Our board of directors
Kurt
Kurt
Kurt
Co-Vice President
Kurt is a lifelong cyclist and has been an avid MTBer since 1989. He grew up out west (ND, CO, CA, and SD) and moved to Amherst in 2013. He loves all of the awesome riding here in New England. His favorite rides are long days, or multi-day rambles connecting various trail networks together by utilizing backroads, double
Co-Vice President
Kurt is a lifelong cyclist and has been an avid MTBer since 1989. He grew up out west (ND, CO, CA, and SD) and moved to Amherst in 2013. He loves all of the awesome riding here in New England. His favorite rides are long days, or multi-day rambles connecting various trail networks together by utilizing backroads, double and single-tracks to get out there and explore the area.
An all around adventurer, Kurt is also a climber, hiker, backpacker, skier, snowboarder, canoe camper, skateboarder, aspiring sailor, carpenter, and trailbuilder. He is very excited to help expand our community and trails with Western Mass NEMBA.
Ben
Kurt
Mara
Co-Vice President
Ben started riding MTBs and building trails with the UMass Cycling Club on the Orchard Hill trails, before exploring more of the valley's trails. He's been involved in the broader cycling scene in Western Mass since coming out here in 2015, organizing bicycle races, helping build trails, acting on the BOD of NCC, and work
Co-Vice President
Ben started riding MTBs and building trails with the UMass Cycling Club on the Orchard Hill trails, before exploring more of the valley's trails. He's been involved in the broader cycling scene in Western Mass since coming out here in 2015, organizing bicycle races, helping build trails, acting on the BOD of NCC, and working as a co-owner in Pedal People. He's been on the WMass NEMBA BOD since 2022.
Ben's MTB goals for Western Mass are to see pump tracks in every town, extending the Velomont trail down through Massachusetts, and seeing more new riders on bikes! His favorite rides are ones that string singletrack together and make you feel like you're traveling somewhere on the knobbies. Likes a good slab, and swim hole.
Mara
Austin
Mara
Clerk
Mara started riding bikes as a city commuter, and found her way to gravel and MTB through friends who shared her passions for getting outside.
Mara is a big advocate for accessible outdoor spaces, loves the opportunities and grassroots trail system of Western Mass, and will take any opportunity to talk about why access to nature is i
Clerk
Mara started riding bikes as a city commuter, and found her way to gravel and MTB through friends who shared her passions for getting outside.
Mara is a big advocate for accessible outdoor spaces, loves the opportunities and grassroots trail system of Western Mass, and will take any opportunity to talk about why access to nature is important.
These days, you'll find her more often hiking through the trail systems for maintenance projects, or riding gravel, wanting to take her time and take in the scenery.
Austin
Austin
Austin
Treasurer
Austin has been passionate about mountain biking since childhood. While attending college in Vermont, he worked as a trail builder for Fellowship of the Wheel in Chittenden County and led the Champlain College cycling team at collegiate mountain bike races across the Northeast.
Having lived and ridden in Massachusetts, Vermont, Or
Treasurer
Austin has been passionate about mountain biking since childhood. While attending college in Vermont, he worked as a trail builder for Fellowship of the Wheel in Chittenden County and led the Champlain College cycling team at collegiate mountain bike races across the Northeast.
Having lived and ridden in Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, and Tennessee, Austin has experienced a wide range of mountain bike communities. Now settled in Wilbraham with his family and pets, he is committed to bringing the best elements of those experiences back to Massachusetts. Whether enjoying long days on singletrack or chasing adrenaline at lift-access and shuttle parks, Austin loves every aspect of the sport.
With a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Austin brings a detailed, organized, and solutions-focused approach to his role as Treasurer. He is dedicated to helping Western Mass NEMBA grow into a world-class mountain biking destination while ensuring strong, transparent financial management for the chapter.