Tabitha Donkers, President (she/her)
Tabitha started Mountain Biking thanks to the UROC women’s Wednesday night rides back in 2018. She now loves Mountain Biking and often encourages others to try it out or ride more. Tabitha loves riding all types of bikes on all types of trails. Her favorite trails in the Cumberland network changes every few months but recently has been the Thirsty Beavers and That Damn Trail.
Tabitha joined the UROC board in 2023 to give back to the Mountain Biking community and with hopes that her work in land management, relationship development, and community engagement will benefit UROC and its members. She enjoys working collaboratively with the Board and hopes to help UROC grow and meet the needs of the community.
Kathleen Van Ekris, Vice President (she/her)
Kathleen moved to Cumberland in 2020 and quickly fell in love with the Cumberland trail network. There is rarely a day where she does not spend time on the trails, whether running, gravel riding or walking her dogs with her husband.
Kathleen has volunteered in races in the community, and with UROC to collect and write stories for the UROC Trail Stories book. She joined the board in 2024 and is looking forward to supporting UROC in the stewardship of the trail network.
Kathleen has a Masters of Public Administration and works for the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. She brings with her a background in project management, facilitation, and strategic planning.
Amy Peeters, Treasurer (she/her)
Amy lives in the Comox Valley with her husband and two young daughters. She started mountain biking in 2023, and what she thought would be a fun occasional hobby has turned into a true passion. She enjoys checking off features on her goals list, group rides with awesome ladies, and riding with her family.
Amy is a CPA with years of experience in the accounting field, and has worked in both public practice and industry. She is currently the Controller for a local engineering firm, where she is responsible for daily accounting operations as well as providing guidance for strategic financial decisions.
UROC and the local mountain bike community have become a big part of Amy and her family’s life, and Amy is excited to use her business and accounting skill set to give back and help foster the sport of mountain biking in Cumberland.
Jesse Bone, Secretary (he/him)
Jesse moved to Cumberland in 2017 with his wife and 2 kids to enjoy more outdoor activities. Mountain biking quickly became their shared passion, bringing them closer together and fostering a sense of community.
Jesse is excited about his role on the UROC board and is eager to contribute his expertise gained from serving on other boards. With a professional background in photography and filmmaking and skills in communications and marketing, he brings a valuable set of skills to the table. Jesse looks forward to facilitating UROC’s cause so that more and more people can enjoy what the Cumberland trail network has to offer!
Adam Silverstein, Director at large (he/him)
Adam arrived in Cumberland in 2010 and quickly turned his passion for the outdoors and sports to mountain biking. Adam joined the Board in 2020 and has significant experience with the Not for profit sector, volunteer organizations and advocacy groups. An environmental professional with the federal government for over 20 years, Adam has served on Boards and worked with conservation groups and many organizations across BC. He is hoping to use his skills and experience to give back to the Trail network that is so important to his family, and to the Community.
Shayla Hall, Director at Large (she/her)
Originally from the North Island, Shay and her young family moved to Cumberland in 2016. She has been mountain biking for over 25 years and believes UROC plays a pivotal role in making Cumberland an incredible place to live.
Shay brings experience from the non-profit and sustainability sectors, with a focus on strategic planning, communications, and program management. She is committed to supporting the trail network and contributing to the engaged community that makes Cumberland so special.
Adam Speigel, Director at large (he/him)
Adam Speigel and his family relocated to the Comox Valley in 2013 to follow their pursuit of a better outdoor recreation lifestyle. Shortly after moving he began volunteering with local trail builders and the United Riders of Cumberland (UROC) to construct new trails and maintain existing ones in the Cumberland trail network. Seeing an opportunity to give back to the community with his professional expertise in finance, corporate governance, and accounting he volunteered for the UROC board in 2016. Adam’s first two years on the board were spent on the executive committee as treasurer with his focus on modernizing the society’s financial management practices. From 2019 to 2021 Adam served as Vice President of UROC and from 2022 to 2024 he served as UROC President where he worked on special projects with the local landowners, municipal governments, economic development agencies, and user groups to build a sustainably managed trail system. Adam is a past Director of The John Perkins Memorial Housing Society; a not for profit providing subsidized rent to over 50 senior citizens in Campbell River, BC and as well as past Director of the Risk Management Association of Vancouver Island.
Adam Speigel is currently the Senior Account Manager for Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), overseeing business development and management consulting practices in the Comox Valley and Campbell River areas for the Federal Crown Corporation. In his current role Adam supports small and medium size enterprises with real estate, equipment, and working capital financing solutions, as well as, management consulting. Adam has 15 years of experience working in finance with Canadian businesses. His professional roles have included positions with Bank of Montreal and HSBC. Adam holds an MBA from Vancouver Island University, a Master of Science in International Business from the University of Hertfordshire, and a Bachelor of Management from Dalhousie University.
Erik Holbek, Director at Large (he/him)
Erik grew up in nearby Black Creek and has been living and riding bikes in Cumberland since 2006. He has a long history with UROC, filing the original non-profit society incorporation documents and then later joining the board to serve as Treasurer, Vice President, President and Past President. During that time, Erik assisted with the development and implementation of the first land access agreement, prepared the first trail management plan and was involved in most governance, administrative, event and trail projects including Sykes Bridge, the Sobo No Michi climbing trail and many others. After leaving the board, he happily witnessed the continued growth of UROC and the trail network and is excited to actively contribute again.
Erik is Registered Professional Forester with over 20 year of experience in land use planning, forest stewardship and all aspects of small to medium scale forestry tenure management. He is the owner of Econ Consulting Ltd which provides professional and technical forestry consulting services to a range of community forests, woodlot licensees, First Nations and private land owners on Vancouver Island. He is also the General Manager of the Barkley Community Forest in Ucluelet, Forestry Manager for the Toquaht Nation and Vice President of the BC Community Forest Association. His professional forestry work requires an appreciation of a broad range of perspectives and values, cooperative engagement with the public, First Nations, other professionals and government agencies. It also requires an understanding of the technical aspects of timber harvesting, pragmatic financial decision making and, perhaps most importantly, a humble respect for the complexity of ecosystems and our place within them.
Kevin Penny, Director at large (he/him)
Kevin is a resident of Cumberland and a regular user of the local trail network, giving him a strong personal connection to the riding community and the importance of trail stewardship. He is passionate about supporting sustainable trail access, strong community partnerships, and the continued growth of Cumberland’s trail network for current and future riders.
Professionally, Kevin works in senior recreation leadership and brings extensive experience in governance, strategic planning, operations, stakeholder relations, and public service. Over the course of his career, he has held leadership roles in municipal recreation, high-performance sport, provincial and national sport organizations, and non-profit settings, with responsibility for service planning, team leadership, partnerships, organizational development, and the management of large staff teams. His background also includes significant experience in people leadership and human resources, including staff supervision, workplace culture, and organizational effectiveness.
Alycia Traas, Director at Large (she/her)
Alycia works at the intersection of land‑use planning, community development, and collaboration, where good ideas meet real‑world trails. She brings experience supporting transportation and transit initiatives that balance environmental care, community needs, and long‑term sustainability in an increasingly complex world.
A former park ranger, Alycia believes trail networks are essential infrastructure, for community well‑being, local economies, and staying connected to the outdoors. When she’s not working on policies and plans, you’ll likely find her mountain biking or helping her family develop the same love of trails that brought her here.
Alycia is passionate about collaborative governance, inclusive decision‑making, and supporting UROC’s mission, because the best trails, like the best decisions, are built together.
Dougal Browne, Executive Director (he/him)
Dougal joined the UROC team in 2019 as Executive Director. Dougal’s career path started in the British military, then going on to attain a Bachelor’s degree in construction management and then spending many years immersed in the action sports industry in South Africa. His interests beyond hard work are surfing, riding bikes, and an insatiable passion for trail construction. Dougal hails from Scotland, with family ties and years spent in South Africa. He has volunteered in non-profit community work and chaired a nonprofit housing organisation in Durban, South Africa. After emigrating to Canada over a decade ago he founded, built and developed a mountain bike trail network on the East coast of Vancouver Island which is the island’s best (or worst-kept) secret. Dougal enjoys family life with his wife and two young boys living just south of Cumberland in the Comox Valley.
As Executive Director, Dougal is responsible for further developing and implementing the UROC trail management and maintenance program while liaising with multiple land management parties and overseeing the Land Access Agreement. He will continue to develop community activations, community engagement, and support communications and media platforms. He will also be responsible for the organization’s sponsorship, funding and public relations programs, and other non-profit management duties with the support of the UROC Board of Directors.