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Richard Fries by Russ Campbell at RussCam.com
Race announcer, director and former publisher Richard Fries has been named new executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, also known as MassBike.
“I look at all the potential we have here – ranging from compact urban design that pre-dates automobiles to perhaps the best transit network in America – and I see nothing but opportunity. The ingredients are all here. The next step is to foster the cultural will to embrace bikes on a much larger scale,” said Fries about his new opportunity to further evolve the bike-car culture in Massachusetts.
“Richard comes to MassBike with the perfect blend of advocacy, leadership, and industry experience that, combined with his passion for cycling, will help us continue to make bicycling better in every corner of the state,” said Jim Bradley, President of MassBike’s Board of Directors.
“His appointment comes as new investments in infrastructure and education have encouraged more people than ever to explore bicycling as a safe, healthy, accessible transportation option,” said the organization’s press officer, Beth Rodio, in a statement.
Fries has an all encompassing resume that reflects the necessity for people who love the sport to do just about anything and everything they can to make a living in the business.
We first met Fries when he started his newspaper back in the day–The Ride. We remember his excessive energy and talent, his friendliness and his ability to make connections.
Last time we spotted him as the announcer at the annual cyclo-cross event in Las Vegas that is held during Interbike.
Among his many talents, he has served as the marketing director and cycling experience director for Best Buddies International, a non-profit dedicated to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where he helped promote charity cycling events for the past eight years.
“Whether you’re starting a new bike business, riding for the first time, or logging your thousandth mile, we can all work together to build a state where everyone has access to a safe, smooth ride,” said Fries about his new role.
He also served as a development advisor for PeopleForBikes, where he helped launch Tim Johnson’s Ride on Washington. He also acted as director of the Bicycle Leadership Conference for two years. Fries is also co-founder of the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival (now known as the KMC Cyclo-cross Festival), which he will continue to work on while at MassBike.
Fries developed a reputation as both a live announcer and a television commentator, and has called countless national championships and several UCI World Cups and the UCI World Championships in both road and cyclo-cross. He has been an event consultant for the past five years.
Fries will join MassBike on January 15 and succeeds David Watson who held the post for eight years.
A native of Pittsburgh, Fries received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of South Florida, and a master’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University. A passionate bicycle commuter, Fries lives alongside the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway in Lexington, Mass.
