We are excited to announce the upcoming conference dedicated to empowering local grassroots affiliates and partner organizations! This event is designed to help you "Level Up" in key areas such as fundraising, programming, stewardship, and community engagement—essentials for creating and sustaining thriving trail communities.
Why Attend?
- Fundraising Mastery: Learn innovative strategies to boost your fundraising efforts and secure the resources your organization needs to succeed.
- Program Development: Gain insights into designing impactful programs that resonate with your community and drive meaningful change.
- Community Engagement: Explore effective methods to engage and mobilize your community, fostering strong support and active participation.
What's in It for You?
- Inspiration & Vision: Understand your unique role in the bigger picture and learn how to achieve your organization's grandest visions for trail development and maintenance.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals and organizations, share experiences, and build lasting partnerships.
- Expert Guidance: Benefit from the knowledge and experience of industry leaders who will provide practical advice and actionable insights.
Event Details
Date: September 5-6
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your organization's impact and contribute to the future of trail communities. Together, we can achieve extraordinary things. Register now and take the first step towards leveling up!
Level Up Local is our theme to help organizations understand the changing landscape from trail development to running a successful nonprofit organization. Successful advocacy work within any community takes a professional team of Trail Champions committed to the organization and community's success. Long-term support for programming, stewardship, and community engagement will always remain central to thriving trail communities. This event will help your organization better understand how to achieve big visions for trails and your community.
Join IMBA and our host the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club for this special event sponsored by SRAM.
Agenda
September 4 - Registration Check-in
September 5 - Nonprofit Leadership - Advancing Advocacy Work
- Review / overview of trail ecosystem
- Evolution of mountain biking advocacy
- Nonprofit boards, programs, finances
- Strategic planning, fundraising, communication
September 6 - Developing Partnerships
- Community engagement
- Agency engagement
- Hiring staff
- Navajo Nation work
- State / regional advocacy
Bike Rentals
Bikes can be rented locally. It is recommended to reserve a rental before you arrive.
Presenters
Anthony Duncan - Director of Local Programs, IMBA
IMBA Raised in a small town in the Southern Appalachian mountains of Virginia, Anthony grew up with an appreciation of the outdoors and the adventures it provides. Anthony came to IMBA in 2014 after an eight-year career in marketing and PR as a graphics project manager and a former president of SORBA Tri-Cities, an IMBA/SORBA chapter straddling the Tennessee/Virginia border. Anthony is based in Tennessee.
John Cox - Education Manager, IMBA
John's passion for a life on two wheels is rooted in his days growing up in Ohio building jumps in the yard. His ardor for cycling has only grown since those days, even taking him across the globe to explore unridden trails. Knowing the beauty and value that these on-trail experiences provide he has strived to be an advocate in all his pursuits, both personal and professional, so others may have the same opportunities. Now as a member of the IMBA team, he continues this work as the Education Coordinator. Outside of work, you can find him riding & training in the Blue Ridge mountains, coaching in the Southeast, or spending time with his family.
Kate Noelke - Communication and Advocacy Specialist, IMBA
Kate grew up on the backwaters of the Mississippi River biking, paddling, and wandering through the beauty of the Driftless Region of SW Wisconsin. She loves to make and share food she's grown or foraged, and believes all bodies belong on bikes (and wandering trails via whichever mode of movement one prefers). Kate started her career guiding paddling trips throughout the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; taught and worked in public health in higher education; and continues to make strong connections between human well-being and inclusive, accessible outdoor spaces. Kate has over two decades of experience in outdoor recreation advocacy and storytelling. She is not the fastest or most daring mountain biker on our team, but she rides every day and the joy she derives from being in the woods on two wheels is visceral. These days, you can find her riding trails and volunteering in and around the Arkansas Hills (Tenderfoot Mountain) and Methodist Mountain trail systems in Salida, CO.
Todd Keller - Director of Government Affairs, IMBA
Todd is a twenty-plus-year veteran of public policy, legislative affairs, and issue campaigns, having worked with conservation non-profits, the renewable energy industry, and outdoor recreation organizations. Throughout his career, he has worked to promote a healthy lifestyle by ensuring access to public lands, funding for outdoor recreation, and promoting cycling in all forms. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs.
Wes Soward- Wilderness Coordinator, City of Knoxville, TN
Wes Soward is the Urban Wilderness Coordinator for the City of Knoxville, TN. His passion for sharing great outdoor experiences with others guides his work to enhance and further connect the great public spaces that define Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. Wes volunteered as the board chair of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club during previous years of trail development in Knoxville, prior to his position with the City of Knoxville. When not engaged with stakeholders who help manage and promote the Urban Wilderness, you will likely see Wes on a river or a trail nearby.
Jason McDougald - Executive Director, Camp Grier, G5 Trail Collective
Jason has been professionally involved in the outdoor industry for almost 40 years and recreationally his entire life. His early outings centered on backpacking in the mountains of North Georgia with his father. In 1986, when Jason was 11, his father moved to Greensboro, NC, and opened a small outdoor store called Appalachian Outfitters specializing in backpacking, climbing, and paddling equipment. Mentors were easy to find in this outdoor community and it wasn’t long before Jason found himself on rocks, rivers, and bigger mountains worldwide. These trips led to a deep appreciation for wild places and a strong connection to the natural world. Jason has a Master’s Degree in elementary education and has been a fourth-grade teacher, climbing guide, wilderness therapy instructor, and camp director. Jason has been at Camp Grier since 2013 and has helped lead the organization into an era of expansion and growth by partnering with other community-based organizations in Old Fort. This group, known as the Catawba Vale Collaborative, is ushering in a renaissance in the community of Old Fort through equitable development focused on the outdoor recreation economy. Together the CVC has raised more than $10M for outdoor recreation infrastructure, commercial real estate, and workforce development in Old Fort.
Jason Brummels - Executive Director, Trails Have Our Respect
Jason Brummels, a THOR Board of Directors member from 2015 to 2021, transitioned into a new role in 2022 as THOR’s Executive Director. His professional journey, characterized by impactful entrepreneurial and executive roles in technology and retail, was always about more than just business- it has been about fostering a sense of community, a mission he continues to champion. Jason’s passion for mountain biking and drive to connect people with nature intersects with his diverse professional experiences as he leads the charge in developing trails across Nebraska and Western Iowa. Jason enjoys traveling, coffee, and mountain bike adventures with his wife and two daughters.
Natalie Narburgh - Executive Director, Pisgah Area SORBA
Natalie Narburgh is the Executive Director of Pisgah Area SORBA (PAS), joining the organization as the first paid staff member in July of 2022. Before joining PAS, Natalie spent nine years as an educator, school administrator, and outdoor trip leader. In both her personal and professional lives, Natalie is passionate about developing communities where recreation and stewardship work hand-in-hand. She currently lives in Asheville with her husband, young daughter, and two trail dogs.
Matthew Kellogg - Executive Director, Appalachian Mountain Bike Club
Matthew Kellogg grew up in Chattanooga and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from The University of Tennessee Knoxville. He honed his project management and leadership skills by restoring and revitalizing some of Knoxville’s historic downtown structures. As a past club President and former Board member of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC), Matthew has witnessed the transformation of Knoxville’s outdoor recreation scene. In January 2020, Kellogg accepted the position as the Executive Director for AMBC and has worked to ensure that Knoxville’s natural surface trail opportunities continue to be maintained and grow. He manages a staff of 4 trail builders and guides the club of more than 700 members. Their service to the county is nationally recognized. Matthew lives on 20 acres surrounded by Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness with Ellen Kellogg, his wife of 20 years, Louis, his 3-1/2-year-old son, and Harry, the Dirty dog, an 11-year-old rescue pup.
Jonathan Irwin - Dir. Operations & Board Treasurer, Access4Bikes
Jonathan joined A4B as a volunteer in 2023, after running into a trail crew building a new berm on his favorite trail in Marin. Fast-forward a year, and today he is providing leadership & strategic direction in cooperation with the Executive Director, managing financial, membership, & staffing systems, and supplying the organization with technology and processes to streamline work and maximize A4B’s impact on advocacy, stewardship, and community development in Marin.
Philip Darden - Executive Director, Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association
Philip is the Executive Director of SORBA based in Knoxville, TN, and heads up the day to day operations of our organization. Growing up in the Metro Atlanta area, Philip began mountain biking on SORBA trails as teenager in the 90's on his fully rigid 26er. He has been a member of SORBA since 2011 where he helped to form a chapter in Alabama as the founding Vice President, later serving as President for six years. Philip has held various roles in SORBA as a volunteer at the chapter and regional level and has been an employee since 2021. In addition to being a mountain biker and trail advocate, Philip enjoys spending time outdoors riding all sorts of bikes, running, hiking, paddling, fly fishing, taking photos, and going on puppy adventures with his dog.
