Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO, named 2012 Powersports Business Executive of the Year PICKERINGTON, Ohio — PowerSports Business has named American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) President and CEO Rob Dingman its “2012 Powersports Business Executive of the Year.” PowerSports Business — which publishes news, features and profiles for powersports dealers, manufacturers and suppliers — honored Dingman for the intensive efforts by the AMA to successfully overturn provisions of the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), known as the lead law, that effectively banned the sale of kids’ dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). “Dingman’s leadership during the three-year battle was impressive on a variety of fronts, but most importantly to the industry’s future riders,” PowerSports Business said in making the announcement. “The AMA’s grassroots efforts to put a face to those affected by the CPSIA showed legislators the importance of riding age-appropriate vehicles. “The positive, healthy environment in which young riders thrive on their vehicles, and with their families, also helped to get the point across,” the announcement said. “For OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), aftermarket companies and track promoters, the lead law ban had obvious economic impacts.” The CPSIA, which went into effect on Feb. 10, 2009, banned the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under, including kids’ dirt bikes and ATVs, that contained more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part. The AMA was at the forefront of the fight to exclude child-sized motorcycles and ATVs from the CPSIA from the beginning. A highlight of the effort was the “AMA Kids Just Want to Ride” campaign, which included a day of lobbying in Washington, D.C., by kids and their families affected by the CPSIA clad in off-road riding gear. The association also participated in news events to focus media attention on the issue, lobbied on Capitol Hill and organized campaigns to encourage riders and parents to contact their federal lawmakers and key decision-makers to exempt kids’ off-highway vehicles (OHVs) from the CPSIA. “It’s thanks to the efforts of Dingman and his AMA team that those youngsters can return to their hometowns, and turn to you as dealers and OEMs for their next purchase,” wrote Dave McMahon, senior editor of PowerSports Business magazine in an accompanying editorial. As a result of the lobbying on Capitol Hill, Congress received powerful statements from members of the AMA and its All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA), and on Aug. 12, Obama signed into law H.R. 2715, which granted kids’ OHVs a categorical exemption from the CPSIA. “I’m very humbled by being named 2012 Powersports Business Executive of the Year,” Dingman said. “But the victory is the result of the intensive efforts of a lot of different people, from federal lawmakers to powersports industry officials and dealers to the kids and their families who ride every weekend.” To read the announcement, go to PowerSportsBusiness.com. About the American Motorcyclist Association Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA honors the heroes and the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.