Board of Directors

Who are we?

The Directors of the NSMBA are community members dedicated to advocating for the goals of the Association and its members as outlined in the Constitution and bylaws. They are all volunteers, and responsible for planning for the future of the organization, as well as managing its day to day activities.

Directors are elected by NSMBA members at the Annual General Meeting and each one has the duty to act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the society. They meet on the first Tuesday of every month and the minutes for each meeting can be found here: https://nsmba.ca/board-meeting-minutes/

Interested in joining the Board of Directors?

2023 Board of Directors

Take a look at the current Directors down below and be sure to give them a high five the next time you see them out on the trails! They all volunteer significant amounts of their time to support mountain biking and the community of trail users on the North Shore and in British Columbia.

James Nadel

James Nadel

President

I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, but left the hard-working folks of Steeltown for The Shore in March of 2020; these mountains have since been my home. Cycling has always been a cornerstone of my life. No riding, though, has been so rewarding or fun as dropping into a chute of dirt, root, and rock

The Shore’s trails are built upon many histories, layered like the soil below and intertwined as the roots embedded therein: enduring First Nations’ habitation; colonial settlement; old growth forestry; residential development; and recreation. Just as these histories are ever-present and interacting, each trail has its own unique origin and past that continues to change and develop with the builders, riders and seasons.

Legends of mountain biking who still ride and build on Fromme, Cypress, and Seymour made North Shore riding world-famous. To keep these trails world-class, sustainable, and accessible requires a commensurate community effort—the NSMBA exists for this purpose. As President, alongside our dedicated directors, volunteers, and staff, I aim to make these trails (present and future) trails for all, and trails forever.

jamesnadel@nsmba.ca / Q&A with James 

Ali Shuparski

Ali Shuparski

Vice President

I grew up on the North Shore on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations, but I only started mountain biking a few years ago. Since I started I have tried to embrace every aspect of biking, both on the trails and off the trails. I was introduced into the wonders of the mountain biking community through Indigenous Women Outdoors (IWO), and my participation on their race team last season. 

My time riding with the rad ladies of IWO and meeting so many incredible women in the community inspired me to try and make mountain biking a more inclusive and less intimidating space. A natural step for me on this journey was to join the board of directors for the NSMBA and focus on the continuous community growth of Trails for All.

As Vice President I hope to use my background in biology and current work in advertising to further build out our mountain biking community in a way that supports the NSMBA vision: trails for all, trails forever. Photo credit:  @tandem.photography


ali@nsmba.ca

Raj Brar

Raj Brar

Treasurer

Despite being born in Vancouver, I had moved away at a relatively young age and was raised in Ottawa, Ontario before inevitably making my return to BC in early 2020. Mountain biking was never really on my radar until I started experiencing envy as a trail runner… I watched these mountain bikers glide across Baden Powell on Fromme effortlessly, smiling and stoked while I hobbled down slowly in pain. I’ll use any excuse to spend a day in the North Shore Mountains, so why not add a hobby to the ever-growing list? Best decision yet. 

On a professional front, I’m a CPA currently working for Natural Resources Canada. Despite the less adrenaline-pumping nature of my day job, my accounting and financial knowledge has allowed me to contribute meaningfully in various volunteer settings and I’m very excited to work alongside the NSMBA Board to channel this expertise towards enhancing the accessibility of the sport and ensuring the longevity of these incredible trails. 

 

Eleri Harris

Eleri Harris

Director

I moved to Vancouver from Wales in 2015 and have been an avid mountain biker here ever since. I started mountain biking in Wales, but nothing I’d ridden at the time prepared me for the technical baptism of fire of the Shore! I swiftly joined Muddbunnies Riding Club BC, where I learned my way around our mountains and was provided the encouragement to help me get through the jank in one piece.

As I progressed, I became a ride lead for Muddbunnies and spent 4 years on the club’s board of directors as Vice President and President. Not only am I so passionate about providing an ever improving safe space for women to thrive in the sport, I’ve really wanted to give back to the mountain biking community that quickly embraced me as a newbie and made North Van feel like home. When I stepped down from the club’s board, I knew the NSMBA was where I wanted to go next to serve the wider community. It’s a different challenge, and I’m really loving the opportunity to learn more about, and contribute to, the ins-and-outs of running a trail association.

As well as the more serious Board of Director duties, I love volunteering for our community events. Trail days and the Fivers, in particular, are so full of joy and positivity, and are a great place to forge strong social connections. You should all give them a go!

Professionally, I work as a Carbon Project Manager with academic training in Geography and Climate Change and work closely with Indigenous groups.

I’m hoping my skills in these roles will translate well to the NSMBA board, to help nurture diverse connections and advance our world-class trail network that are trails for all and trails forever.

eleri@nsmba.ca

 

Ben Organ

Ben Organ

Director

I grew up in the UK, spending a lot of time in Bristol, and have been riding bikes for as long as I can remember. I moved to Vancouver in 2018 to spend more time outdoors, to be closer to nature, and to be around awesome people.

 
I’m a software engineer working in web technology, and ran my own digital agency in the UK before moving to Canada. I love using technology to make the world a better place.

 I’m proud to be part of the NSMBA; caring for the trail network, supporting an incredible community, and ensuring the trails are always here and accessible to everyone. My focus on the Board is ensuring we’re using technology in the best way, supporting the strategic and operational work we do, as well as working on our “trails for all” vision by making the trails accessible to everyone.

 

Colin Brumelle

Colin Brumelle

Director

I was born and raised in Vancouver and have been riding on the shore since I was a kid. I can be found, more often than not, smashing out a loop on our local hills. I spent 10 years away, living in the San Francisco Bay Area for work, then moved back to Vancouver 2 years ago. I always knew the shore was a special place, but it was my time away that made me truly appreciate the amazing trails in our own backyard. Seeing first hand the challenging and legally precarious state of trail systems in places like California, made me realize the importance of strong advocacy and community building work. Moving back home has been phenomenal, and it is a joy to take my children (ages 7 and 11) down trails that I rode down as a kid.

For employment, I’ve been a software engineer and business leader for most of my career. I’m currently running a small company called ChopShop (https://chopshop.co) that helps people and businesses make great video content. Before that I worked in San Francisco at Twitter as a software engineer and then as an engineering manager, building the advertising platform.

I’m super excited to be on the board and I look forward to chatting on the trails.

colin@nsmba.ca

Rob Donovan

Rob Donovan

Director

I am from Kingston, Ontario, but left the land of warm lakes for the cool forests of the North Shore in 2013 and have been an avid mountain biker ever since.

I soon became involved in trail building after being drawn to the local mountain bike culture. Now I volunteer with the NSMBA as a trail builder on many Fromme trails including Lower Oilcan, the Griffen’s, and Baden Powell.

Professionally I work as a building commissioning provider – making sure buildings are designed, built and function properly. My role includes project management, problem solving, thorough organization, and coordinating various stakeholder groups. These skills have transferred directly to trail building and will be an asset as I take on more projects.

I am excited to work with the NSMBA on the Board of Directors and look forward to making our great trails enjoyable for all.

rob@nsmba.ca

 

Steven Lionais

Steven Lionais

Director

I’m relatively new to mountain biking having bought my first bike in the spring of 2020. I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much and get so much from the community of riders out there with me. I’ve consistently met friendly, happy & open people who clearly get a lot out of this amazing resource we have in our backyards. I was surprised to learn that these trails are maintained by a passionate community of riders led by local organizations. I felt like I just had to get involved and help maintain and grow this amazing community.

Professionally my background is in entrepreneurship, leadership and marketing. I’ve founded, grown, and sold a software business and I’m currently working on another. I’m pleased to be on the board and bring my experiences to the trails.

steve@nsmba.ca

 

 

Rachid Nayel

Rachid Nayel

Director

I was born in Lebanon and immigrated to Canada in the 1980’s when my family settled in Ottawa. A product of the French public school system, I spent my childhood and early 20’s in Ottawa before migrating west to North Vancouver in 2007 for a girlfriend who would become my wife.
On my second day in North Vancouver, I rode my 2007 Iron Horse 7.3 down to Cove Bikes from Lynn Valley to pick up a tube and then back up to 7th to ride “the shore”. I didn’t know better. The weather was terrible, I was lugging around a 40 pound coil sprung freeride bike, I didn’t care, it was the best day of my life.
Many adventures later, I joined the NSMBA Board of Directors in 2010 and kept serving the community in my capacity as director until 2017. I was fortunate enough to be re-elected to the board in the fall of 2023 and look forward to working to the benefit of all cyclists on the Shore for the coming years.

rachid@nsmba.ca

 

Ella Walmsley

Ella Walmsley

Director

I first stumbled into biking thanks to wonderful family members when I was just a kid. After a couple of years, I proceeded to get distracted by other sports before regaining a bike focus a few years ago, again thanks to family. I got involved in the mountain biking community through coaching at a club which gave me the opportunity to give back by introducing newbies to the sport and have so much fun in the process.
New Zealand, my home, provided a great start into mountain biking and being outdoors. I was able to build my passion and understand my connection with mountains, forests, rivers and the ocean. This became my profession,  and I now work in environmental education. This is part of the reason I wanted to join the NSMBA, to influence the relationship between trails and the forests that host them.
I am happy to serve as Secretary on the Board of Directors and am looking forward to being involved in running events, improving inclusivity in mountain biking and moving many rocks and buckets of dirt on the trails.


ella@nsmba.ca