Candi Murray

OBRA Appoints Chuck Kenlan as Executive Director Cycling Advocate and Non-Profit Leader Selected to Guide OBRA PORTLAND, ORE – The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) has appointed Chuck Kenlan as its new Executive Director.

Kenlan, who served as the executive director of the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF), as well as a bicycle race promoter and OBRA official, will replace Kenji Sugahara, who has been the executive director since 2008. “Chuck brings a wealth of experience from the non-profit and cycling spheres,” said Sugahara. “I am looking forward to working with him to make the transition as smooth as possible, and am excited to see where he will lead the organization.” Kenlan led MBSEF, a robust nonprofit dedicated to supporting competitive snow sports in Bend, Oregon, for nine years. In 2011, he joined Academy Mortgage as a loan officer and embarked on earning his MBA from Concordia University. In 2014, Kenlan founded Super Hackle, LLC, drawing on his longtime experience as an outdoor guide, to research and develop new products in the fly fishing industry. As an active bicycle racer, promoter and official, Kenlan has had multiple touchpoints with OBRA, which he considers an innovative model for sanctioning competitive cycling. “The business model of OBRA is brilliant,” said Kenlan. “Make race promotion as easy and seamless as possible, make membership affordable, and provide training for local enthusiasts to become officials. OBRA is grassroots at its best. It is an honor to follow in the footsteps of Candi Murray and Kenji Sugahara. These are two people I have immense respect for, and I will do my best to live up to the standard they have set for OBRA.”

In addition to the Executive Director, OBRA is guided by a board of directors and supported by a small, part-time staff as well as a large base of volunteers and participants. “Chuck is a longtime veteran of the cycling community with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we feel he will be a great asset to OBRA,” said board member Jake von Duering. “We are excited about his passion for the sport of bicycle racing, we believe in his forward-thinking vision, and we are eager to work with him in the years to come.”