Written by Jered Bogli, Volunteer Director ([email protected])
The Northwest Trail Alliance is thrilled to announce we have hired Lisa Olivares as our full-time Executive Director. This is a huge step forward for the NWTA, which has been a volunteer-led and run organization for over 30 years. Staffing a full-time Executive Director helps ensure the organization will continue to offer more trails and recreation opportunities to all of our members and build a foundation that ensures NWTA is well positioned for future growth and expansion as an organization.
In the past five years, NWTA’s membership has grown at an incredible rate, and we’ve built trails to meet the increased demand for local trail access for all abilities. NWTA has also grown to offer a significant amount of programming, such as social rides, clinics, and youth programs, in addition to our extensive trail work events. With all of the growth, the NWTA felt it was time to bring on a full-time Executive Director to help guide the organization into the future.
Lisa comes to the NWTA with 22 years of experience in the nonprofit world. She has experience working on fundraising, organizational growth, and strategy in Illinois, Utah, and Oregon. She holds a Master of Urban Planning degree and practiced environmental planning, which will help the NWTA move into new areas of land stewardship and trail building.
Lisa began mountain biking in Illinois, where the “elevation” of her first trails were courtesy of an old strip mine. Since then, she has enjoyed riding in Utah and Oregon, where the mountains are a bit bigger. “For me, riding is an amazing way to access, steward, and connect with our natural environment.” Like all of us Oregonians, in addition to being on the bike, Lisa and family enjoy spending copious amounts of time outdoors, hiking, camping, and exploring Oregon.
Staff member Bob Lessard, who was instrumental in developing NWTA’s membership base, fundraising capacity, and Rocky Point, will continue with NWTA as Director of Operations. “I am very excited to have Lisa at the helm of NWTA as our full-time Executive Director. Lisa brings a degree of nonprofit management experience that will benefit the organization and its members in many ways. Volunteers are still our number one asset, but it takes constant attention and leadership to grow an organization and to keep it running smoothly. This is a historic moment for NWTA.”
We’re excited to have such a strong team to continue the amazing work that the NWTA has been doing. We will continue to build more trails, host more rides, events, and clinics, and grow our capacity and bring more mountain biking opportunities to our members.
We are having an in-person member meeting on September 27 at Hopworks. Come say hi and welcome Lisa!