The recent Annual General Meeting of Motorcycling New Zealand has installed several new people at the sharp end of its organisation.

Motorcycling New Zealand, motorcycle sport's governing body in New Zealand, announced at its AGM in Wellington last week that Upper Hutt businessman Mike ‘Big Mac' McLeod would take on the role of president of the organisation, taking over the reins from outgoing president Paul Pavletich, of Auckland.

'Two new MNZ board members were elected alongside Mac with both he and Sophie Mear (North Island Off-Road), from the Bay of Plenty, elected unopposed, while Dr Stephen Bagshaw, of Wellington, was elected as North Island On-Road MNZ board member,” says MNZ general manager Mike Kerrisk.

McLeod is well-known and highly-regarded in the Kiwi motorcycling community, having been involved for more than 40 years as a competitor, an official and in business both here and overseas.

McLeod has been a member of the (world governing body's) FIM Motocross Commission for five years and is the newly-appointed chairman of the Motocross Commission on the FIM Oceania Committee.

McLeod has experienced a lifetime of involvement in the motorcycle industry, including working as MNZ motocross commissioner for many seasons, as well as being team manager for New Zealand on many occasions at the big annual Motocross of Nations, the "Olympic Games of motocross".

McLeod has been a motorcycle shop owner for 29 years here in New Zealand and, before that, he worked in Wellington for tyre import company Yokohama.

'I love the sport and the people, and now I am giving back as president of MNZ, helping to make motorcycle sport safe, fun and fair for competitors, officials and spectators,” says McLeod.

'I have committed, over the next three years, to increasing the profile of the organisation, building confidence in our staff and our leadership team's ability to take the sport into the future and also ensuring the MNZ board continues to work together to make good decisions as a governance team.

'As with many sporting organisations, we have had a rough few years due to external circumstances outside of our control and now we need to ensure we are a resilient, focussed organisation, which supports all competitors, administrators and officials.

'I am in regular contact with an extensive network of friends and colleagues across New Zealand and internationally, discussing ideas and solutions to challenges facing our sport.

'I am looking forward to the next three years advancing the sport of motorcycling,” says McLeod.

Several other presentations were also made at the MNZ AGM.

These included the Club of the Year (the Ken Duncan Memorial Trophy) honour being awarded to the Classic Motorcycle Racing Register; the Most Improved Performance Trophy awarded to the Taranaki Motorcycle Club; the Administrator of the Year awarded to Mosgiel's Debbie de Haan; the Danielle Power Memorial Trophy for Up-and-Coming Official awarded to Taranaki's Sonia Cloak and the Award for Outstanding Services to Motorcycle Sport given to the Auckland Motorcycle Club member Alan Simpson.

-By Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com