Our
2012 Officers and Directors
Dr. Don Smith, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Michigan State
University, is the chairperson of the board of directors of SMARTER.
He is a leading traffic-safety expert, having authored or co-authored
numerous publications as well as having consulted on or directed numerous traffic-safety research projects. Don is the grandfather (some might say the godfather)
of Michigan’s rider education program. He was selected by the Motorcycle Safety
Foundation to conduct Michigan's first motorcyclist-instructor training in
1973 and was a consultant to the Foundation in the
development of the first Beginning Rider Course and the initial Motorcycle Rider
Skill Test.
Don served as the
motorcyclist safety program coordinator at Michigan State
University for many years. He, along with Tom
Hampton, who served as the association's inaugural vice chairperson and was the
first educational consultant for rider education with the Michigan Department of
Education (1979-1997), built Michigan’s rider training programs.
Dan
Petterson, Ed.D., is SMARTER's president and chief executive officer.
Dan has an extensive background in both public K–12 and motorcyclist-safety
education. In 1990 he earned not only a doctorate in education but also
certification by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) as a chief instructor.
He was named the MSF 2003 RiderCoach Trainer of the Year and in 2011 was
selected as one of five individuals nationally to receive an MSF award for
“Extraordinary Contributions to Motorcyclist Safety.”
Dan
has contributed to the development of several MSF curriculum components, has
presented at state and national motorcyclist-safety conferences, and has served
as the State of Michigan’s motorcyclist-safety coordinator. He is currently
involved in numerous traffic-safety committees.
Dan
has completed coursework from Michigan State University in motorcycle crash
investigation and consults with attorneys and law enforcement in complicated
crashes involving motorcycles. He has also completed many advanced-level
motorcycle rider training courses.
As
an avid motorcyclist, Dan owns what his spouse describes as “a pole barn full
of bikes.” He has ridden in every state and has also ridden the Mexican Baja
Peninsula, the Copper Canyon area of Mexico, the Continental Divide Trail from
Mexico to the Canadian border, has ridden to the Arctic Circle north of Dawson
City Yukon, and has toured beautiful New Zealand. He is planning a
Trans-Labrador ride on his 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere in July and August of 2012.
Rich
Henrion,
elected vice-chairperson
of SMARTER
in January 2012, is a Detroit-area native who has lived most of his adult life in "da UP." Rich holds double master's degrees in education, is a Master Mechanic, a
Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach (since 1980), RiderCoach Trainer (since
1985), MSF Chief Instructor award winner, long-time Iron Butt member, and
multi-time
guest author for the BMW owners association magazine.
He is also the best person
to ride long distance with, as he never gets lost (GPS expert) and has the skill
and carries the tools he needs to fix any possible breakdown.
has
been involved in motorcyclist-safety instruction for well over ten years. He has
been an instructor and RiderCoach in schools in both California and Michigan.
Scott Shoup
serves as secretary of the
SMARTER
board.
Ever
since Scott got his first dirt bike, at age six, his
enthusiasm for motorcycling has not subsided. He enjoys all aspects of the sport
and has a background in trail riding, motocross, touring and sport bikes,
including the occasional track and day cruisers.
Wanting to share his passion
with others, Scott became an MSF RiderCoach in 2002, and in 2007 he became
Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge certified.
Scott
is a lifelong resident of Mason County, MI. To support his passion, Scott works
as an insurance agent.
Sean Duperron
is SMARTER's treasurer. Sean is an avid motorcyclist whose early
memories of riding a Briggs and Stratton powered minibike with no brakes, no
engine shut-off switch and a sticking throttle still burn strong, and he has
ridden approximately 100,000 miles over the course of the last 20 years.
Sean
joined the AMA at age 16 so he could enter and compete in motocross races, and
he's been a politically active member ever since. Sean has been a RiderCoach
since 1999, and he completed the Harley-Davidson Motor Company Inc. Rider's Edge
Instructor Training Program in 2002 and the Fasttrax Safety School for Street
Riders in 2003.
He graduated with honors from Central Michigan University and
owns a construction business, of which he is general contractor.
Board member Mark
Plant was raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where he learned
off-road riding, starting out with a Honda 70 trails bike. He has been a
certified MSF RiderCoach since 1990 and currently works for the Ferris State
University and Grand Rapids Community College Motorcycle Safety Programs.
Additionally, since 1999, Mark has been a Sidecar/Trike instructor, certified by
the Evergreen Safety Council.
He has also coached for the Gold Wing Road Riders
Association, of which he is a life member. Mark currently rides a Honda Gold
Wing 1500-cc touring bike and a Kawasaki 250-cc Ninja.
Mark
works at Progressive
Technologies in the building-maintenance department.
There
is currently an interim vacancy on the board of seven directors. Members are
welcome to submit nominations.
©Skilled Motorcyclist Association - Responsible, Trained and Educated Riders, Inc.