KAREN UMPHRESS NAMED TO AMERICAN TRAILS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Minnesota OHV activist replaces the NOHVCC's Dana Bell on the Board; American Trails addresses all types of trail users throughout the country

     Following the recent resignation of NOHVCC Senior Project Coordinator Dana Bell from the American Trails Board of Directors, the board has welcomed a new member who also has ties to the NOHVCC to replace her. Karen Umphress of Jordan, Minnesota, whose husband Tom is the current NOHVCC Alternate State Representative, has been an enthusiastic advocate of on- and off-highway riding for several years in her home state and now has the chance to influence OHV trail riding opportunities on a national level with American Trails. After serving for seven years as Secretary, Bell found it necessary to resign from the Executive Board due to increasing time demand with the NOHVCC's expanding workshop program.

     Umphress is currently serving as a Government Relations officer with the Amateur Riders Motorcycle Association, Minnesota's local district of the American Motorcyclist Association. She is also the membership director for her local off-highway motorcycle club whose main concern is to build and maintain viable and sustainable trail systems for OHM riders. Karen is currently the Business Support Manager for a Fiber Optics company and has over 9 years project management experience. In addition to OHM riding, Karen also enjoys hiking, cross country skiing and canoeing.

      "One of my primary goals as a National Trails board member is to help further the education of the public as to what the sport of OHVing is, and isn't," says Karen. "There are so many myths out there about people who ride off-highway vehicles that need to be corrected, and my experience with the NOHVCC will help me out in that area considerably." Umphress continues, "What I'm really looking forward to is working with such a wildly diverse group of trail users. Even though we all recreate a bit differently from one another, ultimately we all have the same goal of furthering and enhancing our recreational trail opportunities on our public lands."
      American Trails is the only national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests, including hiking, bicycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, water trails, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, trail motorcycling, ATVs, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. American Trails members want to create and protect America's network of interconnected trails. They support local, regional, and long-distance trails and greenways, whether they be in backcountry, rural or urban areas. Their goal is to support America's trails by finding common ground and promoting cooperation among all trail interests. They're involved in everything from training trails advocates to providing increased trail opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
 

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