Erin McMahon of Huntsville will become vice-president of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association in January.
McMahon is president of the Huntsville Area Mountain Bike Riders, which was founded in 2005. The non-profit group supports “mountain bike advocacy, the building and maintenance of trails for multiple users, and serving as a resource for the mountain bike community of North Alabama.” SORBA is based in Knoxville and was founded in 1989.
McMahon previously served HAMR as vice president and social committee chair. She is a certified instructor and Resource Advisory Committee member for the Land Trust of North Alabama. McMahan also has served in leadership positions with the Spring City Cycling Club and Rocket City Velosport, among others.
“I’m super excited to have the opportunity to learn from others now at a regional level, and to help out wherever I can with meeting the needs of the SORBA community,” McMahon said in a statement on the SORBA site. “SORBA has done a great job of recruiting the best people to serve our growing community. The future looks like lots of trails and fun with people on bikes!”
HAMR has 500 members and a variety of weekly rides in the Huntsville area, many at Monte Sano State Park. It also puts on a fall festival that includes rides, instruction, vendors and exhibits.
Doane Moves Up
SORBA’s incoming president is Chris Doane, who is CEO and President of the Southern Conservation Trust. He and McMahon will serve two-year terms, before McMahon becomes president. SORBA was founded in 1989 as a regional association. It has about 10,000 members.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved with SORBA,” Doane said. “We are in an incredible position to influence our future and what we wish to become as an advocacy organization. When one looks at our executive leadership and the leaders we have across the Southeast on a chapter level, we have an amazing group of subject matter experts and advocates. Hold on tight for the ride we’re about to take.”
Current SORBA President Mary Anne Swanstrom of Huntsville will step down at the end of the year. She was SORBA’s first female president and vice-president. She will continue to assist HAMR and the biking community. Swanstrom was president of HAMR for five years and served in other supporting roles for eight years before joining the SORBA executive board.
Swanstrom was part of a strengthening of SORBA with a more streamlined strategic plan, mission statement and organizational processes.
“The opportunity tugged at me to step up and see what I could offer as SORBA’s first female Vice President and President,” Swanstrom said. “I am proud to say that one of the best things the Executive Committee did was to bring Philip Darden on first as Associate Regional Director and then as Executive Director when Terry (Palmieri) retired.
“He has since helped us acquire some tremendously talented executive volunteers to add to our committee and filled out our staff with a Development Director and part-time CPA. We set about to organize SORBA as a more intentional and professional institution. Many hours spent in weekend retreats and on Zoom calls later, we now have a Strategic Plan, a Mission Statement and processes to guide our staff and volunteer operations.
“This could have gone the other way over those uncertain years. But thanks to the dedication of our exceptional staff and volunteers, and to our wonderful members who seized on the opportunity to engage with and welcome new riders and trail advocates into their chapters, SORBA is thriving and growing with more than 10,000 members strong.”
MAIN PHOTO: HAMR President Erin McMahon rides at Monte Sano State Park. (Photo/Spencer Cox Photography)
