IMBA Board of Directors Gains Three New Members

For Immediate Release
11-20-06
Contact: Mark Eller, Communications Manager

303-545-9011

Online and mail-in votes cast by members of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) this fall elected three new members to IMBA's board of directors. The balloting also saw three standing members -- Hill Abell, Tom Clyde and Steve Flagg -- reelected to two-year terms.

Earlier this fall, Chris Distefano and Andrew Herrick stepped down from the IMBA board. Distefano, sales and marketing director at King Cycle Group, served on the IMBA board for four years. Herrick's tenure was two years; he is a partner at Crank Brothers.

"The IMBA board and staff are extremely grateful to Chris and Andrew for their contributions to our efforts to protect and enhance trail access for mountain bikers," said Hill Abell, board president.

"Chris brought a wealth of industry knowledge and shared with us great insights on how to better serve the multiple interests represented within the bicycle industry. And Andrew's contributions to our recent strategic planning process were instrumental as we crafted a compelling new story on how IMBA can lead the mountain bike community and achieve new successes for everyone who rides a mountain bike," said Abell.

IMBA enters 2007 with 10 active members on its board of directors. The three newest members add substantial and diverse leadership skills to IMBA:

• John Bliss is the privacy strategist for Entity Analytic Solutions, a unit within IBM's Software Group. He has worked as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, DC. Bliss has served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was Chief Counsel for United States Senator Hank Brown. An active mountain biker racer, Bliss resides in Colorado, and competes in regional and national expert-class events.
• Blair Clark is senior vice president of marketing and sales at Smith Optics. He spent 13 years working at a variety of bicycle shops, directed business affairs for Specialized USA, and was president of Giro Sport Design. Clark currently serves on the board of directors for the Outdoor Industry Association. He recently founded the Paul David Clark Fund within Bikes Belong as a means of promoting bicycle safety and awareness. The native Californian now lives in Idaho.
• Janet O'Connell is the executive director of the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada. She previously served as director of strategic initiatives for the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, and has substantial experience in the advertising and publishing industries. O'Connell is a current board member for the Canadian Association of Exhibition Managers. The first Canadian to serve on IMBA's board, she enjoys exploring trails with her two children.

IMBA is already benefiting from the unique perspectives and strengths represented by the new additions. "Our board will continue to grow and diversify its membership to better understand the needs of the mountain bike community and to protect trail access for every style of rider," commented Abell.