Rebuilding ACA Together
Dear Adventure Cycling supporters,
In the months following the second membership vote on the proposed sale of Adventure Cycling’s headquarters, representatives of the ACA Board and Save ACA (an informal group made up of Adventure Cycling’s founders and past staff leaders) participated in a series of facilitated conversations to chart a path forward.
We’ve now held seven in-depth and candid meetings. These conversations have not always been easy, but they have been constructive and relationship-building. Most importantly, they have begun to rebuild something essential: trust, shared purpose, and a willingness to move forward together.
From Save ACA: We appreciate the Board’s invitation to engage directly and openly over these past months. The membership vote to retain the headquarters building created an opportunity to move from opposition to collaboration.
As a result, Save ACA is winding down, and our members are moving into different roles supporting the organization’s future. We aim to help with strategic and near-term planning, encourage the use of the Missoula headquarters as a vibrant hub for bicycle travel and ACA activities, and contribute to the 50th anniversary celebration planned for this October.
We remain clear-eyed about the challenges Adventure Cycling faces. But we are equally confident that, with renewed focus, transparency, and engagement, this organization can regain its strength and relevance.
From the ACA Board: Our conversations with Adventure Cycling’s founders and past leaders have reinforced what makes this organization unique: a deep belief in the transformative power of bicycle travel, and a community that cares deeply about its future.
As we look ahead, our focus is on restoring financial and operational stability, and ensuring that Adventure Cycling is positioned to strengthen and evolve its core programs — routes, experiences, inspiration, and advocacy — while delivering clear value to members and engaging new generations of cyclists. In addition, we will continue exploring how to best utilize the Missoula headquarters to support Adventure Cycling’s mission, community, and long-term sustainability.
We will work together with staff to clarify Adventure Cycling’s strategic direction, evolve our business model, strengthen how major decisions are communicated, and support more consistent pathways for member input and participation.
We are committed to listening, learning, and acting — and to building a stronger Adventure Cycling in partnership with new members and the broader community that has sustained it for 50 years.
Moving forward together: The past year has tested Adventure Cycling. It has at times been divisive and even painful for members, staff, and volunteers. But over the decades, our beloved organization has been tested, and every time, it has emerged stronger and better equipped for the future. With that in mind, we believe that the months ahead must be about rebuilding together with purpose, urgency, and shared commitment … for a revitalized Adventure Cycling.
There is more work to do, and we expect that new working groups, partnerships, and initiatives will grow out of these discussions. As we celebrate Adventure Cycling’s 50th anniversary, we look forward to the October gathering in Missoula: an important juncture at which we can honor the organization’s history and define its future.
We invite all who care about ACA to stay engaged, share ideas, and help shape what comes next. Together, we can create the next chapter of Adventure Cycling.
Thank you for your interest and support, and if you have feedback or want to get involved, please email us at: together@adventurecycling.org
Board of Directors, ACA:
Marin Byrne (Secretary)
Flavia Chen (Chair)*
Scott Edwards
Noel Kegel (Treasurer)
Brian Pachtman
Maria Elena Price (Vice-Chair)*
David Read
Steve Resnick*
Bob Stapleton
Linda Tacke
Lael Wilcox
Coordinating Committee, Save ACA:
Dan Burden (Bikecentennial/ACA Co-Founder)*
Lys Burden (Bikecentennial/ACA Co-Founder)
Andy Huppert (Former ACA Board Member)
Gary MacFadden (Former ACA Executive Director)
Jim Sayer (Former ACA Executive Director)*
Greg Siple (Bikecentennial/ACA Co-Founder)
June Siple (Bikecentennial/ACA Co-Founder)
Cyndi Steiner (ACA Life Member and newly-elected ACA Board Member)*
Sheila Snyder (Former ACA Chief Operations Officer)
Ginny Sullivan (Former ACA Advocacy Director)
* Facilitated Dialogue & Writing Group Member
** Facilitation provided by Lori Lewis, ACA member and professional facilitator