Board of Directors
Adam Speigel, President
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. In 2019 Adam was elected as Vice President of UROC 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 also currently volunteers his time as a director for The John Perkins Memorial Housing Society; a not for profit providing subsidized rent to over 50 senior citizens in Campbell River, BC and he is a 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 growth opportunities in the Comox Valley and Campbell River areas. 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 over 10 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.
Mike Tunnah, Vice President
Mike joined the board in 2020 and is looking forward to giving back to the community through the valuable work UROC performs. Mike has been fortunate to call Cumberland home for almost 2 years. He was drawn here by the amazing trail network and slower pace of island life. Since moving here he’s helped out with some of the UROC race organization and volunteered with BC Bike Race. He’s been organizing races for over 15 years and loves to see people smile after competing in events.
Mike will be taking on Races and Event organization with UROC with the assistance of the newly formed Race and Events Committee (REC). When not volunteering with UROC Mike teaches at Vancouver Community College in the Hospitality and Tourism program. He is also a board member of the Cumberland Lake Wilderness Society and volunteers for CCSS after school programs. His wife and 3 kids keep him very busy when not volunteering and working.
Adam Silverstein, Secetary
Adam arrived in Cumberland 10 years ago and quickly turned his passion for the outdoors and sports to mountain biking. Adam joined the Board in 2020 and is not new to 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.
Alex Blair, Treasurer
Alex moved to the Comox Valley from Germany after finishing her master’s degree in physics. She immediately fell in love with mountain biking and the Cumberland Trail Network. Alex joined UROC as a means of paying back the community and volunteers for their endless work that has made this trail network what it is.
Alex has been on the UROC board for over two years where she has applied her math skills to her role as Treasurer. Over the past five months Alex’s baby girl Olivia has been joining in and providing valuable contributions to our monthly board meetings.
Evan Loveless, Director at Large
After volunteering with UROC for many years, helping with races and other projects, Evan officially joined the UROC Board in 2015. Lots has happened since this time including the securing the land access agreement, accessing significant funding for new bridges, trail signage, and the climbing trail, and the hiring of professional staff. Over UROC’s 12 years, many inspirational and passionate members of the community have helped the organization and our trail network develop. Evan is proud to be part of the UROC team and looks forward to our future developments.
Evan is a professional consultant with more than 25 years’ experience in recreation and resource planning and development, and community development. He has also been involved in many local, volunteer organizations and initiatives since moving to Cumberland. Growing up on the Island, Evan has been mountain biking since the 80s when he traded in a road bike for a mountain bike. He still loves it, as well as general traveling and adventuring with his family: Sue, Zach and Clem.
Todd Deters, Director at Large
Todd has lived in and around the Comox Valley since 1990 and owns and operates Design Therapy Inc. located in downtown Courtenay.
Todd was elected to the UROC board in 2018 and is in his second term. His current role on the board is Trail Crew Director, and his scope includes working with the Trail Crew on day-to-day operations of our fantastic trail network.
Todd enjoys a wide range of recreational activities with mountain biking being a top passion.
Nygil Goggins, Director at Large
Nygil is currently in his second year on the board and is acting as Director of Board Governance, after spending his first year organizing events and raising funds as Director for Races and Events and Fundraising. Nygil brings a diverse set of skills from a diverse career working in government and the private sector. Nygil has been riding in Cumberland for 7 years and believes that the trail network and associated recreation culture are of vital importance to the community.
Leah Ballin, Director at Large
Leah moved to Cumberland in 2013 to be near the forest and trails while pursuing her career with a growing environmental consulting firm located in Courtenay. The Cumberland trail network, UROC races and ladies rides gave her the opportunity she had been looking for to get out more, improve her riding and make riding friends. It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with the broader community as well, and now it looks like she’s here to stay.
Leah joined the UROC board in 2018 as a means to give back to the community and trail system she values so deeply. While on the board, she aims to continually improve the condition and management of the trail network, the functionality of UROC, and communication between the organization and the broader community. In previous years she has also loved hosting races with the rest of the board.
Leah holds a master’s degree in sustainable forest management, is a professional forester and biologist, and brings with her a background in ecology and land use planning.
Joe Schwartz, Director at Large
Joe is the newest member of the UROC Board. He’s not new to mountain biking though, having been involved in the industry for over twenty years as a professional athlete, guide, coach, trail builder, brand and marketing manager, to name some of his MTB roles. He even competed in the Red Bull Rampage three times! These days his wheels stay closer to the ground, but still enjoys an occasional “civilized” air, and fast technical downhills.
Joe’s professional focus is on Marketing Communications, recently finishing a six-year tenure managing multiple facets of a successful Sea to Sky-based advertising agency. He’s currently focused on marketing consulting work for a number of brands and organizations.
Joe is honored to be involved with UROC and is looking forward to working with the rest of the board and the community as a whole.
Dougal Browne, Executive Director
Dougal joined the UROC team in Dec 2019 as Executive Director. Dougal’s career path was in the British military having attained a Bachelor’s degree in construction engineering and then moved into business development and planning within the action sports industry. His interests beyond that are surfing, riding bikes, and an insatiable passion for trail construction. Dougal hails from Scotland, via numerous years traveling while working and years spent in South Africa. He has volunteered in non-profit community work and chaired a nonprofit housing project in Durban, South Africa. After emigrating to Canada almost a decade ago he founded, developed, and built a mountain bike trail network on the East coast of Vancouver Island which is no longer 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.
