BERKELEY, CA (BRAIN) — The board of directors for the nonprofit that runs high school cycling leagues has shuffled the organization’s top-paid position, replacing recent executive director hire Doug Selee with Austin McInerny, a seasoned member of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, or NICA.
Selee, formerly vice president of operations at the American Cancer Society, was hired in mid-June as NICA founder Matt Fritzinger transitioned from executive director to a focus on new league development.
The board of directors, however, soon realized that Selee wasn’t the right fit for the role, board president Rick Spittler said Wednesday. Citing personnel issues, Spittler did not elaborate on why Selee apparently didn’t mesh at NICA.
“We have no bad, ill-will feelings toward Doug at all,” Spittler said. “It was one of those things. It wasn’t the right fit, and that became more and more obvious to us as time went on. Once the board identified that it wasn’t working, we moved pretty quickly."
The board let Selee go after four months on the job and promoted McInerny, who had been working on contract as NICA’s education programs director. McInerny has been involved with NICA since its inception in 2009, serving as a member of the founding committee. Before that, he was a coach for the Berkeley High School mountain bike team and president of the NorCal league’s board of directors, NICA’s precursor. He also serves on the board of directors for the San Francisco Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s California Regional Leadership Advisory Council.
“Austin’s achievements and efforts have already garnered respect from NICA’s board, sponsors and fellow staff members, and we are thrilled to announce his new role as executive director,” Spittler said in a press release. “His knowledge, passion and proven ability to lead give us confidence that this seamless transition will strengthen NICA in achieving its goals.”
Spittler said the board would like to hire a new education director and make that position full time versus contract.
McInerny will head NICA as it continues through a 10-year growth period. The organization, which runs on an annual budget of about $1 million, has developed 10 high school cycling leagues in nine states over three years, with a goal of having coast-to-coast leagues by 2020.
