AMA Updates Board Membership Rules

As ratified during a meeting Feb. 13 in Indianapolis, the 12-member AMA Board of Directors will reduce the number of corporate-elected members to four from six. The reduction opens up two positions that will become at-large member positions. Under the new code, corporate members will no longer control half of the AMA Board of Directors. The other six positions will continue to be filled by individual, regionally elected members.

Allowing a relatively small number of corporate members to control 50 percent of the Board was simply not in the best interests of the 240,000 individual members of the AMA, says Jim Williams, vice chair of the AMA Board of Directors. With the reduction from six to four seats, the corporate-elected members continue to provide input, guidance and expertise to the oversight of the AMA, but we believe greater representation by the directors selected by the individual members more clearly reflects the AMA membership.

A corporate member himself, representing Kawasaki USA, it was Williams who proposed the change which was unanimously approved by the other corporate representatives.

Williams also proposed the two at-large positions which are to be filled by individuals who will bring outside expertise to the AMA Board of Directors. Individuals filling the at-large positions will be reviewed and recommended by the Nomination Committee, approved by the Board and elected by the membership.

Its understandable, considering the AMA was first created in 1924 with substantial support from the motorcycle industry, that we started out with six member-elected and six corporate-elected members, says Stan Simpson, chairman of the AMA Board of Directors and an elected representative from the South Central Region. But today, the membership is certainly capable of charting the course of the AMA. And adding two new Board members with diverse expertise will clearly help the AMA as it grows into the future.

Currently, the AMA Board of Directors six corporate members include Williams (Kawasaki), Jon-Erik Burleson ( KTM), John Ulrich (Roadracing World Publishing), Andy Goldfine (Aerostitch/Riderwearhouse), Michael Lock ( Ducat i). The sixth member, Scott Miller ( Harley-Davidson), is a newly appointed board member, replacing Erik Buell. Lock and Goldfine are both entering the final year of their terms.