Tony Mitchell elected new Oceania Cycling Confederation President
The Oceania Cycling Confederation Members elected New Zealand’s Tony Mitchell unopposed as President for a four-year term 2021-2025, at the 2021 OCC Virtual Congress and Annual General Meeting, March 26, 2021.
Member Nations elected Tracey Gaudry (Australia), Patrick Keenan (Fiji), Eric Tydingco (Guam) and Anne Gripper (Australia) as members of the OCC Executive Committee for the same four year term.
Mitchell has served on the OCC Executive Board as Vice President since January 2016, and has been a member of the Cycling New Zealand Board since May 2013, and served as Chair since April 2017. In addition to his national and continental roles, he was elected to the UCI Management Committee in September 2017 and currently serves as President of the Mass Participation & Advocacy Commission, and is a member of the Track Commission, Cycling Economy and Marketing Commission and Audit and Finance Committee.
20 years of management experience in the corporate world, and nearly 10 years of Governance experience in cycling at national and international level positions Mitchell to lead the OCC in its next phase of growth.
New Oceania Cycling Confederation President Tony Mitchell said, “I am honoured to be elected as the President of the Oceania Cycling Confederation. I would like to thank the National Federations who have entrusted me with leading the continued growth and development of the OCC and cycling in our region.
“The OCC has a clear vision for developing cycling across all federations and to expand our member base, at the core of which is enabling and inspiring people to ride. I look forward to working with all federations and my fellow executive members to bringing this vision to life.”
“I extend my thanks and that of the OCC to outgoing President Tracey Gaudry for her leadership over the last eight years. During her time as President the OCC saw unprecedented growth in membership, enacted significant development activities in the Pacific Island nations, strengthened governance, grew Oceania representation across the UCI, built and sustained a strong financial base, enhanced the existing Oceania Championships and introduced new Oceania Championship and UCI sanctioned events, and improved the OCC’s brand and presence. I also thank the Executive Committee Members and Confederation staff for their contribution to this progress.”
Outgoing OCC President Tracey Gaudry said, “I’m grateful to have played a role in the remarkable progress of cycling with the Oceania Cycling Confederation and Union Cycliste Internationale families over the past eight years and to everyone in Australia, Oceania and across the globe who has supported, guided and of course challenged me throughout to strive for important reform and progress. However, progress is not possible without change at the right time, and it’s time.”.
The OCC President automatically becomes an OCC representative on the UCI Management Committee. Oceania candidates for the second Oceania UCI Management Committee representative and voting delegates for the 2021 UCI Congress will be selected at an OCC Extraordinary General Meeting later in the coming months. The 2021 UCI Congress and elections will be held in September in Belgium.