Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz Adds Two New Staff Positions!
August 21, 2017
MOUNTAIN BIKERS OF SANTA CRUZ ADDS TWO NEW STAFF POSITIONS
The non-profit organization expands professional staff to enhance mountain bike access in Santa Cruz County, with Amanda Schaper as Marketing and Events Director, and Emma Ussat as Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator.
“I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity to work towards improving the mountain bike experience here in Santa Cruz,” said Amanda Schaper. “Mountain biking and the Santa Cruz community are so special to me, and it will be incredibly rewarding for my work to leave a lasting impact on trail access in this area. I am honored to join MBOSC as we work towards making Santa Cruz County a true world-renowned mountain bike destination.”
Emma Ussat, who has been volunteering and working for MBOSC for over three years, has taken on the role of Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator. Emma will manage all volunteer programs while being a spokesperson for MBOSC, along with coordinating membership and donor activities.
“I first started volunteering at MBOSC Dig Days during the 2014 season when we were building the Flow Trail,” said Emma Ussat. “I was blown away! The volunteers—their dedication, commitment, and kindness; it touched my heart. To have a career position with MBOSC that lets me continue to work with this amazing community is a dream come true.” Emma first started working with MBOSC as the marketing and sponsorship role for the first annual Santa Cruz Old Cabin Classic in 2016. Since then she has continued that role and has helped organize events and celebrations such as the MBOSC Super Swap, 20th Anniversary Party, the 2017 Old Cabin Classic, and Dig Days.
“We have assembled a powerhouse team,” said Executive Director, Matt De Young. “Amanda’s unique background in both strategic marketing and environmental review is an ideal fit for MBOSC, and Emma’s passion for building both trails and community is contagious. We have been developing our 2025 Strategic Plan and have set lofty goals. With this new team, I’ve never been more confident in our ability to make Santa Cruz County the premier place to be a mountain biker.”
While Santa Cruz is already known as a mountain bike destination, legal mountain bike access is limited to less than 40 miles of trails, while there are over 200 miles of trails open to pedestrians. MBOSC’s vision Is to make Santa Cruz County the premier place to be a mountain biker through advocacy, trail construction, maintenance, partnerships, and world-class cycling events.
MBOSC was founded in 1997, and in the twenty years it has been active, the organization has been the driving force behind impressive improvements to mountain bike access in Santa Cruz County, including:
- Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest: MBOSC partnered with land manager Cal Fire to build a four-mile flow trail by raising over $220,000 for the project and contributing over 6,000 hours of volunteer labor. This trail is now a famous mountain bike destination.
- Harvey West Pump Track: MBOSC worked closely with the City of Santa Cruz to design, build, and maintain a world-class pump track.
- Emma McCrary Trail and U-Conn Trail in Pogonip: MBOSC played a key role in the approval, design, and construction of these loved and highly-traveled trails.
- New 30+ Mile Trail Network in San Vicente Redwoods: MBOSC took a leading role on the design of a 30+ mile trail network that is scheduled to begin construction in 2019.
- New Trails in Pogonip, Harvey West, and Delaveaga Parks: MBOSC is working closely with the City of Santa Cruz to incorporate new mountain bike opportunities into city parks, including a directional downhill mountain-bike trail and new multi-use trails to improve connectivity.
- New Dirt Jumps and Pump Tracks: MBOSC is currently working with Santa Cruz County to bring a new dirt jump facility to the Farm Community Park in Soquel, and with the City of Watsonville to bring an asphalt pump track to Ramsay Park in the heart of Watsonville.
About Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz: Since 1997, Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) has worked to support, preserve, and expand trail access and responsible mountain biking in Santa Cruz County. The rapidly-growing non-profit organization is driven by passionate volunteers and high-caliber professional staff who promote legal and sustainable mountain bike access through trail building, races, events, and collaboration throughout the county. Strategic partnerships with land managers, other trail users, and the local bike industry help MBOSC build new trails and support sustainable mountain biking. www.mbosc.org
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