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/

2022 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

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

Eleri Harris

Vice President

Bio Coming soon!

Katherine Enns

Treasurer

Growing up in Vancouver I am surprised it took me so long to get on a mountain bike. It all started with a (very short lived) national rowing team career that left me with a lot of competitive energy. This led to triathlon, road racing, cyclocross, and finally to mountain bikes.

The sport was intimidating. I don’t love adrenaline… I’m not good at going fast down hills… and I’m really into spandex… so the idea of going up, only to go down, didn’t occur to me as something I would enjoy. I was so very wrong.

I’m still a scaredy-cat, but the trails have become a new challenge that I never expected to love this much. While I still do love road riding and remain on the elite race team, Crit Nasty, mountain bikes have provided me with a whole new level of appreciation for our backyard, and for bikes in general.

It has been such an odd year with so many ups and downs, but it has really clarified my interest in giving back to my community and connecting with those who make these trails possible. With my CPA designation, and work experience in accounting and finance, I think I will make a great team member to a crew who is already so dedicated.

I am super excited to have been elected to this year’s board of directors and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish.

katherine@nsmba.ca / Q&A with Kat

Kevin Johnstone

Secretary

Bio coming soon!

Ben Organ

Director

I grew up in the UK, spending a lot of time in Bristol, and have been into mountain biking and more recently road riding for many years. I moved to Vancouver in 2018 and quickly had to step up my mountain biking game; the trails here are next level compared to what I was used to back home!

I work in web technology, running my own digital agency in the UK for many years before emigrating to Canada. Currently I am the tech lead at a local startup specialising in the on-demand transit space. I love using technology to make the world a better place.

I’m really excited to be part of NSMBA; being able to give back to the community and support the trails we all love. I’m hoping to use my experience to improve the way we use technology to support our members, alongside improving accessibility, diversity and inclusion, in line with our mission of trails for all, trails forever.

benorgan@nsmba.ca

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

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 Boorne

Director

My mother was a ski instructor in the Laurentians well into her seventies, so the mountains have always been an integral part of my life. I wanted more than Quebec could offer, so in 2007, I followed my dream to live on the west coast.

I sold my house, law practice and everything I owned, which would not fit into my station wagon to make my way to Whistler. It was here where I fell in love with mountain biking and subsequently my wife, who I met through weekly community social rides.

My passion for biking has grown to cyclocross, road riding and squeaky dinosaur bells on my now eight-year-old daughter’s mountain bike. When not riding, I work as an employment and labour lawyer in Vancouver.

The best way to get to know your community is through volunteering. When I lived in Whistler, I was a social ride guide (I got my PMBIA Instructor level 1) and later the membership director for the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association (WORCA) until my daughter was born. I was also a volunteer ski patroller for Blackcomb Mountain for 14 years, a Weasel Worker during the 2010 Olympic alpine events and a director with the Whistler section of the Alpine Club of Canada.

We moved to Lynn Valley in 2019, just before the pandemic. A perfect excuse to work and school from home, getting all of us out into the mountains every chance we get.

I am excited to be part of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association board, sharing my passion for people and promoting environmental stewardship through sport.

steven@nsmba.ca

Steven Lionais

Director

Bio coming soon!