The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the Southern Off-Road Mountain Bicycle Association (SORBA), IMBA’s Southeast Region, have jointly hired a full-time professional advocate in the role of IMBA's Associate Regional Director. Terry Palmeri will work closely with Tom Sauret, IMBA Regional Director and SORBA Executive Director, helping serve the 38 SORBA chapters in his territory of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi , North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.
Terry is the President of the Ellijay Mountain Bike Association, one of the oldest SORBA Chapters, and the Office Manager for the Cartecay River Bicycle Shop. Her mountain biking career started in 2004 when she met her future husband, Mike Palmeri. After 12 years of being a roadie, she was introduced to mountain biking on a trip to Wales, England. Touring the premier mountain biking trail systems in Wales inspired her to help her adopted community of Ellijay to become a mountain biking destination. Terry has successfully worked with the US Forest Service on mountain bike projects in the Chattahoochee-Oconee, the army Corps of Engineers on the Carters Lake trail system, and with Georgia State Parks. Paul Farrow, SORBA President says, with her years of experience in both bicycle advocacy and bicycle retail worlds, Terry will contribute enormously in IMBA-SORBA’s efforts to accomplish its mission.
The Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association is hosting a grand opening of a brand new section of the Pinhoti Trail on Saturday afternoon May 3rd at 3 p.m. The celebration will be at the new parking lot on Dennis Mill Road on land that was purchased by the Conservation Fund so the trail could be built.
