Meet the USA Cycling National Technical Commission

The National Technical Commission (NTC) serves in an advisory function to the Technical Director and to the Chief Executive Officer of USA Cycling on issues relating to rules and regulations, officiating at the national level, and to communicate national policies relating to officiating to district- and regional-level organizations. NTC members serve a number of different roles, particularly in officials training and education, evaluation, mentoring, and administration of USA Cycling's disciplinary policies.

The NTC also supports the development of the Regional Technical Commissions (RTC). The five RTCs (West, Mountain, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast) are recognized and budgeted to carry out their missions, which generally echo the efforts of the NTC, but with a focus on the identification, training and development of lower categories of officials within their regions.

Membership

• High-ranking officials appointed by the Technical Director, subject to the approval of the USA Cycling CEO
• All terms are for one year, subject to reappointment to a maximum consecutive term of five years. Members who have reached the limit of their term may return to the NTC after two years away.
• Total membership: 8-11 members
  • 1-2 members from each RTC region
  • All disciplines of cycling represented (road, track, cyclo-cross, mountain bike, BMX)
  • Must be national or international commissaires

Roles and Responsibilities

• Input and advice on national officiating appointments
• Officials education and training
• Discipline — Administration of disciplinary policies (general investigations, panels, and appeals)
• Officials review panels and evaluation
• Officials disciplinary processes (in addition to administration of general disciplinary policies)
• Mentor programs (on-site and individual)
• Officials evaluation
• Officials recognition
• Management of the Regional Technical Commissions
• Nomination of officials for international commissaire seminars

2013 National Technical Commission

STAFF

Shawn Farrell (Woodland Park, CO)

Shawn has been officiating since 1980 and became a UCI International Commissaire of road, track, and cyclo-cross in 1989. He retired as a college professor in 2003 to take on the task of USA Cycling Technical Director and manage the officials program. On his first day in office he began setting up the National Technical Commission, several members of which are still serving. His top five races include:

• 1999 Tour of Switzerland
• 1999 Tour de l'Ain (France)
• 2000 Vuelta a Colombia
• 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta)
• 1994 World Road Championships (Italy)

When not enjoying cycling, he is an intermediate but avid downhill skier and enjoys spending as much time in Breckenridge as possible.

MEMBERS

Steve Brady (Moreland, GA)

Steve Brady is the newest member of the NTC, joining in September 2011. He is a National Road Commissaire and has been officiating for 25 years. Steve is equally comfortable as a Chief Judge or a Chief Referee, and brings a wealth of experience in cycling to his role with this commission.

His top five career events are:

• 2011 US Pro Cycling Challenge
• 2009 Tour of Missouri
• 2003 Tour de Georgia
• 1996 Olympics
• 1996 Paralympics

When not involved in cycling, Steve enjoys taking care of the family dogs and horses. He is also on the board of directors of the Stone Mountain Highland Games, one of the largest Scottish festivals in the country.

Tom Nee (Larchmont, NY)

Tom is also relatively new to the NTC. He has been a UCI International Commissaire in road and track since 1986 and was the first American commissaire to be selected to the Tour de France, along with many other accomplishments here and abroad.

His top five career events are:

• Tour de la Communauté Européenne (Tour de l'Avenir)
• Tour de Trump / Tour Dupont
• Worlds (Track, Road, Cyclocross / Elite, Juniors)
• Tour de France
• Tour Down Under

When not enjoying cycling, he enjoys time with his family, helping out with their math homework in French, and spending time exploring the pavé trails on a mountain bike near his family's secondary residence in Brussels.

Ed Dailey (Wayne, PA)

Ed joined the NTC in 2010. He is one of the top motorefs in the country and head of the motoref commission. He manages the large corps of moto marshals that work the biggest stage races in the country. His experience and management skill have been invaluable in the tremendous progress made with the motoref program the last few years.

In addition to being a fixture at the largest stage races in the country, Ed has worked as an official at The TD Bank International Championships, The Nature Valley Grand Prix, The Cascade Cycling Classic, The Tour of the Gila, and numerous USA Cycling national championships.

When not enjoying cycling, Ed runs a company based in Philadelphia, PA.

Chuck Hodge (Greenville, SC)

Chuck Hodge is in his second year on the NTC. He is a National Road Commissaire and has been officiating for 15 years, beginning as a motoref. He also serves as the Technical Director for the Amgen Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge and USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships.

His top five career events are:

• USA Cycling Elite, U23, Junior & Paralympic Road National Championships
• Redlands Stage Race
• USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships
• Nature Valley Grand Prix
• Working as staff on over 125 days of UCI racing

An avid cyclist, Chuck also enjoys travel, motorcycling and shooting.

Heidi Mingesz (Twin Lakes, WI)

Heidi has been officiating since 1977, and became a National Commissaire of road, track, and cyclo-cross in 1983. She is employed as a terminal manager for Dousman Transport Co., providing school bus service. She serves as Technical Director for the Wisconsin Cycling Association, overseeing officials training and assignment, upgrades, and permit approvals. Her top five races include:

• 1984 Olympics (Los Angeles)
• 1987 Pan American Games
• 2009 Fitchburg Longsjo Classic
• 2009 Tour of Red River Gorge
• 2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships

Heidi also enjoys Nordic skiing, music, and reading.

Dan Thomas (Fruita, CO)

Dan joined the NTC in 2010. He has been a UCI International Commissaire for mountain biking since 2005, as well as being a level B road and track official. Dan will be the driving force in improving and expanding the mountain biking officials program in years to come.

His top five career events are:

• 2011 Windam, NY, Mountain Bike World Cup
• 2011 Costa Rica Cup, Poas
• 2005 Canada Cup, Mt. Washington
• 2006 Coupe de Brasil, Barbecena
• 2009 Coupe Chile, Santiago

When not enjoying cycling, Dan enjoys hunting, trail running, and climbing fourteeners.

Carla Geyer (Los Osos, CA)

Carla joins the NTC in 2013.

Andy McCord (Colorado Springs, CO)

Andy is also one of the founding fathers of the NTC. He is a UCI International Commissaire in road, track, mountain bike, and cyclo-cross, having worked some of the biggest international races in many disciplines. This includes being the Chief Commissaire (MTB) for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

His top five races include:

• UCI Elite Track World Championships
• Atlanta and Sydney Olympic Games
• Mountain Bike World Championships
• Tour of California
• USA Pro Cycling Challenge

When not officiating, Andy is a civil engineer who works with a small consulting firm based in the Front Range of Colorado. When he has time, he enjoys hiking, wildlife photography, and barbequing.

Bruce Brasaemle (Mounds View, MN)

Bruce joined the NTC in 2010. He is a UCI International Commissaire in road and track.

His top five races include:

• Tour of California
• Tour of Missouri
• Vuelta a Colombia
• UCI Track Cycling World Cup
• Grand Prix Vienna

When not officiating, Bruce is a software engineer for a medical device company. When he has time he enjoys canoe camping trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, hiking, cross-country skiing, and playing trombone in a community band.

John Pingol (Lake Worth, FL)

John has over 25 years of experience officiating BMX racing, and has been a UCI commissaire since 2004. He has officiated numerous UCI BMX Supercross World Cup events as well as the 2007 UCI BMX World Championships. John was selected to the BMX Commissaires panel for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. His daughter Laura is also a UCI commissaire.

Bonnie Walker (Austin, TX)

Bonnie joined the NTC in 2012. She is a National Road and Track Commissaire and has been officiating since 1998. Bonnie is actively involved with her local association, Texas Bicycle Racing Association, where she mentors new officials, educates race directors, reviews race permits, and assigns officiating crews.

When not officiating, Bonnie is a software development manager. When she has time, she enjoys spending time at home, hiking and geocaching.

Her top five career events include:

• Tour of California
• USA Pro Challenge
• Tour of Utah
• Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
• USA Cycling Elite Track Nationals

Tod Manning (Seattle, WA)

Tod has been officiating since 2001 and is a National Commissaire in road and mountain bike, regional A official in track, and is one of the top motorefs in the country. Before becoming an official he had been a tech director for a NRC stage race and worked in just about every job at bike races since the early 80s. He currently lives in Seattle where he consumes too much caffeine and longs for sunshine.

When not enjoying cycling, he is an avid skier, motorcyclist, loves to travel, and enjoys watching Andy McCord singing karaoke.

His top races are:

• USA Pro Cycling Challenge
• Tour of California
• Tour of Missouri
• Tour of Utah
• Tour de Nez
• Solano Bicycle Classic
• Numerous USA Cycling National Championships (road, mountain, 24-hour, collegiate)

Randy Shafer (Colorado Springs, CO) — Technical Commission Member Emeritus

Randy is a founding member of the NTC and has served USA Cycling in many capacities over the years. A former Board of Directors member (1992-94) and Technical Director (1995-96), he is currently a member of the Professional Sport Committee. Randy has taught the road and cyclo-cross portions of the National Commissaire's course for many years and is also the IC representative on the USA Cycling Motor Commission. For the UCI, he is a member of the Material Commission representing the views of the commissaires and the practical application of the international equipment regulations.

He is a UCI International Commissaire in road, track, cyclo-cross and para-cycling, and a National Commissaire in mountain bike. His experience and events include a wide range of local, national and international races. He has been a part of commissaires panels for Grand Tour, World Tour, World Championships and World Cups. He is regularly assigned to Central and South American events as well.

Some of his race experiences:

• Grand Tour
  • Vuelta España 2012
• World Championships
  • Para-cycling Road and Time Trial, Roskide, Denmark
  • Elite Road and Time Trial, Stuttgart, Germany
  • Junior Road, Time Trial and Track, Ofida/Monticharri, Italy
  • Cyclo-Cross World Championships, St. Wendall, Germany
• World Track Cup
  • Cali, Colombia
  • Melbourne, Australia
• World Tour
  • Tirreno Adriatico, Italy
  • Grand Prix de Quebec/Grand Prix de Montréal, Canada
  • Eneco Tour
• National Tours
  • Vuelta Cuba
  • Vuelta Venezuela
  • Tour of California/Utah/Missouri/Georgia/Tour of the Gila

When not officiating, Randy is an architect as well as a professional arbitrator and mediator. Gardening, cooking or touring on his motorcycle are his real moments of relaxation.