IMBA Canada's Loss is Park Canada's Gain

For Immediate Release 12-18-09
Contact Mark Eller
IMBA Communications Director
markeller@imba.com
303-545-9011

Mark Schmidt will leave his post as executive director of IMBA Canada in January and begin a new career with Parks Canada. With Schmidt's departure IMBA Canada will be led by Lora Woolner, who together with Schmidt started the IMBA Canada office in 2004. Woolner and Schmidt have been involved with IMBA since 2002, when they were hired on to a three year stint with IMBA's Trail Care Crew program in the US.

"Mark and Lora have made invaluable contributions to mountain biking in the States and in Canada," says IMBA President Mike Van Abel. "I'm confident that Mark will be a great addition to Parks Canada in his new role as National Trails Analyst -- there are only a handful of people in the world that can match his experience level in designing and building sustainable trails." In his new role, Schmidt will will oversee policy development and implementation for trails in Canada's National Parks, Historic Sites, and National Marine Conservation Areas. He will continue to work closely with IMBA Canada and other partners to implement trails projects.

Schmidt notched several impressive achievements during his tenure with IMBA Canada:

• Staffing has grown from just Mark and Lora in 2004 to three full-time and three part-time employees.
• IMBA Canada has led more than 100 trail workshops for advocates and land managers over the last 5 years.
• In 2008, IMBA Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with Parks Canada, and formed a similar agreement with the National Capital Commission in 2009.
• Canada hosted the first international IMBA World Mountain Bike Summit in Whistler, BC, in 2008.
• The IMBA Canada network now counts more than 200 member clubs and retailers, 25 corporate supporters and thousands of individual members.
• Introduced a national mountain bike club insurance policy to protect the involvement of clubs in the stewardship of their trails.
• IMBA Canada assisted in the creation of the influential BC Crown Lands Mountain Bike Policy.

In upcoming weeks, Woolner will step up from her current role as director of membership and operations and assume the role of executive director for IMBA Canada. She plans to add additional staff in 2010. Learn more about IMBA Canada by visiting imba.com/canada.