An announcement was made on SCCA.com on January 20th about some staffing changes at the National Office, and in case you missed it, here’s a rundown. Heyward Wagner has moved out of the Marketing Department while keeping his role as Director of the Experiential Department, including Track Night in America, Time Trials, and Track Events. He has also moved from interim to permanent Director of the Rally and Solo Departments. Additionally, Courtney Rivers and John Hunter will be joining the staff as full-time employees. Courtney is the Program Manager for Track Night in America, and John has been tasked with managing the Time Trials National Tour program. They have both been Independent Contractors with SCCA for several years, working in the Experiential Department. They are excited about the opportunity to join the SCCA Team as Full-Timers.
At this point, you are probably thinking to yourself what that means for SCCA RoadRally. I will tell you that one of Heyward’s best traits is finding ways to show members how to have more #funwithcars within SCCA. These last few weeks, Heyward, Courtney, John, and I have had calls with former RRB Chair Jim Crittenden and current Chair Mike Bennett. These meetings focus on the National Staff getting to know more about the program and getting to know one another. As we continue to meet, we will be looking for ways to be a resource to RoadRally.
Since we are getting to know each other, it’s only fair that you should get to know these new faces too. Courtney is the one that brings a bright and happy attitude to our meetings, always carrying a smile and energy of willingness to learn and help. She has been working for Track Night since 2016 and has a background in facilitating track events since 2006. Many of you may have met her during our Virtual Convention, as she was the Whova/Zoom Liaison to the RoadRally program. When she’s not at work, she’s most likely busy making something or elbow deep in her garden.
John is the car guy of the group. He owns many of them, some of which are strictly for cruising around, while others any car enthusiast would want to own. Although finding fun country drives is tricky in his plain-filled home state of Nebraska, John is a connoisseur of good, twisty roads. With a Solo and Track Events background, he’s happy to get competitive behind the wheel. He’s also got quite the eye for automotive photography and loves taking glamor shots of his Z-car and E30 BMW.
Heyward was only a few weeks old when his parents started taking him to SCCA Road Races, where they were heavily involved in flagging and race control. SCCA has been a part of his life ever since. He’s taken his love for the community and funneled it into his goal to provide the best experience possible for our members and soon-to-be-members. In his free time, he loves mountain-biking, the never-ending quest to smoke the perfect pork shoulder (Hint: it involves a sous vide machine) and spending time with his kids.
Lastly, there is me, Brian Harmer. While I have been the liaison to the RRB the past couple of years, I am sure to many I am still relatively new to the program. Before being hired by SCCA 13 years ago, I was an ASE-Certified Technician. I bring technical know-how and a constant desire to make things more efficient. A skill that is especially handy alongside Heyward’s continual ability to come up with new and sometimes complicated ideas.
When not at the office or racing I spend my time with my wife and kids where we are all obsessed with superheroes and sports.
As you can see, these changes and additions to the organization are an enormous opportunity for added resources to RoadRally. As we continue to meet, we are looking forward to finding ways to be a resource to the RoadRally family.
