Mission: The Redwood Trails Alliance is an advocate for our diverse community of trail users. We teach responsible trail stewardship and provide planning and construction services to create trails that offer enduring public and environmental benefit.
Vision
Redwood Trails Alliance is a highly respected organization known as a leader in the creation and stewardship of trails and community. Redwood Trails Alliance builds unity among all outdoor enthusiasts through conservation, education, and increased access to trails, and this community in turn supports a vast trail network throughout the region with sustainable and enjoyable trails through world-class landscapes.
Purpose
To increase the quality and quantity of trails in order to enhance the experience of all trail users.
History
The Redwood Trails Alliance was created through the union of the Sonoma County Trails Council and the Redwood Empire Mountain Bike Alliance.
On November 19, 2020 the Board of Directors of both corporations agreed to join forces and to pursue a common Mission dba as the Redwood Trails Alliance with an initial Board of Directors combined from both nonprofits.
The SCTC has worked with volunteers and others to plan, build, and maintain trails that offer enduring public and environmental benefit, and to educate and advocate on their behalf since 1967.
REMBA was formed in 2015 to build community among mountain bikers of the Redwood Empire through communication, education, trail work, and stewardship of our parks and open spaces.
The Board of Directors of the two organizations recognized that their missions were similar and that by working together as one organization the benefits would be greater than either could realize on their own.
The Redwood Trails Alliance is now an advocate for our diverse community of trail users. We teach responsible trail stewardship, and provide planning and construction services to create trails that offer enduring public and environmental benefit in Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties.
Executive Director |
Ken Wells | Ken grew up in Calaveras County in the Sierra foothills where he used trails to go backpacking, fishing and ride bikes. After getting his first mt. bike in 1982 he became concerned at the loss of access for this healthy activity, becoming a trails and bicycle advocate, serving as the President of Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers in Santa Clara County, CA, the first mt. bike advocacy organization in the US. Representing ROMP, he was one of the original group that started the International Mountain Bicycling Association in 1988. His professional career led to Washington State where he spent two years on the Board of the Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club, now the Evergreen MTB Alliance, and in 1992 he moved to Sonoma County and onto the Board of the Sonoma County Trails Council. He served as SCTC’s President for many years, taking on the role of Executive Director in 2010. His long term advocacy is matched on the ground with over 35 years of trail work experience with training from California State Parks, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Pacific Crest Trail Association and the International Mountain Bicycling Association, supported with a civil engineering background. As the Trails Director for the RTA he provides trail construction training to park staff, volunteers and trail builders, earning multiple awards including California State Parks and the California Trails and Greenways Conference’ Lifetime Achievement Award. |
Board of Directors |
Ryan Gregory President | Ryan lives in Napa and is a Napa County Supervisor representing the 2nd District. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors on November 8, 2016, his first run for public office. Ryan is also a registered Civil Engineer and continues to work part-time in this field. In addition to elected office, Ryan demonstrates his commitment to community and his love for trails and recreation by serving as Board President of Redwood Trails Alliance and as an Assistant Coach of Napa’s Composite High School Mt. Bike Team. Other current involvement includes being President of the Napa Downtown Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) and the “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” Community Baseball Outings organization, taking deserving kids to Giants games. |
Adam Havner Secretary | Adam has been an avid trail user from the moment he could walk. His lifelong relationship with the outdoors began as a runner and was transformed when he got his first mountain bike, allowing him to explore further and see new places. He enjoys advocating for and building new trails locally, and sampling the efforts of others like him on mountain biking and bikepacking trips. |
Jonathan Coe Vice President | Jonathan is retired after a 35 year career serving as the CEO for several chambers of commerce and other non profit organizations. His interest in trails began when he worked during summers for the Appalachian Mountain Club maintaining trails in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He worked for the National Park Service and helped design the Appalachian Trail route through Connecticut. He is currently spending his time exploring trails in Sonoma, Marin, and Napa Counties. |
Todd Lindemann Treasurer | Todd Lindemann has a passion for the outdoors and participating in sports which includes mountain biking, running, hockey and skiing. He and his wife, Desiree, have been residence of Sonoma County since 2012 and have two boys attending college. Todd has been on the Board of Redwood Trails Alliance since 2015. Todd is Senior Vice President of Payments for Redwood Credit Union. Since his banking industry start in 1991, he served senior leadership roles in Payments, Online and Mobile Banking, Lending and Marketing for several credit unions around the country. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Wisconsin. |
Jake Bayless | Jake Bayless is a resident of Sonoma County and enthusiastic co-founder of Redwood Trails Alliance, as well as cofounder of one of its predecessors REMBA, the Redwood Empire Mountain Bike Alliance. Jake met his wife on a moonlight mountain bike ride on Mount Saint Helena in 1999; they have two active sons. Their whole family loves to ride mountain bikes in places like Annadel and Salt Point State Park. Jake’s day job is in Information Technology for the City of Santa Rosa. In his free time, he helped create REMBA, before going on to help form CAMTB, the California Mountain Biking Coalition because he saw that trail development and expansion wasn’t happening in proportion to the growth of mountain biking in California. He found that locally it was nearly impossible to get all the various “bike groups” on the same page to actively influence park and open space decisions, especially without a cohesive group behind them. Jake believes that California has a lot of catching up to do; it has now been 40 years since the invention of the term “Mountain Bike”—in California. It’s high time to get together to ensure that everyone in California has a chance to enjoy all the trails in our beautiful state on a bike. Locally, Redwood Trails Alliance is how we’ll do it. |
Sky Matula | Born and raised in the forested hills of Kenwood in Sonoma County with Annadel State Park in the backyard. BA in International Relations from Sonoma State University. Operated a local contracting company specializing in high end residential projects as well as landscape construction. Now runs the family’s local Sonoma County business, The Hot Tub Store, with five showrooms selling Hot Spring spas and Endless Pools, serving more than 18 counties in Northern California. Enjoys good healthy food and quality time at and around home with his wife Sheila. They aim to visit several new countries each year. True passion and addiction is extreme snowboarding. Starts each day sipping coffee while soaking in the hot tub. Enjoys being out in nature hiking, backpacking, trail running, and mountain biking; and is always looking for ways to improve trail systems for all trail enthusiasts. Likes working outside and enjoys moving dirt and rocks and creating trails designed for all user groups. Has been on the board of the trails council for more than five years and enjoys being able to contribute business and marketing perspectives to the organization. Looks forward to bringing more trail users together with the new Redwood Trails Alliance. “Life is what you make it. Make it awesome!” |
Jason Riehl | Jason moved to Santa Rosa in 2004 when he was hired by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, where he still works as a Deputy District Attorney. Jason spends a lot of time riding the trails of Annadel and is excited to see new trail building opportunities in Sonoma, Napa, and Lake Counties coming to fruition. Jason spent the summer of 2020 teaching his daughter to ride. He is an advocate of getting more kids on bikes and building trail systems that will allow young riders to safely build their confidence and develop their skills. When not riding bikes, he enjoys snowboarding, rafting, paddle boarding, and throwing a ball for his dog. He continues to plan adventures for his wife, daughter, and dog as if it is his full time job, preferably while listening to live music and drinking a local beer. |
Kelsey lives in Santa Rosa with his wife and three children. He grew up on the outskirts of Santa Rosa in Bennett Valley just a quick ride to Annadel where he spent countless hours as a teenager on an early rigid mountain bike. His love of all things cycling was rediscovered with his two boys after a decades long hiatus but he’s been making up for lost time by diving head first into the local community including coaching for the A-Team, Santa Rosa’s NICA composite team. He’s super excited to be able to contribute to an organization advocating for and building sustainable trail systems. Kelsey’s day job is at Sonic, we’re he’s responsible for the system administration and programming departments and has spent more than 20 years helping to ensure that Sonic isn’t just the best local ISP, but the best ISP. |
Andrew Brooks is an amazing wine maker, blazing fast mountain biker, and happily serves on the board of directors for Skyline Park Citizens Association as well as RTA. |
Trail Team |
Alex Dunn
From taking me through the woods as a youngin to an escape from present day life, trails have been a crucial part of my life. To maintain the old and create the new; trail building was a natural progression and has been a consistent part of my life since I was a preteen. I build to spread the love of our planet, to have a positive impact on all trail users and as a creative outlet. Best job ever!
|  Rachael BeanDegree from Sonoma State University in Geography, Environment, and Planning. Have been biking for 3 years, trail building for a year and a half. I love biking, climbing, doing layback on the trails, and being outside in general. |  Brice Evans
I got involved with SCTC as a once or twice a month volunteer five years back when working a full time job in SF. It was fun for a long time then became more and more corporate. Nonetheless, I agreed to step up as a board member to replace our friend Tim Mayer where I served two years until the board became bloated due to our merger. Meanwhile, thanks to the pandemic and due to the nature of my career, my employer eliminated my position. I jumped on an opportunity to work with Ken at Helen Putnam. Been on trail team ever since. I love the new office, the fact that I’m getting stronger and more fit and the sense of community that one gets building trails that others enjoy.
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© Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved RTA is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. P.O. Box 1123, Santa Rosa, CA 95402 |