NICA aims for 1,000 high school coaches • Women's coalition announces new board • Lockett joins Leisure Trends • Hodgson steps away from SNEWS
BERKELEY, CA (BRAIN)—The National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which organizes high school mountain bike racing leagues in several states, says it expects to have licensed 1,000 mountain bike coaches in the U.S. by the end of 2012.
NICA trained 250 coaches in 2011. The coaches are trained in cycling and coaching skills and wilderness first aid. There are now more than 500 licensed NICA coaches.
NICA will hold Leaders’ Summits and wilderness first aid courses this spring in Utah, Minnesota and Colorado, and this fall in Northern California, Southern California, Texas, Washington, and New Mexico. The summits are open to aspiring and existing coaches in all 50 states. NICA will also be hosting two Leaders' Summits on the East Coast this summer.
Lockett joins Leisure Trends Group
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Leisure Trends Group on Wednesday announced the hiring of Ben Lockett as its director of customer relationship marketing sales. Most recently, Lockett was director of business development at Merkle, where he worked with brand name companies that included Disney, Bank of America, Chase and Dell.
Prior to Merkle, Lockett worked at Unica (now owned by IBM) a campaign management and marketing automation solution vendor.
Michael Hodgson steps away from SNEWS
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Michael Hodgson, president and former owner of the outdoor sports trade site SNEWS, is stepping down January 31, he announced on the site Wednesday. Hodgson and his wife Therese Iknoian took over the operation from founder Bob Woodward in 2002. Iknoian retired as SNEWS editor last month; the new editor in chief is Megan Mulligan.
Hodgson sold SNEWS to Active Interest Media in 2007. AIM also publishes Backpacker and Climbing magazine. Hodgson will launch a consulting business, HI Endeavors Consulting, on February 1.
Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition announces 7 new board members
CINCINNATI, OH (BRAIN)—The Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition is welcoming seven new volunteer members of its board of directors. The newly elected board members — Michele Flamer, Beth Gordon, Deanne Buck, Sharon Scott, Meaghan Cunningham, Alice Giffords and Laura Schaffer — join 17 current members. In addition, two current members, Ali Sacash-Johnson and Lu Setnica, transitioned to new roles on the board.
The new members:
- Michele Flamer is the owner and CEO of M. Flamer Consulting, a sales and management consulting firm based in Portland, Oregon.
- Beth Gordon is the VP of Business Development with Formula 4, producers of category specific trade publications (Outdoor Insight, Footwear Insight, Sports Insight, Running Insight, Team Insight, Textile Insight and Soccer Insight) and trade shows (The Running Event and The Footwear Event).
- Deanne Buck has worked in the outdoor industry in a variety of capacities: working at a climbing gym, as a river raft guide, as the marketing director for an outdoor specialty gear shop, as an attorney for companies in the outdoor industry, and as a advocate for conservation and access to climbing resources
- Sharon Scott has nearly 13 years of experience in the outdoor industry
- Meaghan Cunningham is the Strategic Analysis Manager at Backcountry.com
- Laura Schaffer is the Public Relations Manager at Mountain Hardwear
- Alice Giffords is the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s sole Member Advocate.
Ali Sacash-Johnson is becoming chair of the newly-formed Advocacy Committee.
Lu Setnica has a new role as Membership Committee Chair.
