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James Ratino Named President of MDOHVA

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Organization’s new leader looks forward to expanding off-road riding opportunities in Maryland.

The Maryland Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance, Inc. (MDOHVA) is pleased to announce that James Ratino has been named president of the organization
effective January 1st, 2019. A board member for the past year, James is an experienced and effective advocate for motorized recreation of all kinds in Maryland. He has been riding dirt bikes with family and friends since age 10, has raced in many hare scrambles, and is a long-time member of a local motocross club.

“James has a strong drive to advocate for all enthusiasts of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation, including those who enjoy riding on ATV trails, technical single-track motorcycle trails, full-size 4×4 rock crawls, and motocross tracks,” said Ken Kyler, organization president. 

James is a graduate of Frostburg State University, with a degree in Physics and Engineering, and brings to the post of MDOHVA president many years of experience in commercial construction management. Over the years, he has hosted rides on his family’s private property in western Maryland that were open to dirt bikes, ATVs, multi-passenger side-by-sides, and full-size 4×4 vehicles.

The Maryland OHV Alliance, Inc. is a state-wide body of OHV recreation enthusiasts. It advocates for responsible OHV recreation and resource protection by working in partnership with private and public land managers and recreation planners; provides and promotes best management practices for OHV recreation planning, development and management to policy makers; promotes a positive OHV recreation image to all publics; and emphasizes the benefits of responsible recreation behavior and raise awareness of the impacts from irresponsible recreation activity.

Since its founding, the MDOHVA has been successful at advocating for ORV recreation resulting in the MD DNR building the St. John’s ORV Trail and Campground in the Savage River State Forest, and more recently supporting DNR’s acquisition of land for the Wolf Den State Park near Kitzmiller which will be the State’s first ORV State Park.