Cycling Southland president to step down
Reece McDonald is stepping down as president of Cycling Southland after four years in the role.
The Invercargill businessman intends to stay on as a board member and remain involved in cycling as a rider, but is looking forward to being less involved after suffering a heart attack earlier this year.
“After recent events, and for my own wellbeing, I’ve had to change,” McDonald said.
“It’s a full-on role, supporting the general manager. I went from being on the board to being president in the space of 12 months, along with appointing a new general manager. When you have a couple of businesses, and are the president of quite a big organisation, I guess my medical event just made me wake up and realise that life is short and that I want to make the most of other parts of life.”
McDonald has presided over an important period in the history of Southland cycling.
Photo: Sport Southland chief executive Brendon McDermott and Cycling Southland president Reece McDonald. Pic: Nathan Burdon
He was involved in the appointment process for former general manager Mark Hotton and the pair worked closely together to restore the organisation from a difficult financial position.
A number of factors, not least of which involved the SIT Velodrome being put under pressure as a venue by the collapse of ILT Stadium Southland in 2010, had had a knock-on effect on Cycling Southland and its ability to host events, one of its main revenue drivers.
The sport’s financial position has stabilised, and the future looks promising for cycling under general manager Nicola Wills, according to McDonald.
“I don’t take credit for where we are, but I’m proud of the way I’ve been able to support our people to get us to where we are now,” he said.
McDonald will continue to assist with the appointment process for SBS Bank Tour of Southland race director Bruce Ross’s replacement, who will be ‘shadowing’ Ross for a six-month period to ensure a smooth transition.
McDonald said Sport Southland had also played an important role during his time in sports administration, providing financial expertise and governance support, and also as a sounding board for him personally.
All sports faced similar issues, trying to deliver a quality product on finite resources, he said.
“Everybody wants more money and we are looking at where that can come from. What I would leave people to think about is, we are all shoulder-tapping the same pool of funds. I’d like to see a discussion start where sports are supporting each other.”
