NW Trail Alliance hires first-ever executive director

The Northwest Trail Alliance has hired its first-ever full-time, salaried executive director.

Lisa Olivares has over two decades of nonprofit management experience and holds a Master of Urban Planning degree the group says will help them, “move into new areas of land stewardship and trail building.” The Portland-based nonprofit that maintains, builds, and advocates for off-road trail access across the region, has been run by volunteers for over 30 years.

NWTA launched in 2009 as part of a rebrand of the old Portland United Mountain Pedalers. Since then their membership has skyrocketed along with the miles of trails and acreage they’ve helped open for cycling. Stub Stewart, Gateway Green, Sandy Ridge, and Rocky Point are just some of the excellent riding areas NWTA helped create and continues to steward. In recent years they’ve expanded to offer many social rides, monthly clinics, youth skills programs, in addition to their bedrock service of volunteer trail maintenance work parties.

Bob Lessard, a former NWTA president will now serve as director of operations. In a statement from the group this week, Lessard said, “I am very excited to have Lisa at the helm… [She] 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.”

You can meet-and-greet Olivares and the entire NWTA crew at a member meeting on September 27th at Hopworks. Stay tuned for details.