2022/2023 Board of Directors

Conrad Schiebel – President

Conrad began volunteering with the GBCTA in 2013 quickly becoming the representative in the West Bragg Creek Land User Agreement group when logging threatened to impact the trail system in West Bragg Creek. Since then, he has advocated for trail protection and building sustainable trail systems in Kananaskis Country and Rocky View County.

Conrad brings his past experiences working as a Park Ranger and Paramedic to the table adding those perspectives to building a safe work environment and managing the challenges of trail care on public lands.

Brad Small – Vice President

The West Bragg Creek trail system is a primary reason why Brad and his wife recently retired to Bragg Creek. While growing up and raising his family in Calgary, the Elbow Valley and WBC trail systems became a recreational outlet and a place to just breathe. Brad has been biking and hiking for most his adult life. But his passion and adrenalin rush happens when mountain biking and fat-biking in winter so BCT and Brad were an obvious fit! Since joining, Brad has been in awe of the people and their passion, knowledge and dedication to managing a world class multi-user trail network.

Prior to retiring, Brad had a 30+ year career in the oil and gas industry both as a Professional Engineer and in various leadership roles. Leading people, facility/production projects, development, maintenance & operations, and building external partnerships/relationships are some of the key strengths that he brings to BCT. His is a culture of safety first, respect and professionalism, teamwork and fun. He is excited to bring these core beliefs to an already successful organization.

Karena Brawley – Secretary

Karena Brawley, B.SC, TMF, CHPC
Karena is an oil and gas Geophysicist and also a Transformational Mindset Facilitator and a Certified High Performance Coach.

Karena has spent the last 35 years working in oil and gas for both junior and major oil and gas companies, as well as being a principal and executive of start up companies. For the past 15 years she has been serving clients as an independent consultant with Amulet Exploration Ltd..

As a Personal Coach Karena has hundreds of hours of certified training and the passion and experience to guide professionals, business-owners, and individuals to live their best personal and professional lives.

Karena joined the BCT Board in May of 2018.

Ken Young – Treasurer

Ken is a “semi” retired oil and gas executive with his professional experience in land and business development. He fell in love with the mountains when he first came west in 1977 to work for the summer at Chateau Lake Louise. With the mountain bug and a job in the booming oil business, he moved out west from the Maritimes immediately upon graduating from Mount Allison University and has more or less lived here since. Ken now lives southwest of Calgary in the foothills and has a passion for road and trail running, cycling and cross country skiing, frequenting the trails at WBC to pursue these interests. On March 8, 2019 Ken and a couple of friends pieced together and skied every single groomed segment of trail at WBC, for a total distance of 71.85km – that was a crazy day! Ken joined the BCT board in early 2020 and quickly took over the responsibilities of Treasurer combining his past business experience and recreational activities into a new chapter.

Eric Lloyd – Director Special Projects

Eric is BCTs longest standing active volunteer and is recognized as the organization’s guiding light. When it comes to raising money ( in the millions!), bringing to completion our biggest projects and skillfully herding cats, Eric has no equal.

His dedication to nature and the balance of its interests with those of us that share the natural landscape has anchored each and every BCT policy and project.

Eric and his wife Cathy are long term west Bragg Creek residents.

Pam Lewis-Cresswell – Director

Pam and her family moved to Bragg Creek from the UK in 2002. They were searching for a more outdoor lifestyle and, as mountain bikers, were excited for the adventures that the West Bragg Creek trail system offered. Over the years, lots of additional outdoor activities have been incorporated into their active lifestyle – cross country skiing, snow shoeing, trail running and Pam’s favourite, fat tire biking.

Pam began volunteering for Bragg Creek Trails in January 2020 by taking over the position of Volunteer Coordinator. After many years of working in a variety of industries, including cellular telecommunications, and Lawyers and Commercial Project Management, Pam has great organizational skills, and a great eye for attention to detail. Pam is adamant about making sure everyone remains safe and accountable within BCT. All volunteers better make sure their paperwork is order before venturing out on the trails!

Jamie Mackie- Director

Jamie brings over 40 years of experience in Investment Banking and the Oil and Gas industry. Despite an unassuming presence he is a keen competitor while still maintaining unparalleled transparency with clients and gives them a high‐ level of trust and peace of mind.

The first half of Jamie’s career was in the oil and gas industry -Suncor, Hudson Bay Oil, Gas/Dome Petroleum and Canadian Hunter – on both the commercial and technical sides of the business.

He transitioned to the Investment Industry partnering with Brett Wilson to form Wilson Mackie and Company. This merger and acquisition advisory boutique became the Corporate Finance department of First Energy Capital Corp at its founding. There he served as a Partner and Managing Director of Corporate Finance.

After leaving First Energy, Jamie began a new career as a Retail Investment Advisor at First Marathon Securities. He later left to form the new full‐service Investment boutique J.F Mackie and Company which in 2009 merged with Research Capital to form Mackie Research Capital. In 2011 he and his team, the Mackie Wealth Group moved to Macquarie Private Wealth.

During his career Jamie has honed an ability to see the big picture, be in constant learning mode and adapt quickly to the changing world of investing.

Jamie is passionate about the outdoors and loves to hike, climb, camp, cross‐country and back country ski as well as fish.

Neil MacLaine – Director

Neil was first drawn to Bragg Creek when stationed in Calgary with the Army in the early 80’s. After a few tours elsewhere, he was posted back to Calgary in 1988 and bought some land south of Bragg Creek on which to keep a few horses and build a home for his growing family. Every spare moment since has been spent exploring Kananaskis. By 1991 it became apparent that Neil’s job was interfering with his recreation, so he left the army to start an adventure outfitting business – Moose Mountain Adventures.

Neil feels incredibly lucky to have made a “job” out of exploring the eastern slopes on horseback for the past 30 years. The whole MacLaine family also enjoys cross-country skiing there in the winter.

As a member of the Bragg Creek Chamber of Commerce, Neil is aware that the trails bring a lot of people to our community and influence the local economy. Increasing collaboration between the trails and the business community is one of his goals.

His other priority is ensuring that equestrian users continue to have their needs and interests considered. Reconciling the growing popularity of the area and new modes of “getting around” with the desire to preserve natural beauty and a sense of wilderness will be a challenge. Neil is excited to join BCT!

Alf Skrastins – Director

Outdoor recreation has been Alf’s passion and his life’s work.

While working towards his Environmental Biology degree at the University of Calgary, Alf started a cross country ski club on campus. He founded the University of Calgary Outdoor Centre. He instructed and guided cross country skiing, backcountry skiing, avalanche safety, hiking, backpacking, whitewater rafting and sea kayaking. Alf is a founding member of the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors, the B.C. Sea Kayak Guides Alliance and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.

He co-founded and edited Explore-Canada’s Outdoor Magazine and has contributed photographs in numerous trails guides and magazines.

Alf has served as a director of the Calgary Area Outdoor Council, on public advisory committees for the Evan-Thomas Provincial Recreation Area Management Plan, The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park Redevelopment Plan, The Bow Corridor Trails Advisory Committee , The Kananaskis Trails Advisory Committee, The Porcupine Hills-Livingstone Recreation Advisory Group and as Vice President of the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of Alberta. He was a member of the Public Advisory Committee that developed the West Bragg Creek All-Season Trails Plan.

Alf has been involved in trail building and maintenance with the Great Divide Trails Association and Friends of Kananaskis Country, where he is currently on the Advisory Committee. His role with BCT is lead for the construction and maintenance of the all-season trails.

Michele White – Director

A native Calgarian, Michele lives less than 9 km from where she grew up. Cycling and camping were part of the family adventures. Riding her hand-me-down bikes and whipping around the cul-de-sac, Michele developed a love of cycling – and a high pain tolerance thanks to all the road rash, bruises and scrapes experienced and calm reassurances to “walk it off”. The eastern slopes and Rocky Mountains provided all season activities and gave Michele a sense of wanderlust and love of the outdoors.

Michele has spent the last 20+ years as a Project Manager leading a variety of software, infrastructure and data projects. A generalist in most fields, Michele feels her prime role as a leader is to listen to the experts and, when necessary, find ways to remove issues that block her teammates from successfully completing their work.

Michele started volunteering with BCT as trail crew, learning ways to maintain trails, and how not to damage them. Seeing the growth in use and inevitable damage on the trails, she volunteered as a Crew Lead and is on a learning curve on how to build sustainable all season trails. She is excited to continue learning and digging in and getting her hands dirty – both on trails and with the Board.

Ursula Wolfarth – Director

Ursula has been a consultant, managing her own practice, since 1989. Prior to that, she worked as Public Affairs Director for The University of Calgary from 1981 to 1989, where her mandate included all aspects of internal and external communications.

Ursula has acquired lots of practical experience in advising leaders on identifying and addressing people related issues arising in today’s workplaces. As an assessor, Ursula designs and executes programs to measure organizational results in everything from client services to internal communications. She also has worked as a trainer to deliver workshops on internal consulting skills and on leadership and employee communication.

Ursula’s not-for-profit experience has focused on:

  • best practices for Board governance
  • strategic business planning, including setting specific goals
  • accountability and alignment for Boards of Directors and the staff members who report to Boards.

Previously she has served on the Board of Alberta Theatre projects, and Ursula also has volunteered in the past with both the United Way and with the Calgary Foundation.