SPEARHEAD TRAILBLAZERS
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: The Authority has representation from each of the participating counties and the City of Norton.  Voting members include:

SRRA Executive Board
Russell Jon Bowerbank Board of Supervisors P.O. Box 800 Rosedale VA 24280
Wise Tammy Dotson Mountain Motor Sports, Inc. 10115 Orby, Cantrell Hwy Pound VA 24279
Tazewell Margie Douglas Tazewell Tourism & Economic Development 108 E. Main Street Tazewell VA 24651
Lee David Jessee VP of Stone Mtn. ATV Club P.O. Box 351 Pennington Gap VA 24277
Buchanan Russell Lockhart Lonesome Pine ATV Riders 6733 Lovers Gap Road Vansant VA 24656
City of Norton Mark Caruso Vice Chair P.O. Box 297 Norton VA 24273
Scott Eugene McClellan 5626 Upper Possum Creek Rd. Gate City VA 24251
Dickenson Mark S. Vanover County Administrator 293 Main Street Clintwood VA 24228
Wise Jack McClanahan Litter Control Officer P.O. Box 570 Wise VA 24293
OFFICERS
Chairman Jack McClanahan P.O. Box 570 Wise VA 24293
Vice Chair Mark Caruso P.O. Box 297 Norton VA 24273
Treasurer Tina Rowe Town of Pennington Gap 131 Constitution Rd. Pennington Gap VA 24277
Secretary Tammy Dotson Mountain Motor Sports, Inc. 10115 Orby, Cantrell Hwy Pound VA 24279
NON-VOTING MEMBERS
Regional Rep Randall Rose Virginia Tourism Corporation 305 Canterbury Rd., Box 9 Bluefield VA 25605
President Michael Wampler Spearhead Trailblazers 6208 Laurel Grove Rd. Norton VA 24273
Treasurer Tina Rowe Town of Pennington Gap 131 Constitution Road Pennington Gap VA 24277
Secretary Tammy Dotson Mountain Motor Sports, Inc. 10115 Orby, Cantrell Hwy Pound VA 24279
Land Owner Rep Craig Kaderavek The Forestland Group LLC 19045 Stone Mountain Rd. Abingdon VA 24210

Meeting Minutes: July, 2009

Present:   Charlotte Mullins, Vernon Salyers, Art Ostdiek, Linda Tate, Debbi Hale, Buzz Witt, Tammy Dotson, Therman Stallard, Freddie Allison, Jack McClanahan, Bill Smith, Randy Rose, Michael Wampler, Larry Yates, Gary Hale, Dolores Roberts, Kenny Mullins & Blaine Delaney.

Michael Wampler, Chair, Spearhead Trails Steering Committee, opened the meeting at 10:00 AM.

Information about forming a Nonprofit

No one from Thrower, Blanton & Associates was able to attend our Retreat.   Buzz Witt discussed what he knew about nonprofit organizational issues.   He said that the Hatfield-McCoy Trails are funded by West Virginia’s state government.

PROs:

  • Get grants & donations

CONs:

  • $500 fee
  • Takes staff/volunteer time to run a nonprofit
  • Audit & other financial accounting
  • Southwest Regional Recreation Authority is looking into getting their own 501.c.3 designation
Spearhead Steering Committee

Some nonprofit topics the group felt they needed further information concerned the following items:

  • Tax questions
  • Grants
  • User fees/other income

Blaine Delaney, Coordinator, Black Diamond Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D), facilitated the rest of the day.

Create a NAME for this group

There was unanimous support for the following name:

SPEARHEAD TRAILBLAZERS (Friends of Spearhead Trails)

Develop a MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Spearhead Trailblazers is to encourage economic development and enhancement of Southwest Virginia by supporting the mission and activities of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority of Virginia.

Create a 12-month plan of work

The following activities were adopted by Spearhead Trailblazers at this Retreat:

1 – ATV Training Centers

Key people who are interested in establishing an ATV Training Center in their area are:

Dickenson County (Mark Vanover, County Administrator)

Wise County (Fred Luntsford, Town Manager of Appalachia)

Southwest Virginia Community College (Dr. J. Mark Estepp, President)

Larry Yates will take the lead on working to establish some ATV Training Centers by May 2010.   Bill Smith agreed to assist him in Wise County.

2 – Town Meetings

Jack McClanahan expressed that the Authority needs to host seven county meetings this summer to get the word out about Spearhead Trails and to provide valuable input for the feasibility study.   He added that he hoped that the town meeting for the City of Norton and Wise County could be combined.

Buzz Witt will take the lead to coordinate these seven county meetings by June 2009.

3 – Formation of Trailblazer Teams

The following “Trailblazers” agreed to take the lead in forming their respective teams by September 2009:

  • Equestrian Trailblazer Team – Debbi Hale
  • Hiking Trailblazer Team – Art Ostdiek
  • Cycling Trailblazer Team – Gary Hale
  • ATV Trailblazer Team – Michael Wampler & Vernon Salyers
  • Blueways/Fishing Trailblazer Team – Buzz Witt agreed to find a “team leader”

4 – Formation of a Legislative Trailblazer Team

Charlotte Mullins volunteered to form the Legislative Trailblazer Team by November 2009

5 – Formation of a Financial Trailblazer Team

Michael Wampler volunteered to form the Financial Trailblazer Team by September 2009.

6 – Formation of a Marketing Trailblazer Team

Bill Smith volunteered to form the Marketing Trailblazer Team by July 2009.

7 – Resolving Legal Issues

Buzz Witt and Charlotte Mullins volunteered to do some research and report back to Spearhead Trailblazers by September 2009 on various legal questions that have been previously raised by members.

8 – Liaison Appointments

Good communication is essential between Spearhead Trailblazers and Southwest Regional Recreation Authority.  The current liaisons as of May 15, 2009 are:

  • Michael Wampler will represent Spearhead Trailblazers on the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority as an Ex Officio Member.
  • Jack McClanahan, Chair of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority, or his designee will attend Spearhead Trailblazers meetings.

    (Blaine Delaneys pictured to the left)

Suggestions for the Plan of Work that DID NOT get incorporated into this 12-month plan:

  • Trail Refurbishing Workshops
  • Heritage Trails

Finalize a decision on filing for a 501.c.3 nonprofit corporation?

Spearhead Trailblazers decided not to make a decision at this time concerning whether or not to pursue designation as a 501.c.3 nonprofit organization.   For instance, they need to first learn whether or not the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority is going to seek this designation.

See attached addendum to these minutes that clarifies SOME of the roles between Spearhead Trailblazers and the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority.

Click here to download Word Document of May 15, 2009, Retreat Minutes.
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