About Richmond Mountain Trails
Founded in 2017, Richmond Mountain Trails is a non-profit organization that supports and creates sustainably-built, multi-use trails in the charming town of Richmond, VT and surrounding area. We believe trail building is inextricably linked with community building and RMT works closely with private landowners, community businesses and organizations and volunteers to maintain a network of trails in hopes to further connection to community, ecology and the joy of outdoor recreation. With trails to meet all ability levels and an adaptive ready trail system firmly in the works, Richmond Mountain Trails prioritizes trail accessibility for all users.
As a volunteer-run and membership- and donation-funded organization, we rely on the generosity of our community and the hard work of our volunteers to be successful. If you are interested in working on our trails, or contributing in another way, please consider volunteering! If you’d like to be a part of our events committee, please reach out.
RMT Board Members
Kate Aiken
Kate joined the RMT board in 2022 to bring a pedestrian perspective. She uses the trails for walking, running, and snowshoeing with her dog. A New Hampshire native, Kate and her partner, Tim have been in the village since 2019.
Kate supports global operations at Husky Technologies, and is a Vermont Public Community Forum member.
Kate manages communications for RMT.
Thomas DiPietro
Thomas, a recent addition to the board, is a student at the University of Vermont studying engineering. Through the past four years living in Vermont, he has developed a strong love for the local mountain bike community and trails. He is passionate in trail building and volunteers at The Driving Range whenever possible. Thomas is excited to share input from the college demographic to help bring a new prospective to RMT. He is looking forward to a great riding season ahead!
Mike Donohue
Mike has been RMT board member since 2017 and a Richmond resident since 1999. In addition to building and maintaining the trails, Mike can be found running, biking and skiing on them!
Mike is also on the Richmond Trails Committee and the boards of Vermont Hut Association and Vermont Land Trust.
He is currently serving as Treasurer for RMT.
Merrick Gillies
Merrick joined the board in the fall of 2022. Formerly a Village resident, he now lives in West Bolton. Merrick is often found working on the trails, taking his bike for a walk, or with his nose in a map. Working as a civil engineer by day, Merrick will also happily talk your ear off about local infrastructure needs and planning. He
delights himself in the constant search for the perfect flat corner, and riding long forgotten roads and trails that meander throughout the
landscape.
Merrick is RMT Board Vice President.
Derek Zipprich
Derek harbors a profound enthusiasm for fostering community bonds and cultivating outdoor recreational spaces, particularly for mountain biking. Over the span of a decade, he has been actively engaged in advocacy, strategic planning, and the construction and upkeep of natural trails within his hometown of Syracuse, NY. Although presently residing in Burlington, Derek continues to prioritize the RMT trails as his favored locale for outdoor recreation.
Berne Broudy
Berne Broudy is a Vermont-based writer, editor, and photographer. She has been reporting on environmental issues, gear, and travel for two decades. Broudy has developed and guided hiking and cycling trips all over the US and South America. She has guided groups of students in Ghana and Peru, and has biked across the U.S. She’s been asked to deliver a herd of llamas to a Bolivian mountaintop corral, had fat biking first descents in Alaska, helped establish the first sport climbing in East Greenland, and was on the first female team to complete the Jordan Trail. Broudy sits on the boards of Richmond Mountain Trails, VMBA, and Vermont Huts. She is a co-founder of ConservationNext and has previously served on the boards of Conservation Alliance, Outdoor Industry Women’s Coalition, Fellowship of the Wheel, CragVT, Catamount Trail Association, and Vermont Blues Society.
Berne is RMT’s Board President.
Rob Galloway
Rob began leading volunteer trail nights for RMT in the summer of 2021, and joined the board that fall. He is the trail boss at The Driving Range and splits his volunteer time between RMT, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports and the Kelly Brush Foundation. Rob is one of the first BICP Level 2 adaptive mountain bike instructors in the country, and uses his experience to build accessible trails that are fun and challenging for all riders. Off the trails you will find him welding his own bike frames, cooking too much food, and drinking as many cortados as possible.
Rob is serving as RMT’s Trail Boss.
Max Krieger
Max joined the RMT board in 2021 and has been helping advocate for bikes, trails, and conservation throughout his life. Max is also a member of the Richmond Conservation Commission. Max loves building new trails, making old trails even better, riding with friends, and getting distracted by birds and mushrooms along the way. If you see Max on the trail, say hi and ask him for a fun fact. (Fun fact, a wombat's poop is cube shaped).
Max is RMT’s current Secretary.
Izzy Lazarus
Izzy grew up in NYC but fell in love with mountains and all kinds of mountain sports while attending UVM. Izzy spent 9 years working as a mountain guide and educator in the Western US before finding her way back "home" to Vermont in the winter of 2023. As an enthusiastic Richmond resident, Izzy is excited to be a part of and build the biking community in the village. Izzy currently works with the University of Vermont Outdoor Programs Department.
Izzy heads up Community Engagement for RMT.
Bec Wojtecki
Director
Bec is a New York transplant who started mountain biking in 2020 after moving to Vermont. What started as an attempt to keep up with her family turned into a real love for being out on the trails. Bec has been grateful to discover a mountain bike community full of welcoming, adventurous and kind individuals.
When not biking or managing RMT operations, Bec is hiking with her dog, digging in the garden and building lego with her kids.