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FOR the first time in its history, the TT Cycling Federation (TTCF) will host its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and internal elections via an online platform on Saturday from 3pm.
Former president Rowena Williams (2010-2014) will contest the incumbent Joseph Roberts for the presidential position.
Over 100 members of the TTCF are expected to join in on the electronic platform to cast their votes. The new executive will serve a four-year term.
The federation has engaged a certified company to help conduct the election online. An auditor and attorney will also be included to help officiate proceedings.
The AGM was initially scheduled for January 30 but owing to the pandemic and in keeping with covid19 regulations on public gatherings, it was postponed.
For the AGM to be held, members voted to amend the constitution to have the elections take place online. Previously, electronic meetings for AGMs were prohibited. Registration to vote is still in process. Roberts served as interim boss of the TTCF, for one month in 2019, when then-president Robert Farrier stepped down, in July, citing personal commitments.
In August, an extraordinary general meeting was held for the vacant position and Larry Romany took up his appointment unopposed.
Four months later, however, Romany also walked away from the post and cited similar reasons. In January 2020, TTCF held an emergency general meeting and Roberts was elected president. He won 44-36 ahead of Williams.
Roberts has since served 14 months as president and is hopeful he would be able to secure a full term at the top.
“If the will of the membership indicates to they would like me to move the organisation forward, with respect to the plans, I certainly will be ready and waiting. It was good to serve the organisation in a covid19 year and accomplish the things we have for the TTCF,” he said.
There are roughly 120 potential membership voters. They comprise of life members, who are entitled to vote, ordinary members who must be ‘financial’ to vote and two representatives of each domestic club.
Roberts added, “Moving forward in a time when funding is a challenge, we have to be innovative through the pandemic and change the way we do things. If we do that it will help strengthen our brand and help our financial initiatives to make the organisation a stronger one.
“I see that we could do quite a bit more. We have the governance piece to deal with, making sure we have more procedures and protocols on how we do things and accountability for each statutory body.”
Williams, an ex-president and longtime member, is also intent on bringing positive change to the local fraternity.
With a looming debt of $1.2 million – the majority stemming from TT’s hosting of the 2017 Elite Pan American Track Cycling Championships, at the National Cycling Centre in Couva, under Farrier’s tenure – and two pending pre-action protocol letters from suppliers, Williams believes she needs to act swiftly to ensure the fraternity is not plunged into further debt.
She recently presented her 2021-2025 strategic plan entitled “Reinvigorating Cycling” which outlined several high priority areas for sport development.
Becoming financially independent, appointing a national coach and increasing the number of female participation in both recreation and competitive cycling are just some of her team’s objectives.
“We have some key areas as we go into the new term.
“Income generation and marketing plans, becoming financially stable, doing more marketing of the federation and do more development programmes. Female cyclists are also high on our agenda,” said Williams.
Before the elections, the committee will present its reading of the last minutes, auditor reports, treasurer audits and discipline and racing committee reports.
TTCF Nominees for 2021 AGM
Joseph Roberts and Rowena Williams (president), Cheryl-Ann Mc Donald (general secretary), Patricia Le Blanc (assistant general secretary), Claire-Anne Leach-Lewis (vice-president finance), Recena Leotaud (treasurer), Joel Browne and Desmond Roberts (vice-president racing), Claire Orr (racing secretary), David Francis and Delia Maria Toppin-Lopez (assistant racing secretary), Dawn Scott (public relations), Joseph Baptiste (vice-president discipline)
 
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