The Queenstown Trails Trust is currently recruiting two new volunteer trustees to join the existing team. This is a governance role, charged with steering the organisation into the next 10 year strategic plan of trail developments and there's some big ideas on the horizon. The current board includes a great mix of professionals and community minded locals from lawyers and planners to engineers and real estate agents. Everyone's profession may differ, but the one thing that unites everyone is a love and appreciate of the Queenstown Trail network and the understanding of the huge benefit the trails bring to the community and beyond.
To give a greater understanding of who the Queenstown Trails Trust is made up of, we've created a series of blogs profiling the team. Read on to discover why Mark Townsley joined the Trust as a Trustee 6 years ago. If you'd like to be part of the future of Queenstown's trail network, click here for more info on the Trustee roles.
MEET MARK TOWNSLEY - TRUSTEE
After a lifetime of riding and building bike trails around the globe, I was drawn to the role of a trustees 6 years ago when my wife Annemarie and I started to have children. The thought of building such an amazing network of trails, connecting not only our community, but other trail networks and adventure activities, that my kids can use growing up in this awesome region, was too good an opportunity to miss.
My professional life as an engineer and manager constructing infrastructure for 22 years, coupled with my home (and play) base being Queenstown for the last 15 years, means that I can contribute what I have learned into the Trust, and the trail network, hopefully adding value to the strength and rider experience of our asset. To be able to give this for free is incredibly rewarding. The fact that the trail network is used to make so many people happy is the icing on the cake.
Working alongside the other trustees with their varied skills and experiences, really demonstrates the power of a diverse team. The commitment to protect what we have created, while forging future growth, makes for a challenging and exciting environment to work in.
Legacy. What we leave behind, for future generations and our kids. I dig that, getting it done!
If you like the sound of working with Mark and being a community advocate for trails in the district, find out more about becoming a Queenstown Trails Trust trustee. Applications close 10th October 2021.
