PK Going to IMBA: Our Loss Is the Southwest’s Gain

Big blow to the local outdoor scene today: we got work that Vermont Mountain Bike Association Director and all-around great guy Patrick Kell is leaving Vermont to become the Southwest Region Director of the International Mountain Bicylcing Association.

Of course, we’re happy for Patrick and know that he will do excellent work on the national level. Major congratulations are in order.

Patrick has been in Vermont for about 11 years, and first worked for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, then as both the grant program administrator for the VYCC and as executive director of VMBA, before taking on the full-time job of the relatively new VMBA.

It’s hard to put into words how much he has done for mountain biking access and trail improvement in Vermont, which is not an easy job considering some people’s perception that mountain biking is a yahoo, houligan sport. Through his diplomacy, as well as tireless efforts to secure grant money to build more trails, he has been a key player to put Vermont on the map as the mountain biking mecca of the East.

From PK:

“It was a tough decision given the deep connections that I have here in Vermont, including all the awesome people, the great landscape, the trails and certainly the solid group of mountain bike advocates that I can count as good friends. On the other hand, I’m ready for a new adventure and this opportunity seems like a great fit. I’ll initially be based in Sedona, Arizona, as its central to my new region, I already know some folks down there, and I hear that the riding is awesome. I’ll be headed out in late January and hope to see you around before then, and if not, feel free to come down that way and ride some singletrack!”

Good luck Patrick — mountain biking here won’t be the same without you. From all of us at Vermont Sports, and I’m sure I can speak on behalf of many others in the outdoor scene, a heartfelt thank you for all you have done. Happy trails.