2019 Annual General Meeting

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Annual General Meeting. Please see below for the minutes and presentation from the night.

2019 AGM Minutes

2019 AGM Presentation

When & Where

When: Thursday, November 21st

Where: Delbrook Community Recreation Centre (Arbutus Room) – 851 W Queens Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7N 4E3

Sign in and registration for members to vote begins at 6:30pm and closes at 7pm when the meeting will begin. Please try to come and register early so that we can get started with the meeting on time.

 

Board of Directors Elections

Please see below for all the Board of Director candidates. 

As there are 5 open positions and 10 candidates, each member present will be able to vote for up to 5 candidates out of the possible 10. 

 

Board of Directors Candidates

Candidates are presented in the order they were received.

Jonathan Harvey

Current Occupation 

Entrepreneur
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

I’m adaptable, easy going and open minded. I like to work with peoples from various backgrounds and experiences and always try to make the best of any situations. I have a flexible schedule allowing me to balance work, with other commitments.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

Most recently i have started a company in the construction technology sector and got more involve in the trail building program by following Trail Academy courses and attending trail days. I worked as a supervisor for a large construction company for many years and founded a metal manufacturing business with my brother.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

I’ve just completed a Project Management Certificate at UBC and been involved in various projects over the years, I can help in creating projects plans, communicating with stakeholders and executing them. I also have a College Degree in Business Administration and I have operated various businesses which, require to be selling, marketing and bookkeeping all the time.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

I want to make the trails more accessible for persons who don’t have cars or don’t live on the North Shore. To reach that goal it would be beneficial to improve the interconnections between the various trails sectors and improve bike paths connecting to Metro Vancouver network. Also, trail maintenance is key in attaining the objectives of the NSMBA and has to be kept in mind in all of the projects and activities.

Paul McLean

Current Occupation 

Commercial Head of Canada
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

I am a spirited mountain biker and adventure Traveller. Passionate about the sport and the North Shore. I have global connections and experience working in the South Pacific and Asia in the aviation and tourism sector. Returning as the Commercial Head of Canada for Air New Zealand, I see an opportunity to align mountain biking culture and NSMBA to a global audience and I would love to be a part of developing a strategy to this effect.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

Commercial Head of Canada

– Air New Zealand Chief Commercial Officer

– Cairns Airport General Manager Australia & New Zealand

– Air Canada Volunteer Mountain biking youth programs at the City of Coquitlam Share youth and family services

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

I have a broad corporate and commercial background with global experience. I have been a part of the tourism sector and adventure travel business I have been riding the North shore and local mountains for over 20 years

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

Expand the NSMBA brand to a global audience and generate new excitement and passion for the sport of mountain biking with the North Shore as its epicentre.

Sarah Fix

Current Occupation 

Elementary Teacher
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

Qualities that I believe would support my role as a board of directors is that I am organized, have strong interpersonal relationship skills, passionate about riding bikes, believe in environmental/ outdoor education, approachable, detail oriented, thoughtful, flexible schedule.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

My employment details include, working many years in the customer service industry as a barista, running a restaurant program at an organic farm, winery tasting room attendant, YMCA Action kids program coordinator, Pedalheads manager, and currently an elementary teacher.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

Over the past ten years I have had the opportunity to attend college and university to obtain a degree in arts and science, an undergrad degree in arts with a major in Gender, Sexuality and Women Studies, and a degree in Environmental Education. Through these stages of education I have gained a lot of knowledge in social, cultural, environmental, and political perspectives; within the variety of communities of the lower mainland. I believe these perspectives to be a vital contribution to the 2020 Board of Directors.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

My vision for the NSMBA in 2020, is to advocate for more volunteer involvement in maintaining existing and new trials; through encouraging local riders to contribute to the trails they ride. I would like to see NSMBA work towards building climbing routes to improve access for all levels of riders and adding more beginner and intermediate options. In addition, organizing a ride for beginners to allow for them to learn new skills and the trails. I would also like to see a program be put in place for those in lower socioeconomic standing to have access to mountain bikes either by renting or purchasing used.

Ben Organ

Current Occupation 

Engineering Lead at Spare Labs
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

I’m passionate about cycling, the outdoors, technology and making the world a better place. When I’m not working, cooking or reading you’ll probably find me hiking, riding or snowboarding somewhere in BC! I’m originally from the UK and moved to Vancouver in 2018.

I only recently came across NSMBA and would love to contribute to your mission. I’ve always enjoyed mountain biking and feel incredibly lucky to be so close to so many amazing trails (Expresso is my favourite so far!).

In my work I am patient, always learning, organised and solution-focussed. I communicate effectively, am dependable & reliable, and have experience working in highly successful teams. I thrive when working on something I believe in, with the freedom and support to make things happen.

My schedule is reasonably flexible and I’m currently based in downtown Vancouver.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

Prior to moving to Vancouver I founded, grew and managed two technology businesses in the UK for 12 years. In the past 2 years I have worked freelance in web development and also taught students how to code at intensive bootcamps. Currently I am the Lead Engineer for a startup working in the on-demand mobility space and my focus is on using technology to make the world a better place.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

I have a strong background in technology and experience starting, growing and managing businesses. Among other things, this has given me lots of experience with bookkeeping, digital strategy, event planning, sales and marketing, digital accessibility, user research, and stakeholder engagement. Alongside this I have strong technical skills, including extensive experience with WordPress.

My skills are mainly in the context of web technology but I have experience in various roles; from sales and marketing, through user experience design, to business process management. I’m willing to pitch in wherever help is needed and am quick to learn new skills. I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes and types, from public sector to corporate.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

NSMBA’s mission is “Trails for All. Trails Forever” which aligns with my vision for 2020. Having easy access to the beautiful trails we have on the North Shore for hiking and cycling is a great benefit for physical and mental health.

My vision for 2020 is improving the reach and awareness of NSMBA, thus ensuring the trails are easily accessible and actively promoted to everyone, and so increasing the number and diversity of those using the trails. I was heartened to see the section about equality, justice and diversity on your website and believe this must be a key element of the vision. With increased use will come more funding and support for running events, building and maintaining trails for generations to come.

To achieve this vision first requires a thorough understanding of users (and potential users) using user research and user needs analysis. Once the needs are understood, implementing a strategy requires a combination of technology (improving the existing website and other digital channels), transportation and parking solutions (ensuring people are able to easily access the trails), and communication / information design (ensuring information about the trails is clear and consistent throughout the website, signage and affiliated parties).

Ken Coopland

Current Occupation 

Senior Product Manger – TELUS
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

The trails mean a lot to me.

I have lived on the North Shore since 1993 and have used the trail network of the North Shore mountains for either mountain biking, trail running, back-country skiing, hiking and snowshoeing in every season. Lately the majority of my time on the trails has been mountain biking. On every ride I go on with my friends or my neighbors and/or my dog, I come across new ride arounds, new berms, new trails, new cedar and more drainage where there used to be puddles. Every ride I find fresh work. The hours and hours of work this represents isn’t lost on me and I want this trail access to be around for a long time. The trails are my “happy place” and I want to finally contribute to all the hard work, community and values that others have done that have allowed me to enjoy the trails as much as I do.

I have worked for a major Telecommunications company (TELUS) for the last 19 years and have spent time performing a variety of roles including leading teams, rolling out programs and products, consulting and communicating with all levels of business and product managing multiple lines of business directly and through vendors.

Collectively, it has equipped me with the ability to work effectively with others and I enjoy it. Working in a group I enjoy and seeing results in an area that is important to me is what drives me. Marrying my skill-set with my love the North Shore trail network is the best way I can think of to give back while enjoying myself.

I like to contribute, I like to fix things and solve problems and move things forward. When I get to do this and use my skill-set, while working with others I enjoy, it motivates me to do more.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

As I get older I have enjoyed giving back. I have worked on trail building days with the NSMBA TAP Program (TELUS has Bobsled), served food in Salvation Army food kitchens on the DTES, cleaned local creeks of debris on the North Shore, raised funds for the North Shore Rescue through participating in trail runs and have donated blood ~30x all for various worthy causes. While I like to give back, I probably still have a bit of a debt considering how much joy and time I’ve had on the trails.

I have worked for TELUS for the last 19 years in a variety of positions. I have managed teams, consulted (fee based) with external clients and managed/marketed complex software products and solutions. In each of these roles the values of working collaboratively with others, communicating effectively with all levels of business and driving results under a variety of constraints has always been the root of my job satisfaction.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

Over the 19 years at TELUS and similar places before that, I have always gravitated towards the energy of working well with others. Being motivated and working collaboratively with others has steered me towards Sales, Marketing/Promotion over the years. Engaging others and being on a team of like-minded contributors has always produced results. I am motivated by metrics as much as I am the intangibles of working towards a fun and engaging purpose. I would look forward to contributing in any way I could.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

I have followed the issues and challenges for the last 4 or 5 years in the mountain bike community and the NSMBA. I have always been impressed with the communication and the successful influence they have been able to demonstrate within what seems like a complex model of land owners and stakeholders. My goal, more than my vision, is to continue to collectively advance the interests of the mountain bike community in the same successful manner that has worked to date.

Andrew Vincent

Current Occupation 

Commodity Lumber Trader
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

I moved to the North Shore in 2012 to live in the meca of mountain biking. Since then I have rode, built, and raced with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I want to give back to the Vancouver mountain bike community for all it has given me. I like to plan events and find ways to connect with people. Through a few small concentrated efforts we can empower and excite the community around the shared goals of improving access, trail conditions, visitor experiences, and diversity of trails.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

-Mountain Bike Operations certificate from Capilano University

-Graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelors of Commerce

– Marketing Major -Social media and team coordinator for Norco John Henry Bikes

-Commodity Lumber Trader at Canada’s largest Lumber producer

-Coordinator for Trips for Kids charity drive event

-Board Member at Gift of Hope charity

-Volunteer at The Mustard Seed Shelter

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

I have a background in Marketing, Sales, and Team Management. I have planned and coordinated several mountain bike oriented events. These include trail days, races, group rides, and donation drives. I believe that my skills are directly applicable to helping the NSMBA with fundraising, event planning, sales and marketing, and community engagement.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

In 2020 the NSMBA should focus on engagement. The more people we have involved in the NSBMA, the more power we have to make changes in public opinion, more pressure on local government to aide our causes, and more revenue to support programs. I think this is best done through community events and variety of trails. We can learn from places like Squamish and Whistler that work to involve all user groups in collaborative and social events. The Fivers and Woman’s fiver have been a great way to build community. I have met many of my riding friends at the fivers. I think we can expand on this with social rides, team events, strava/trail forks challenges, and additional woman’s races.

Ben lovie

Current Occupation 

General Manager, OpenRoad Auto Group dealership
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

An avid mountain biker for over 20 years with General Manager, Marketing Management and Board of Directors experience. I have been impressed with the dedication of NSMBA volunteers and think there may be an opportunity to contribute to further the development of the NSMBA mission.

I was raised in Australia, now 43 years old a Canadian Resident living in Vancouver with 3 kids and wife.

I ride regularly on the North Shore and take weekend trips to other MTB destinations in BC.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

General Manager. 4 years.

Automotive Retail. Marketing Director. 10 years.

Retail. Business Owner. 4 years.

B2B. Lived and worked in England and Japan for 5 years in my 20’s.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

Currently serving on BC New Car Dealers Board of Directors.

Experience with marketing strategy, planning, vendor relations and campaigns.

Experience in loyalty program creation and management. (Founded a program currently with over 63000 members).

Experience with business process improvement initiatives.

Experience with financial statements and operational reporting.

Experience with team management and goal setting.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

As a Board Member my vision would reflect the vision of NSMBA. I am interested to read and talk more with the Board about the long and short term goals of NSMBA and the challenges they face.

Gavin Kennedy

Current Occupation 

Documentary Film Maker and Photographer, Volunteer Blackcomb ski patrol/ Emergency First Responder (EMR).
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

Hi there, as a lifelong North Shore mountain biker and trail user I’ve enjoyed watching the mountain bike culture progress on the shore, becoming more inclusive for different genders, abilities and age groups, and also developing relationships with land managers, businesses and government.

Biking has been a major part of my life since starting at 14. I’ve bike toured from Canada to South America over 8 months, bike packed across New Zealand, and recently got involved in trail building through the NSMBA and enjoyed making relationships with members and different stake holders.

As a board member, I’d love to use my skills in communications (writing/ Film-Making) and in mountain biking, to engage with the public, help advocate for trail maintenance funding and trail retention and also get involved in helping facilitate NSMBA programs.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

11 years in the Canadian Forces (Reserve Vehicle Tech), 6 years in documentary film, EMR First Responder and 4 years in Ski Patrol (full-time and volunteer), volunteer with the outdoor film festival pre-screening committee and MC (VIMFF), 25x blood donor, Squamish Valley Music Festival first aid and elected social justice coordinator with Langara College.

I recently started volunteering as EMR first responder with the DTES outreach Street Saviours Society.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

BA Political Science (UBC, Santiago de Compostela Spain, and University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), Diploma in documentary film (Langara College), trained vehicle tech (Canadian Forces), communication skills, first aid, love of the outdoors, trail building.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

I envision helping work on existing NSMBA programs such as the fiver races, trail days and with communication (writing, photography etc).

I also want to help implement new ideas such as trail fundraising through a ‘trail donation’ bins at trail heads, work on better physical mapping on Fromme and Seymour, advocate for trail expansion with land managers, and implement a ‘bike kitchen’ mechanic night program to teach the public how to fix their bike in the woods. I’d also like to work on starting a ‘bike wash’ mechanic stand at Old Buck parking lot.

Michael Waller

Current Occupation 

Commercial Pilot
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

I am passionate about developing our resources for all to use. I live close by the Fromme parking lot, so I see the daily use that the area gets. I think I work well with other people and I always work to consensus rather than standoff. I can compromise while at the same time promote what I feel are good ideas. I’m good at recognizing strengths in others and deferring to the experts. What I mean is, we all excel in a particular area. If you re the most experienced in that area, I may challenge your ideas, but respect your experience.

I have kids. I want to see the trails developed for all, not just the black diamond riders, even though thats my personal favorite level. 🙂

Finally, I have a schedule which allows me time to commit to NSMBA tasks.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

I’m currently an active commercial pilot and have been for 20 years now. In the past, working overseas, I have managed and fundraised for African children’s charities, and in one case founded an orphanage while I was working as a pilot in west Africa.

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

I am an avid rider and user of local trails. I live just a few min from the Fromme lot and ride and walk the local trails almost daily. Despite the fact that I am an active commercial pilot, I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC and am very current with bookkeeping, quick books, cra, basic accounting and finance, as well as payroll functions due to my wife’s business, which I help manage.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

I’d like to see continued trail development, and an improved relationship with the CDNV. I know its a long road, but if we can get CDNV to be more supportive, we all win.

Karla Galeazzi

Current Occupation 

Sever/Bartender – Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
.

Tell us about yourself and any qualities you possess which would support you in being a successful NSMBA Director in 2020. 

I was born in Mexico City and came to Victoria BC in 1998. My parents had sent me for a year of high school. After seeing all the natural beauty alongside to the quality of life that Canada had to offer; I decided to lure my parents into funding my education in this country. I finished high school at St. Andrew’s Catholic School in Victoria. After high school, I entered the Business Management with a Marketing designation program at Camosun College. It was at Camosun College that I heard the term “mountain biking” for the first time. Curious enough, I went to check out “the dump” on my super high-end, big box store bicycle. And that’s where my relationship with the bike world started.

I worked for a tourism marketing company based in Victoria for 6 years, mostly doing cold-calls, follow-ups, and building proposals.

I felt that I was missing something; later, it became clear I was missing out on building relationships. Real, face-to-face interactions. I left Victoria and traveled for a while. Somehow, I ended up in Lake Louise, Alberta where I started my career as a server. Someone once told me that being a server makes you develop a lot of people skills; I can say it has shaped me into who I presently am.

My serving job is great to support my single lifestyle, but it is not because of the money, that I keep doing what I do. Everyday, I get to meet different people, from different backgrounds, from different places, for different purposes. That is where I find the motivation and true value in what I do. My biggest reward, is when I can turn someone’s day/experience around. I like to make feel everyone valued, welcomed, excited and when I am successful at that, I feel accomplished.

.

Share with us your Employment and/or Volunteer History. 

– Music Festivals Volunteer (Mexico)

– Seasmoke Public Relations

– Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

– Lake Louise ski hill volunteer

– Fairmont Chateau Whistler

– Fairmont Waterfront Centre

.

Tell us about your experiences/accreditations/competencies which pertain to those being sought for the 2020 Board of Directors. 

I love building rapport with people. The more I get to work with people, the more motivation I find into making a difference in someone’s life. I am a very easy going person. I adapt well. My schedule is very flexible. I can do either morning or night shifts, take different days off, request days off as needed. I don’t have commitments other than work, so I have a lot of time to spare. I am busy with work from June to September, when cruise ship season is at its peak.

I am at that stage where I want to use my time wisely. What better way than to give back to the thing that I love the most – mountain biking and its community. This year has been my best year on the bike. The one year where I fully committed to it. It has given me more than fun rides. I’ve met amazing humans. I’ve learnt to appreciate all the work and thought put into what we can unconditionally enjoy.

The thought of being able to enjoy all these for free, makes me feel guilty in a way. Why am I so privileged? I would like to pay it forward. I would like to show everyone what home – North Vancouver is about.

.

What is your vision for the NSMBA in 2020? 

Reading about your future goals, I believe where I’d be most interested in helping out with is – inclusion. I see NSMBA developing more programs to introduce new riders. I’d like to sell the experience and with that, get more hands on board. A lot of new comers have a hard time getting started. I would like to see more diversity in our trails, and a more social atmosphere. Ride and share. Ride and learn. Ride and give. Ride and belong.

Additional Details

What is an Annual General Meeting?
An annual general meeting is where an association formally reports to it’s membership regarding the business conducted during the year, votes on a board of directors and the passing of any pending resolutions.
What happens at the NSMBA Annual General Meeting?

The NSMBA will be presenting to the membership our accomplishments during the past year and our vision for 2020.  There will also be a vote to determine the 2020 board of directors and all candidates will give a short 3 minute speech before voting commences.

The meeting is open to the public but only current members will be eligible to vote on the board of directors and the passing of any pending resolutions.

This year, we’ll be keeping our financial and program updates short to leave more time for questions from the community. We’ll also have free snacks, free drinks and door prizes!

 

Documents to Review in Preparation for the Annual General Meeting