IPMBA Conference Archives

2011 IPMBA Conference

In April 2011, bike officers and medics descended upon Richmond, Virginia, for the 21st Annual IPMBA Conference. They were there not only to acquire and improve their public safety cycling skills, but also to ride alongside history. 2011 marks the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, as well as the 100th anniversary of the founding of Richmond’s first police bike squad. IPMBA training took place in and amongst such historic sites as the Tredegar Iron Works, the Civil War prison site on Belle Island, the Lumpkins Jail site and slave trading district, and the former streetcar barns. Attendees emerged not only with better bike skills, but with a new appreciation of Richmond’s role in American history.


Photo Gallery

  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference
  • 2011 IPMBA Conference



Thanks to Our Hosts

The IPMBA board, staff, members, and conference attendees would like to extend their sincere thanks to the Richmond Police Department (RPD), Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA), the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Police Department, the Richmond Office of Emergency Management, and their partnering agencies for hosting the conference.  We appreciate the support of the City of Richmond, Mayor Dwight C. Jones, Richmond Police Chief Richard T. Norwood, Richmond Ambulance Authority CEO Chip Decker, Virginia Commonwealth University Police Chief John Venuti, Richmond Fire & Emergency Services Chief Robert Creecy, and Richmond Emergency Management Coordinator Anthony McLean.  We are also grateful for the generous in-kind and financial contributions from the Richmond business community, especially Bon Secours Health System and the Greater Richmond Transit Authority.   

IPMBA would like to recognize the many dedicated individuals who participated in the planning and implementation of this conference.  Event planning requires a team of highly motivated individuals like RPD Sgt. Danny Rhodenizer (PCI #1063), VCU Lt. William Butters (PCI #480), Derek Andresen (Richmond Office of Emergency Management), Lt. James Layne (Division of Capitol Police, Commonwealth of Virginia), and RAA Lt. Todd Sheridan and Sgt. Gerrit “Bip” Terhune (EMSCI #213).  Bip spearheaded the effort to bring the conference to Richmond and for the RAA to become only the second EMS agency to co-host an IPMBA Conference. 

Of course, a committee alone does not a conference make.  The show cannot go on without a supporting cast.  Also deserving of recognition are RAA personnel Maj. Dempsey Whitt, Lt. Frank Romero, Lt. Brian Talty, Sgt. Adam Bennett, Sgt. Rudy Elder, Sgt. Steve Faynor, Mike Curtis, Joe Eheart, Harold Mayfield, Mony Sams, Clinton Schott, Emily Sims, David Starling, and Chris Tenley; VCU personnel Sgt. Nick Hill, Cpl. Ellsworth “Sonny” Pryor, Det. Loran Carter, and Officers Duane Thorp, Carla Middleton, and Michelle Cose; RPD Officers Jerome Andrzejczak, Justin Bauwens, Steve Eacho, Michael Ellison, Meridith Mullins, Anthony Paciello, Michael Polley, Travis Thompson, and Lindsey Wallace; Virginia Capitol Police personnel Cpl. James L. Cosby, Cpl. James R. Seaton, and Officers Michael B. Bresko, John H. Collamore, and John A. Fabian; and Christina Smith, Richmond Fire Department.  IPMBA appreciates the talents of Nancy Winner of the West End Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary, who created IPMBA’s newest patch banner, and the army of individuals who build and maintain the amazing network of trails that make Belle Island a mountain biking mecca. 

IPMBA thanks Hans “No Way” Rey for volunteering his time and considerable talent, both as the leader of a popular skill-building workshop and as the featured speaker at the post-competition dinner and awards ceremony.  He regaled attendees with tales of his globe-trotting, and then autographed hundreds of copies of Dirt Rag magazine, with his photo on the cover. 

Last but never least, IPMBA thanks those who were able to overcome the challenges of tight budgets and manpower constraints in order to attend the conference.  We thank you for celebrating 100 years of rolling in Richmond with us! 

Next stop…St. Paul, Minnesota...April 28-May 5, 2012!  

View photos of the 2011 IPMBA Conference at http://www.flickr.com/photos/97613337@N07/collections/72157634221541344/.  

© 2010 IPMBA.  This article appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of IPMBA News.