The IBRA board met for the August meeting to onboard new board members.

Iowa Bicycle Racing Association (IBRA)

Board Meeting Minutes

Date: August 10, 2026 Location: Virtual Meeting Meeting Type: Regular Board Meeting

Attendance

Present:

• Jacob Oyen
• Larry Howe
• Wayne Fett
• Jason Simpson
• Austin Neal
• Boyd Burnham

Absent:

• Noah Marcus

A quorum was present.

1. Board Transition and New Board Members

The meeting opened with an orientation for the newly elected board members. The board reviewed the organization’s current structure, meeting schedule, officer responsibilities, and ongoing administrative responsibilities.

The board currently operates with five members and generally meets monthly, typically on the second Monday of the month. The board has historically been larger, but the current five-member structure was retained because it allows the board to maintain a manageable quorum.

The board discussed the transition from the outgoing board members and the importance of maintaining continuity through the end of the year. Jacob Oyen offered to continue assisting with the transition, particularly with the race calendar, budget, and other administrative responsibilities.

The board also discussed making board information, policies, and financial records available to the incoming members through the IBRA Google Drive.

Action Items

• Jacob will provide incoming board members access to the IBRA Google Drive and organizational documents.
• Current and incoming board members will review the IBRA bylaws before the next meeting.
• The outgoing board members will continue supporting the transition through the remainder of the year.

2. Board Officer Responsibilities

The board reviewed the formal officer positions and associated responsibilities:

• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Secretary

The President serves as the primary liaison with USA Cycling and participates in USA Cycling/Local Association communications. The Vice President serves as backup to the President. The Secretary historically has been responsible for meeting minutes and organizational records.

The board also identified two important operational responsibilities:

• Race calendar management and communication with race promoters
• Assignment and coordination of race officials

The board discussed combining certain responsibilities where appropriate while maintaining adequate separation of financial and executive duties. In particular, members agreed that the President and Treasurer responsibilities should remain separated.

Tentative Officer Assignments

The discussion resulted in the following proposed structure:

• President: Austin Neal
• Treasurer: Jason Simpson
• Secretary / Race Calendar: Boyd Burnham
• Vice President: To be determined, with discussion of combining the role with the Secretary or another responsibility
• Board Member: Noah Marcus

Because Noah was absent and the board had not completed its review of the bylaws, final officer assignments were deferred.

3. Review of IBRA Bylaws

The board discussed the need for all members to review the IBRA bylaws to better understand the organization’s governance structure and ensure that board actions conform to the existing bylaws.

The board also discussed potential future changes to the bylaws, including the method by which board members are elected. Under the current structure, USAC-sanctioned teams receive two votes in board elections. The board discussed whether race promoters who conduct USAC-sanctioned events should also have voting representation.

No changes to the bylaws were adopted at this meeting.

Action Item

• All board members will review the current bylaws before the September meeting.

4. State Championship Program and Medal Policy

The board continued its discussion from the previous meeting regarding state championship medals.

IBRA currently receives an annual allotment of approximately 120 USA Cycling medals of each color. Additional medals cost approximately $10 each. The board noted that IBRA has been running short of gold medals and may need to purchase additional medals to fulfill championship commitments.

The board discussed several issues:

• Different race promoters use different age-group categories.
• Five-year age categories can substantially increase medal requirements.
• Some state championship events have relatively low participation.
• Certain Iowa championships, such as the gravel time trial and mountain bike championship, do not correspond directly to a nationally recognized USA Cycling championship discipline.
• The board wants to preserve the significance of a state championship while avoiding excessive costs and inconsistent medal distribution.

The board agreed that the existing state championship guidelines should be reviewed and updated. The guidelines should establish:

1. Which events qualify as Iowa state championships.
2. Standard medal categories for each discipline.
3. How unique disciplines should be handled.
4. How the limited annual USA Cycling medal allocation should be distributed.
5. When IBRA should purchase additional medals.

The board also discussed advocating to USA Cycling for an allocation weighted toward gold medals, since gold medals are consumed more quickly than silver and bronze medals.

Action Items

• Jacob will provide the existing state championship guidelines to the new board.
• The new board will review and revise the guidelines, including a formal medal policy.
• Larry will coordinate the purchase of additional medals needed to fulfill 2026 commitments.

5. Race Participation and Growth

The board discussed declining participation in traditional road racing and time trials, while gravel participation continues to grow.

The recent Iowa state time trial had approximately 20 participants, continuing a multi-year decline. Members noted that the event has received limited promotion and that participation in traditional road events has generally declined.

The board discussed the contrast between low participation in sanctioned road racing and the large participation numbers seen at gravel events.

Members suggested that increasing participation may require:

• Better promotion of races.
• Encouraging racers to attend events together.
• Team-based or group registration incentives.
• Stronger promotion of racing within local cycling communities.
• Renewed development of junior racing programs.

The board also discussed the potential value of closer communication and cooperation with racing organizations in Nebraska and other neighboring states. No formal action was taken.

6. Race Official Recruitment

The shortage of qualified race officials was identified as one of the most significant challenges facing IBRA.

The board noted that the number of active officials requesting assignments is extremely limited, with additional officials expected to retire or reduce their involvement.

Cyclocross season was identified as an ideal opportunity to recruit and train new officials because races provide a relatively controlled environment in which new officials can gain experience. The board discussed recruiting:

• Racers’ spouses or partners
• Parents of junior racers
• Other people already attending races
• Former officials who may be willing to return

Jason indicated that he would contact a potential candidate, Emma, about becoming an official.

The board also discussed bringing in officials from neighboring associations, including Nebraska and Minnesota, when necessary. However, travel costs can become significant and may increase race costs for promoters.

IBRA has historically reduced barriers to entry by reimbursing official licensing costs and supporting an apprentice program. The board discussed continuing to explore ways to make officiating easier for new volunteers.

Action Items

• Jason will contact Emma regarding interest in becoming a USAC official.
• Board members will identify additional potential officials, particularly among parents, spouses, and frequent race attendees.
• Larry and Jacob will help prospective officials understand the licensing and training process.
• The board will prioritize official recruitment during the 2026 cyclocross season.

7. Financial and Banking Transition

The board discussed transitioning IBRA’s banking responsibilities to the incoming Treasurer.

IBRA currently has approximately $8,000 remaining in its funds. The organization had approximately $35,000 prior to COVID and has intentionally reduced its reserves through expenditures on programs and race support.

The board discussed maintaining the current approach of not charging a local association fee to race organizations. Members noted that the fee would create additional administrative work for relatively limited benefit unless the board identifies a clear program or service that provides value to the racing community.

Banking Transition

The board agreed to move the IBRA bank account to Nicolet National Bank, which has locations in the Des Moines area and currently serves Austin’s banking needs.

Jason will become Treasurer. Larry will remain involved during the transition and will assist Jason in transferring the organization’s financial records and responsibilities. Wayne indicated that he is willing to serve as a secondary signatory during the transition.

The board discussed the importance of documenting:

• The Treasurer
• Authorized signatories
• The transition from the existing account
• Closure of the existing account
• Required tax and nonprofit filings

Action Items

• Jason and Larry will coordinate the opening of the new Nicolet account.
• Larry will transfer physical financial records to Jason.
• Larry will provide Jason with the list of required state and federal nonprofit filings.
• Wayne will assist as a secondary signatory during the transition as appropriate.
• Larry will provide the incoming board with the most recent budget and financial documents.

8. Race Calendar Management

The board discussed the importance of establishing the race calendar early enough to allow promoters and officials to plan effectively.

The board considered reviving an annual race scheduling meeting in the fall, potentially in October or November, where promoters could meet to coordinate dates, discuss best practices, and address USA Cycling requirements.

The board also discussed assigning responsibility for maintaining the race calendar and communicating with race promoters. Jason offered to help communicate with promoters, while Boyd expressed willingness to maintain the calendar once the necessary information is provided.

Action Items

• The incoming board will determine the structure and timing of a fall race scheduling meeting.
• Jason will assist with communication with race promoters.
• Boyd will assist with race calendar management.

9. USA Cycling and Regional Cooperation

The board discussed potential cooperation with cycling organizations in neighboring states, particularly Nebraska and Minnesota.

Nebraska does not currently have an organizational structure equivalent to IBRA, and there has been interest in greater coordination between Iowa and Nebraska racing organizations. The board discussed potential benefits of regional cooperation, including calendars, officials, and race promotion, while recognizing that such a structure could create significant administrative responsibilities.

No formal action was taken.

10. Priorities for the Next Meeting

The board identified the following priorities for the next meeting:

1. Review the IBRA bylaws.
2. Review the state championship guidelines and develop a medal policy.
3. Continue the transition of financial and organizational responsibilities to the new board.
4. Recruit and develop additional race officials.

The board also intends to finalize officer responsibilities after the bylaws have been reviewed and all board members, including Noah, are present.

Action Items Summary

Next Meeting

The next regular board meeting is September 14, 2026.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:40 PM.