guide and promote professional bicycle racing.

Peterson was an integral part of the initial development of the Tour of California and served as the point person for two UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Professionally, he worked with the National Football League’s European operation for almost 10 years, the last two as Managing Director and then President. In these positions Peterson developed an array of knowledge of complex projects, strategic plans and goal achievement. Also a former vice president with Anschutz Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, Peterson drove its Sports Division, which manages everything from the David Beckham Academy to corporate-sponsored cycling, track and field and tennis events. His career highlights also include his position as Managing Director of the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles where he spearheaded the construction of the nation’s only 250-meter, indoor velodrome. Peterson earned his Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania.

“I would like to thank Mark for his continued service to our organization and welcome Bill in his new role,” said Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling.  “As we delve into increasingly complex initiatives in our efforts to grow competitive cycling across the United States, we are fortunate to have such an experienced and talented team on board.”

The 15-member USA Cycling Board of Directors consists of representatives from each of the organization’s five associations – the United States Cycling Federation (road, track & cyclo-cross), the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), the United States Professional Racing Organization (pro men’s road racing), the National Collegiate Cycling Association (collegiate cycling) and the BMX Association (bicycle motocross). Additionally, the USA Cycling Development Foundation also holds seats on the Board.