IPMBA Conference Archives
2010 IPMBA Conference
2010 marked the occasion of the 20th Annual IPMBA Conference. Since 1991, the IPMBA conference has been known as the premier training event for public safety cyclists. IPMBA is proud to provide a venue in which knowledge, information, experience, and skills are generously shared in an effort to ensure the safety and effectiveness of public safety cyclists everywhere. Those who had the good fortune to attend the conference, co-hosted by St. Louis Metropolitan and Chesterfield Police Departments, are indeed ahead of the curve!
Photo Gallery
Photos on Flickr
Thanks to Our Hosts
The IPMBA board, staff, members, and conference attendees would like to extend their gratitude to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the Chesterfield Police Department (CPD) for co-hosting the 20th Annual IPMBA Conference. We are grateful to SLMPD Chief Daniel Isom and Chesterfield Chief Ray Johnson for providing us with the many resources necessary to ensure a valuable and enjoyable conference experience.
The SLMPD and CPD personnel who assisted with this conference went above and beyond the call of duty. They spent hours preparing for the arrival of their colleagues from around the U.S. and beyond its borders. They procured cones, pallets, railroad ties, smoke grenades, vehicles, bike trailers, and more. They solicited donations from their business community to keep the hospitality suite stocked with food and beverages. During the event, they worked long hours and coordinated a great many logistics to ensure that their colleagues had a positive experience, and we truly appreciate their efforts. Despite some limits imposed by the economy, conference attendees were afforded the opportunity to participate in excellent training sessions, network with their peers, and enjoy St. Louis hospitality.
Special thanks to SLMPD Lt. Mike Anderson, without whom this conference would not have been possible. Mike’s involvement with IPMBA began in 1997 with the founding of the SLMPD Bike Unit, and his commitment to the organization is evidenced by the effort he expended to ensure the success of this event. He was the driving force behind bringing the conference to the St. Louis area. He received the whole-hearted support of his CPD counterparts, Lt. Steve Lewis and Lt. Dennis Hufford, who were instrumental in ensuring the participation of the Chesterfield community, in which the conference took place.
Hosting an IPMBA conference requires not just a leader, but also a team of committed individuals. Many thanks to SLMPD personnel Sgts. Tony Aubuchon, John LaPlante, and Mike Marks; and Officers Brian Calcaterra, Shelly Finn, Greg Frost, John Gentilini, Mark Hall, Brian Min, Dan Peek, Chris Seger, Aaron Stagner, James Wood, and Rick Zurmuehlen; and to CPD personnel Capt. Ed Nestor, Sgts. John Videmschek and Cheryl Funkhouser; and Officers Steve Borawski, Jenna Christian, Dan Dunn, Kim Huffman, and Josh King.
Volunteers are important members of the conference team, too. We are grateful to the many eager and willing Police Explorers, who staffed the bike check and registration desk in addition to handling myriad requests for assistance. Those who participated in off-road rides at Castlewood State Park benefitted greatly from the guidance of Gateway Off-Road Cyclists (GORC) members Bryan Adams, Matt Buckley, Scott Nelson, Ryan Overhoff, Craig Seibert, Greg Suter, Charles Wells, and Fred Williams.
Last but not least, thanks to the agencies and associations who loaned their support, including the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (especially Cpl. Josh Henroid), St. Louis Police Foundation, St. Louis County Parks, St. Louis University Department of Public Safety, and Washington University Police Department.
Finally, IPMBA would like to say “thank you” to everyone who attended. The efforts of the host agency and volunteers would be wasted without you. It can be challenging to justify a training conference during difficult economic times.
IPMBA salutes those who have been able to hold fast to the notion that learning never stops, and the agencies which found funds in their budgets to ensure the continued development of their bike patrol personnel. May there be many more in 2011!
Ride Alongside History at the 21st Annual IPMBA Conference, April 14-16, 2011, in Richmond, Virginia.
View photos of the 2010 IPMBA Conference at http://www.flickr.com/photos/97613337@N07/collections/72157635260861802/.
© 2010 IPMBA. This article appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of IPMBA News.