Western Mass NEMBA
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Western Mass NEMBA
  • Home
  • About
  • Join
  • Trails
  • Calendar
  • Team
  • Gnomes
  • Pump track project
  • Contact

Our board of directors

Sam

Scott

Kurt

President


sveggeberg@nemba.org


Kurt

Scott

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.


kbahneman@nemba.org

Scott

Scott

Scott

 Co-Vice President


Scott has been riding bicycles all his life. He started out with BMX first, then almost every other discipline since. After discovering cyclocross, he raced at the professional level for four years, competing internationally and representing Team USA at the World Championships. 


While racing has taken a backseat, his love

 Co-Vice President


Scott has been riding bicycles all his life. He started out with BMX first, then almost every other discipline since. After discovering cyclocross, he raced at the professional level for four years, competing internationally and representing Team USA at the World Championships. 


While racing has taken a backseat, his love for the sport and shepherding new riders has not. Scott leads many local group rides targeted towards beginner riders and promoting the surrounding trail systems. He also volunteers occasionally with the local youth programs led by the NCC and the JAM Fund. 


Mara

Scott

Scott

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.


mezri@nemba.org


Austin

Michael

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.


areed@nemba.org

Ben

Michael

Austin

At-Large BOD member


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 wo

At-Large BOD member


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. 


bjankowski@nemba.org


Michael

Michael

Michael

Alternate At-Large BOD member


Michael has been riding mountain bikes in Western Massachusetts since the sport first rolled onto the scene in the early 1980's. Along the way, he earned a master's degree in Recreation Management from Springfield College, and has spent over 30 years in marketing, including helping another national outdoor org

Alternate At-Large BOD member


Michael has been riding mountain bikes in Western Massachusetts since the sport first rolled onto the scene in the early 1980's. Along the way, he earned a master's degree in Recreation Management from Springfield College, and has spent over 30 years in marketing, including helping another national outdoor organization grow, connect, and thrive.


Michael's passion is making mountain biking fun and accessible. Whether you're a trail veteran or just getting started, he wants to be sure you can experience the same joy he still finds when exploring our local trails and close friends and new folks alike.


"Let's work together to protect our most beloved trails, find ways to expand our riding options, while welcoming new riders and keeping the New England mountain biking spirit alive and rolling!"

curious about our regions? meet our ambassadors

Central Hilltowns

Central Hilltowns

Central Hilltowns

Matt Gaspar


DAR State Forest and Kenneth Dubuque State Forest

East-Central

Central Hilltowns

Central Hilltowns

Jason Kahn

Mitch LaRose


Batchelor Street, Earl's Trails, Orchard Hill & UMass, and Wildwood Trail Network

Greenfield Area

Central Hilltowns

Holyoke-Westfield

No current regional ambassador


Deerfield Ridge Trail Network and  Northfield Mountain Recreation Area

Holyoke-Westfield

Central Hilltowns

Holyoke-Westfield

Scott Smith


Bear Hole and Robinson State Park

North Hilltowns

North Hilltowns

North Hilltowns

T. Walker Metcalfe


Deerfield River Trails and Thunder Mountain Bike Park

North Quabbin

North Hilltowns

North Hilltowns

no current regional ambassador


Wendell State Forest

South Hilltowns

North Hilltowns

South Hilltowns

no current regional ambassador

South Quabbin

North Hilltowns

South Hilltowns

No current regional ambassador

Springfield Area

Springfield Area

Springfield Area

Tim Palmioli


Chicopee Memorial State Park

West-Central

Springfield Area

Springfield Area

Kait Kehoe

Michael Phelan


Sawmill Hills Conservation Area


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