January 2016 Transition BoD’s Minutes

Board Transition Meeting 2016
January 10, 2016
Silver Spring, MD

Attendees:
Board of Directors
Ernie Rodriguez – President
Rob Lowe – Vice President
Jason Miller – Member Representative
Dave Magill – Trails Director
Aaron Richter – Treasurer
Russ Adams – Activities Director

Previous BOD:
Bob Compton – Treasurer

Staff:
Ryan Delaney – Executive Director
Holly Fisher – Events Coordinator

1. Introductions and Background
1.1. Position Descriptions – Brief Explanation of responsibilities
1.2. Vacant Positions – The following positions are vacant and need to be filled.
1.2.1. Operations Director (Board Level)
1.2.2. Ride Leader (Staff Level) – Brad Hawk has volunteered to take on this position
1.2.3. Trail Boss (Staff Level)
1.2.4. MD and VA Advocacy Managers (Staff Level)
1.2.5. Grants Coordinator (Staff Level)
1.2.6. Trails Liaison (Staff Level)
1.2.7. Communications Director (Volunteer)

The BOD needs to continue to let the membership know of current position vacancies.
The following Trail Liaison Vacancies are:

• Cross County Trail South – Co-Liaison
• Locust Shade – Liaison
• Lake Fairfax Pump Track – Liaison
• Conway Robinson – Liaison

2. Current Status
2.1. Financial –
• Bob Compton gave a detailed overview of the 2015 budget and actuals. MORE started 2015 with $127,000 and ended the year with $197,000. The difference includes grants already received to help cover staff costs in 2016.
• MORE is currently in good financial shape to cover budget for 2016, but we need to expand financial opportunities for the club. Ryan Delaney is currently developing Sponsorship / Donation/ Partnership Guidelines for the club. MORE needs to ask for donations from those that we might not normally think of. MORE to come.
• MORE currently covers all expenses and fees associated with trail donations (ex. Paypal fees) from our General funds.
• How do we continue to grow Trail Funds and allow flexibility of those funds? Discussion associated with MORE taking a specific percentage tabled to next board meeting.
• MORE needs to do a better job partnering with Local Bike Shops. Jason Miller will be leading a Shop Liaison Program in the coming months in conjunction with new Sponsorship program.
• Should remaining NOVA Epic funds be transferred to Lake Fairfax Pump Track Fund?
 Ernie to follow up with Frank Raiti

2.2. Advocacy
2.2.1. Long Range Opportunities
2.2.1.1. Frederick Watershed – Working Group is making good progress and outcome is optimistic
2.2.1.2. Bull Run / Occoquan Trail – Possible Riding Opportunity
2.2.1.3. Sully Woodlands – Possible Riding Opportunity
2.2.1.4. MOCO Master Plan (Loops and Links) – County is currently working on new Master Plan. Possible trails to come and opening of areas that are currently closed to bikes.
2.2.1.5. Lots of Other New or Expanded Riding opportunities in the works.
2.3. Trails – See 2.2 and 3.1
2.4. IMBA
• Updates to Chapter Charter – MORE is now responsible for any funding shortfall for staff position.
• IMBA eBike Policy – eBikes are not part of IMBA’s advocacy Portfolio and will not advocate for their inclusion. Recent confusion stems from surveys that IMBA has sent out at the request of Western Land Managers.
• Wilderness – IMBA’s current strategy is to steer the process towards the preservation of existing trails and combat closures. This includes getting updates to non-wilderness boundaries and bikable corridors through new wilderness areas. The Sustainable Trails Coalition (STC) has come together after two recent high profile access losses. IMBA is not in conflict with STC and their different approaches.
• IMBA has updated their regions. MORE was originally part of the IMBA Mid-Atlantic Region, but is now part of the Atlantic Region which includes the northeast states as well.

3. Major Initiatives and Programs
3.1. Projects
3.1.1. Lake Fairfax Pump Track
3.1.2. Mount Vernon
3.1.3. NOVA Parks (Formerly NVRPA)
3.1.4. Loch Raven
3.1.5. Frederick Watershed
3.1.6. Bacon Ridge
3.1.7. Rivers Edge Recreation Park
3.1.8. Hashawha Environmental Center
3.1.9. Fort Dupont
3.1.10. Black Hills

9 Major Trail Projects in 2016. REI will be bringing 150 people for a trail workday at Fort Dupont is association with opening of their new DC Flagship store.

3.2. Trail Work
• Early estimate 7000 Hours in 2015. Details will be finalized soon.
• Need Trail boss to coordinate Trail Work days in 2016.

3.3. Rides
• MORE has a very robust weekday Ride programs
• MORE continues to struggle with weekend rides. Need to identify get old and new ride leaders to lead these rides. Will continue to be a focus for 2016.
• MORE BOD members have committed to leading weekend rides including 4 in the George Washington National Forest.
• Skills Clinics and Boot Camps? More to come.

3.4. sMOREs
• MORE’s family ride program had great success and growth in 2015. Goal for 2016 is to continue to support the local groups and ride leaders and identify areas where opportunities are listed.
• The BOD discussed the option of having junior entries into MOCO Epic either free or covered by sponsor. The BOD will take these suggestions back to the MOCO Epic planning committee.

3.5. Meetup
• Ride Coordinator needs to get better Coordination with local Mountain Bike Meetup Group. MORE currently covers the expenses associated with their group.

4. 2016 Organization Goals – See Presentation

5. Refining our Vision and Mission
5.1. MORE BOD needs to refine the Mission and Vision Statement to more easily communicate who we are. The BOD will discuss this further at the February Meeting.
5.2. Current Vision:
MORE is the premier mountain bicycling club in the Mid-Atlantic region; focused on bringing mountain bikers together through a shared vision of riding bikes on, building, and maintaining sustainable trails.
5.3. Current Mission:
MORE’s Mission is to build an inclusive grass roots mountain biking community and organization with the express purpose of expanding riding opportunities and increasing trail access throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. This is to be achieved by building and maintaining multi use sustainable trails through promoting volunteerism, partnerships and educational outreach across user groups, thereby enabling fun and rewarding riding experiences for all ages and ability levels.

6. Development Plan Workshop – Tabled to February BOD Meeting
6.1. Internal Assessment and Analysis – Get from Presentation
6.2. Brainstorming Action Plans – Get from Presentation
6.3. Monitoring and Reporting – Get from Presentation

7. Open Discussion / Votes
7.1. Need to raise the bar for Donors / Sponsors. New sponsorship package coming soon should help with this.

7.2. Motions:
• Change the titles of the position titles of MD and VA Advocacy Managers to MD and VA Advocacy. Motion Passed
• Change the Reporting Structure so that MD and VA Advocacy Coordinators, Trail Boss, Ride Coordinator, and Events Director report to Executive Director. Motion Passed
• Allow Dave Magill and Ernie Rodriguez to send a letter of support to the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in support of their operating budget and trail building plan. Motion Passed.
• Motion – Move 50% of MOCO and Patapsco Epic Net Proceeds to MOCO and Patapsco Reinvestment Funds. Motion passed.

7.3. Action Items:
• Identify volunteers for vacant positions – MORE BOD and Ryan Delaney
• Identify Silver Spoke Awardees – MORE BOD
• Develop MORE Sponsorship Package – Ryan Delaney
• Review Mission and Vision – MORE BOD
• Discuss NOVA Epic Reinvestment Funds for Lake Fairfax – Ernie Rodriguez
• Make final adjustments to December 2015 MORE financial statements (including the funding of the Epic Reinvestment Funds) and issue final statements – Aaron Richter