Board Elections
Each year, four seats on the MBNA board come up for election. Board members serve two-year terms and are responsible for overseeing grooming operations, ski school, trail maintenance, permits, and other MBNA programs. The board meets monthly during the operating season and may write grants and complete other tasks year-round.
Each year, four seats on the MBNA board come up for election. Board members serve two-year terms and are responsible for overseeing grooming operations, ski school, trail maintenance, permits, and other MBNA programs. The board meets monthly during the operating season and may write grants and complete other tasks year-round.
Nominations
Any member in good standing may nominate themself or may nominate someone else, with that person’s permission. Each candidate needs to submit a short (<200 words) written statement of interest to be posted online and distributed to the membership with the electronic ballot. Please submit statements of interest to [email protected]. Nominations will close at the start of the Annual Meeting.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting and give a short (~2 minutes) presentation introducing themselves and describing their interest in the board position. If a candidate is unable to attend the meeting, they should let the MBNA Coordinator know so their written statement can be read in their absence.
Any member in good standing may nominate themself or may nominate someone else, with that person’s permission. Each candidate needs to submit a short (<200 words) written statement of interest to be posted online and distributed to the membership with the electronic ballot. Please submit statements of interest to [email protected]. Nominations will close at the start of the Annual Meeting.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting and give a short (~2 minutes) presentation introducing themselves and describing their interest in the board position. If a candidate is unable to attend the meeting, they should let the MBNA Coordinator know so their written statement can be read in their absence.
Voting
Voting will take place via online survey in the week following our Annual Meeting. All current members will receive a unique email ballot to the address they used when joining or renewing their membership. Family memberships are granted two votes but must have a second email address listed in their profile in order to receive a second ballot.
In the event that the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of open seats, the membership will be invited to elect all candidates with a voice vote at the Annual Meeting.
Voting will take place via online survey in the week following our Annual Meeting. All current members will receive a unique email ballot to the address they used when joining or renewing their membership. Family memberships are granted two votes but must have a second email address listed in their profile in order to receive a second ballot.
In the event that the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of open seats, the membership will be invited to elect all candidates with a voice vote at the Annual Meeting.
2024 Elected Board Members
There were five candidates running for four open seats on the MBNA board this year. After an online election was held, the incumbent board members were elected to serve again.
Dan "Danno" Brain (Incumbent)
Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the board of the MBNA. Happy Jack and Vedauwoo have been my happy place for the last 40+ years! I head up the mountain about 120 days a year. With a little more free time on my hands, I can't think of a better organization to volunteer. The meticulous maintenance of the ski trails is quite impressive! As a successful Laramie small business owner, getting along with the people, communication, and willingness to think out-of-the-box comes easy for me. Solving problems is easy When people are willing to put biases aside and work toward a common goal. Over the years I have volunteered for several Laramie organizations and functions. I regularly help out with the Wee Ski program … and it is always a blast ! This is just one more opportunity to give back to the community and the MBNA. Glad to help!
Bern Hinckley (Incumbent)
I have been a member of the Laramie nordic skiing community since moving to Laramie in 1981. I have been on the MBNA Board of Directors since approximately 2006. In addition to regular Board duties (contracts, policy development, agency coordination), over my Board tenure I have assisted with grant applications for funding (Recreational Trails Program and Albany County Recreation Board), helped develop the Multi-Use Trail system, developed ski-trail and MUT mapping, developed parking-area and on-trail marking and signage, maintained the winter-use trail counters, served as a YouthSki nstructor, and routinely participated in annual and continuing trail maintenance. I remain committed to the excellent cross-country skiing facilities and related winter-recreation programs provided by MBNA and I am offering my services for another Board term if the membership finds that agreeable.
Trent McDonald (Incumbent)
I initially decided to seek a MBNA board seat because of what I owe the association. I have used the Tie City trails since 1986. I am a semi-retired guy who grew up in Laramie and who took up Nordic skiing after completing Ken Cramer's skate class. I really appreciate our Tie City trails and have always marveled at the Medicine Bow Nordic Association's success. I became a life-time member of MBNA in 1999 (plus minus a year or two, I can't remember). I assisted Becca Watson with the High School team for 10 years during the 2000's. I have always skied for health, not speed, and I am now a devoted classic skier who puts in 200 - 400 km a season. My personal focus nowadays is attempting to complete one marathon per season. My corporate focus, if elected to the MBNA board, will be to not screw up any prior gains made by the association and to secure the future of Albany county Nordic skiing.
Kristen Pritchett (Incumbent)
I would be honored to serve again on the MBNA board. My initial interest in being on this board stemmed from wanting to be involved in a meaningful way with the nordic community and trail system in Laramie, which I believe is one of our town's biggest assets. After two years on the board, I am still learning about the complex processes MBNA oversees to keep the trail systems groomed, maintained, permitted, and funded. MBNA undertakes a great deal to provide these amazing trail systems to our community, and I hope to continue to learn from the current members and to contribute to the MBNA board and our nordic community in a positive and impactful manner.
Tyler Kjorstad
I'm Tyler Kjorstad, I love to ski. That's really all you need to know and that I have decided to run for board election. Not ready to cast your vote for me yet, well I think it's important to bring on new members who want to learn from the experienced members (i.e. all their institutional knowledge) and be able to bring some fresh ideas to the board. I am actively involved in ski camps and volunteer with high school groups. In addition to those experiences I have a racing background which has provided me with some experiences that I think could benefit MBNA from the aspect of bringing back a time trial series and or other additional races. If that's not what you're looking for, I have served on several committees in my academic job that are related to financial planning and budgeting.
There were five candidates running for four open seats on the MBNA board this year. After an online election was held, the incumbent board members were elected to serve again.
Dan "Danno" Brain (Incumbent)
Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the board of the MBNA. Happy Jack and Vedauwoo have been my happy place for the last 40+ years! I head up the mountain about 120 days a year. With a little more free time on my hands, I can't think of a better organization to volunteer. The meticulous maintenance of the ski trails is quite impressive! As a successful Laramie small business owner, getting along with the people, communication, and willingness to think out-of-the-box comes easy for me. Solving problems is easy When people are willing to put biases aside and work toward a common goal. Over the years I have volunteered for several Laramie organizations and functions. I regularly help out with the Wee Ski program … and it is always a blast ! This is just one more opportunity to give back to the community and the MBNA. Glad to help!
Bern Hinckley (Incumbent)
I have been a member of the Laramie nordic skiing community since moving to Laramie in 1981. I have been on the MBNA Board of Directors since approximately 2006. In addition to regular Board duties (contracts, policy development, agency coordination), over my Board tenure I have assisted with grant applications for funding (Recreational Trails Program and Albany County Recreation Board), helped develop the Multi-Use Trail system, developed ski-trail and MUT mapping, developed parking-area and on-trail marking and signage, maintained the winter-use trail counters, served as a YouthSki nstructor, and routinely participated in annual and continuing trail maintenance. I remain committed to the excellent cross-country skiing facilities and related winter-recreation programs provided by MBNA and I am offering my services for another Board term if the membership finds that agreeable.
Trent McDonald (Incumbent)
I initially decided to seek a MBNA board seat because of what I owe the association. I have used the Tie City trails since 1986. I am a semi-retired guy who grew up in Laramie and who took up Nordic skiing after completing Ken Cramer's skate class. I really appreciate our Tie City trails and have always marveled at the Medicine Bow Nordic Association's success. I became a life-time member of MBNA in 1999 (plus minus a year or two, I can't remember). I assisted Becca Watson with the High School team for 10 years during the 2000's. I have always skied for health, not speed, and I am now a devoted classic skier who puts in 200 - 400 km a season. My personal focus nowadays is attempting to complete one marathon per season. My corporate focus, if elected to the MBNA board, will be to not screw up any prior gains made by the association and to secure the future of Albany county Nordic skiing.
Kristen Pritchett (Incumbent)
I would be honored to serve again on the MBNA board. My initial interest in being on this board stemmed from wanting to be involved in a meaningful way with the nordic community and trail system in Laramie, which I believe is one of our town's biggest assets. After two years on the board, I am still learning about the complex processes MBNA oversees to keep the trail systems groomed, maintained, permitted, and funded. MBNA undertakes a great deal to provide these amazing trail systems to our community, and I hope to continue to learn from the current members and to contribute to the MBNA board and our nordic community in a positive and impactful manner.
Tyler Kjorstad
I'm Tyler Kjorstad, I love to ski. That's really all you need to know and that I have decided to run for board election. Not ready to cast your vote for me yet, well I think it's important to bring on new members who want to learn from the experienced members (i.e. all their institutional knowledge) and be able to bring some fresh ideas to the board. I am actively involved in ski camps and volunteer with high school groups. In addition to those experiences I have a racing background which has provided me with some experiences that I think could benefit MBNA from the aspect of bringing back a time trial series and or other additional races. If that's not what you're looking for, I have served on several committees in my academic job that are related to financial planning and budgeting.
2023 Elected Board Members
There were four candidates running for the four open seats on the MBNA board this year. After introducing themselves at the Annual Meeting, the four candidates were elected by acclamation.
Ken Cramer
Ken owned Cross Country Connection for many years before his recent retirement. He teaches MBNA’s adult ski classes as a fundraiser for the organization. He is also a member of the Ski Patrol, and in this role often provides first aid support at Nordic races.
Larry Foianini
Larry has served on the MBNA board for 10 years. He is a dedicated volunteer for the KidSki/WeeSki program, is involved in planning the Wyoming Senior Games and constructs the wooden trail signs on our ski trails.
Van Jacobson
Van is one of the original founders of MBNA and has been on the Board ever since, serving as Treasurer. Van is still enthusiastic about skiing almost every day all winter long, designing and building new ski trails and making modifications to the existing trails.
Kelly Steiner
My family and I frequently ski our trails. My son participated in Wee Ski, Junior Ski (now the Junior High School team) and skied for Laramie High School. After retiring I ran for a board position so I could participate in assisting MBNA's mission to groom our wonderful ski trails. I have been on the MBNA board for six years and was elected president by the other board members two years ago.
2022 Elected Board Members
Dan "Danno" Brain
Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the board of the MBNA. Happy Jack and Vedauwoo have been my happy place for the last 35+ years! I head up the mountain about 120 days a year. With a little more free time on my hands, I can't think of a better organization to volunteer. The meticulous maintenance of the ski trails is quite impressive! As a successful small business owner, getting along with the people, communication, and willingness to think out-of-the-box comes easy for me. Solving problems is easy When people are willing to put biases aside and work toward a common goal. Over the years I have volunteered for several Laramie organizations and functions. Last year was my first time helping with the Wee Ski program … and it was fun! This is just one more opportunity to give back to the community and the MBNA.
Bern Hinckley (Incumbent)
I have been a Laramie-area nordic skier for 40 years, and a member of the MBNA board since 2006. In addition to participating in the overall governance of the organization, I have taken on much of the grant writing and reporting, the trail-use monitoring program, and coordination of MBNA/BikeNet operation of the multi-use trail system. I am a regular volunteer instructor for the Youth Ski School and grunt worker for our annual Trail Day.
It is clear to me that the groomed-trail winter recreation provided by MBNA is an important and extraordinarily cost-effective amenity for our community, contributing to the public’s physical and mental health, year-round appreciation of Wyoming’s public lands, opportunity for high-level training, and even the retention and recruitment of valuable employees. I would be pleased to continue my contributions to the board should the membership support my re-election.
Trent McDonald
I decided to seek a MBNA board seat because I owe the association after using Tie City for so long. I am a semi-retired guy who grew up in Laramie and who took up Nordic skiing after completing Ken Cramer's skate class in 1986. I really really appreciate our Tie City trails and have always marveled at the Medicine Bow Nordic Association's successes. I became a life-time member of MBNA in 1999 (plus minus a year or two, I can't remember). I assisted Becca Watson with the High School team for 10 years during the 2000's. I have always skied for health, not speed, and I am now a devoted classic skier who puts in 200 - 400 km a season. My personal focus nowadays is attempting to complete one marathon per season. My corporate focus, if elected to the MBNA board, will be to not screw up any prior gains made by the association and to secure the future of Albany county Nordic skiing.
Kristen Pritchett
The Nordic trail system at Tie City and Happy Jack is one of our community’s greatest assets and one I and my family use frequently. It would be an honor to work in helping to maintain this system. To me, the work the MBNA does in facilitating grooming, signage, and events is invaluable, and I would love to contribute as a dedicated MBNA board member.
There were four candidates running for the four open seats on the MBNA board this year. After introducing themselves at the Annual Meeting, the four candidates were elected by acclamation.
Ken Cramer
Ken owned Cross Country Connection for many years before his recent retirement. He teaches MBNA’s adult ski classes as a fundraiser for the organization. He is also a member of the Ski Patrol, and in this role often provides first aid support at Nordic races.
Larry Foianini
Larry has served on the MBNA board for 10 years. He is a dedicated volunteer for the KidSki/WeeSki program, is involved in planning the Wyoming Senior Games and constructs the wooden trail signs on our ski trails.
Van Jacobson
Van is one of the original founders of MBNA and has been on the Board ever since, serving as Treasurer. Van is still enthusiastic about skiing almost every day all winter long, designing and building new ski trails and making modifications to the existing trails.
Kelly Steiner
My family and I frequently ski our trails. My son participated in Wee Ski, Junior Ski (now the Junior High School team) and skied for Laramie High School. After retiring I ran for a board position so I could participate in assisting MBNA's mission to groom our wonderful ski trails. I have been on the MBNA board for six years and was elected president by the other board members two years ago.
2022 Elected Board Members
Dan "Danno" Brain
Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the board of the MBNA. Happy Jack and Vedauwoo have been my happy place for the last 35+ years! I head up the mountain about 120 days a year. With a little more free time on my hands, I can't think of a better organization to volunteer. The meticulous maintenance of the ski trails is quite impressive! As a successful small business owner, getting along with the people, communication, and willingness to think out-of-the-box comes easy for me. Solving problems is easy When people are willing to put biases aside and work toward a common goal. Over the years I have volunteered for several Laramie organizations and functions. Last year was my first time helping with the Wee Ski program … and it was fun! This is just one more opportunity to give back to the community and the MBNA.
Bern Hinckley (Incumbent)
I have been a Laramie-area nordic skier for 40 years, and a member of the MBNA board since 2006. In addition to participating in the overall governance of the organization, I have taken on much of the grant writing and reporting, the trail-use monitoring program, and coordination of MBNA/BikeNet operation of the multi-use trail system. I am a regular volunteer instructor for the Youth Ski School and grunt worker for our annual Trail Day.
It is clear to me that the groomed-trail winter recreation provided by MBNA is an important and extraordinarily cost-effective amenity for our community, contributing to the public’s physical and mental health, year-round appreciation of Wyoming’s public lands, opportunity for high-level training, and even the retention and recruitment of valuable employees. I would be pleased to continue my contributions to the board should the membership support my re-election.
Trent McDonald
I decided to seek a MBNA board seat because I owe the association after using Tie City for so long. I am a semi-retired guy who grew up in Laramie and who took up Nordic skiing after completing Ken Cramer's skate class in 1986. I really really appreciate our Tie City trails and have always marveled at the Medicine Bow Nordic Association's successes. I became a life-time member of MBNA in 1999 (plus minus a year or two, I can't remember). I assisted Becca Watson with the High School team for 10 years during the 2000's. I have always skied for health, not speed, and I am now a devoted classic skier who puts in 200 - 400 km a season. My personal focus nowadays is attempting to complete one marathon per season. My corporate focus, if elected to the MBNA board, will be to not screw up any prior gains made by the association and to secure the future of Albany county Nordic skiing.
Kristen Pritchett
The Nordic trail system at Tie City and Happy Jack is one of our community’s greatest assets and one I and my family use frequently. It would be an honor to work in helping to maintain this system. To me, the work the MBNA does in facilitating grooming, signage, and events is invaluable, and I would love to contribute as a dedicated MBNA board member.
