Regional Leadership Advisory Councils

Regional Leadership Advisory Councils (RLACs) are groups of mountain bike enthusiasts who are committed to growing and educating the network of mountain bikers that support advocacy throughout a region or province. In Canada these groups consist of one representative from each member club in the region.

The purpose of the RLAC is to facilitate communication and networking between IMBA Canada affiliated local clubs within a region, and provide IMBA Canada with representation on a regional or provincial level. The goals of the RLAC are:

1. Create Critical Mass
2. Increase Grassroots Capacity
3. Expand Mountain Bikers’ Influence on Public Policy

Roles of the RLAC

• Provide strategic direction to IMBA Canada and grassroots clubs based on assessment of opportunities, threats, and resources across a region.
• Build club capacity through shared best practices, improved communication, and targeted networking focused on achieving common goals.
• Cultivate new leadership for mountain bike advocacy.
• RLACs will not directly engage in political advocacy, as local clubs and advocates should already have the political relationships, but the councils may help to facilitate and support political advocacy as needed on a regional level.

RLAC Structure

• Each IMBA Canada member club within a region will be invited to send one representative to sit on the RLAC. Participation is voluntary.
• An ideal council will include members that have experience in advocacy, trailbuilding, the bicycle industry, land management, or another specialized industry (legal, IT, non-profit, etc…) that could provide valuable guidance to the RLAC.
• Councils are advisory in nature.
• Advocates from outside of the council are actively included in discussions as necessary.
• Councils are responsible for shaping their own roles and objectives.  Each region has unique challenges, so a bottom-up approach is key to success.
• IMBA Canada staff provide support to RLACs.

Time Commitment

• Council members are invited to participate in a minimum of three conference calls and one in-person meeting annually.  Yearly meetings will be organized around an event or great riding destination.
• Time commitments vary for each council member, as each member will determine their own level of involvement
• Council members serve 2-year terms.  However roughly half of the initial council will serve a 1-year term in order to stagger turnover.

Want more information? Read the Regional Leadership Advisory Council FAQ.

IMBA Canada's RLAC program is supported in large part by Mountain Equipment Co-op.