Robert G Fitzmayer (Bobby) Community Relations Manager, PA Motorcycle Safety Program I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie and interested in motorcycles ever since I was a young kid, but my parents said, “those 2-wheel death machines! Not while you live under my roof.” After graduating high school in 1995, I joined the Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, an area that is known to be a motorcyclist’s paradise. It seemed destined for me to ride motorcycles because parked in front of the barracks were 7 sport bikes and 2 cruisers… six of the seven sport bikes belonging to guys in my own platoon. As I got to know my new “Brothers” a couple of them agreed to help me “learn how to ride.” This basically consisted of them standing on the walkway outside our rooms and heckling me. After purchasing my first motorcycle In 1998, I took my first Motorcycle Safety Training Course. In 2000 I was transferred to Washington, DC and in 2002 the Marine Corps sent me to school to become a certified Motorcycle Safety Instructor. I instantly fell in love with the work as an Instructor and have been teaching people to ride and safely operate a motorcycle for 17 years now. After the War On Terrorism began, the Department of Defense was having a problem where more service members were dying in motor vehicle crashes back home in the states than they were losing in combat zones overseas. Most of the deaths were related to motorcycle crashes. As a solution the Department of Defense had all the branches of military create a Motorcycle Mentorship Program that would track all service members that rode motorcycles and ensure that they took the motorcycle safety training now being required. In 2003 I attended a few meetings at Headquarters Marine Corps to discuss the beginning of their Motorcycle Mentorship Program. I was discharged from the Marine Corps in 2004, joined the Army as a Warrant Officer and flew helicopters for the next 8 years. My reputation as a Motorcycle Safety Instructor followed me from the Marine Corps to the Army. Before I even finished flight school, I found myself in meetings with Army Safety Center personnel helping to create the Army’s Motorcycle Mentorship Program that would eventually trickle out to every Army unit around the world. At my duty station in Savannah, GA with the Army, I was my Battalion’s Motorcycle Safety Officer. I directly responsible for over 400 motorcyclists in the unit, responsible for making sure each soldier in the battalion registered for and received the required training at the required intervals, which included returning for advanced training classes once the basics were complete. In 2013 I was discharged from the Army and took a job as a contractor with the company administering the Motorcycle Safety Classes for the soldiers stationed at Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. During the one and a half years I was in that position we trained more than 20,000 soldiers and civilians. In 2015 I was offered a position with the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program and accepted it. As the Community Relations Manager for the program, I am responsible for promoting and marketing the program (public relations). I travel the state talking to various groups of riders and motorcycle clubs about the importance of initial training as well as continued and advanced training, I promote motorcycle events, the various training classes offered through our program and more. Some other responsibilities of mine is recruiting new Instructors and create new relationships between the motorcycle safety program and businesses/companies/groups to host training sites for the program. This way we are ensuring to provide training to all the motorcyclists possible throughout Pennsylvania for years to come.
Bob Paolella JR General Manager of Brothers' Harley-Davidson A franchised Harley-Davidson Motor Co dealer established in 1977 (starting in New Haven CT and expanding with a new design store in Branford CT Dec 1998 I have a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairfield University class of 1991 (Business Management) Not only have I been a part of all aspects of the dealership since 1986, from sales, to parts and accessories, service, and general merchandise including riding gear and apparel, I have been a fond enthusiast of the motorcycle sport for over 35 years. Safety for our customers and staff is a number one priority and can be seen in the functional quality of leather riding gear, including gloves, protective clothing, boots and especially helmets all approved by the Department of Transportation DOT
Paul Siciliano Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified instructor, Connecticut Rider Education Program Co-chair, Heads First-CT A native of West Harrison, N.Y., Paul Siciliano is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified instructor with the Connecticut Rider Education Program. He is also a contributing columnist with the regional motorcycle website RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England. We recruited Mr. Siciliano to be our mentor because of his extensive experience with motorcycles, having been involved with them since age seven and competing in motocross racing by age 13. We also recruited him for his knowledge of the rules and regulations of motorcycle safety, as his passion for riding motorcycles and his focus on safety created a pathway to his advocacy for a universal helmet law. He volunteers his time as a Co-chair for Heads First-CT, a diverse group of individuals that includes hospital and health leaders, police and advocates who believe a mandatory helmet law would save both lives and money. Not only does he have much experience in our needed, areas, he is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and has had a career in the construction industry. With his many skills he is not only a great, well-rounded man but a great mentor to have for MergeMaster.
Susie DiVietro, PhD Research Scientist, Connecticut Injury Prevention Center Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford Hospital Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics, UCONN School of Medicine Office: 860-837-5311 Fax: 860-837-5338 Susie DiVietro, Ph.D., is a medical anthropologist and research scientist at the Injury Prevention Center, Connecticut Children's Medical Center/Hartford Hospital, Instructor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Trinity College. She conducts research on motorcycle rider behaviors and safety equipment use and is a member of Heads-First CT. She rides a 2017 BMW R1200R and a 2004 Triumph Bonneville T-100.