IPMBA Conference Archives
2022 IPMBA Conference
June 20-25, 2022. The 30th IPMBA Conference was scheduled to be held in June 2020. It was postponed until June 2021 and again until June 2022. Finally, IPMBA returned to Dayton for the first time since 2006. Dayton holds special significance to IPMBA as the hometown – department-wise – of IPMBA founding member Allan Howard, PCI #001T. The conference was held on the campus of the University of Dayton and co-hosted by the University of Dayton Police Department and the Five Rivers MetroParks Ranger Division. It was an impressive display of teamwork made even more remarkable by the multiple delays, reassignment of personnel, and venue changes. Although the residence hall was a bit far afield from the center of activities (the former headquarters of the NCR Corporation), the campus environment was conducive to a successful conference. Like many campuses, the University of Dayton has its fair share of stairs, plazas, parking lots, and pedestrian zones, just begging to be played upon. It also has its own private park, and is situated convenient to Woodlawn Cemetery (burial place of famous Daytonians, including the Wright Brothers), the Oregon Entertainment District, and the Miami River Valley Trail System. More than 250 attendees, instructors, and industry representatives flocked to Dayton from as far away as Miami, Florida, and Vancouver, British Columbia, to celebrate the IPMBA Conference’s 30 years of training excellence.
Photo Gallery
Thanks to Our Hosts
Way back in 2018, a team of “pitchmen” from Dayton, Ohio, travelled to Saint Louis, Missouri, to make their case for hosting another IPMBA Conference, having not hosted one since 2006. The target was 2020 and what was to be the 30th Annual IPMBA Conference.
Well, along came COVID-19 to derail that plan. The difficult yet obvious decision was to cancel and reschedule for 2021.
Optimism was running high…until it wasn’t. Once again, COVID reared its ugly head and IPMBA Dayton 2021 became IPMBA Dayton 2022. By that time, two of the three host agencies had new chiefs, some of the committee members had been reassigned, and the summer conference team at the University had experienced reductions in force and personnel changes.
Fortunately, the cohesiveness of the committee remained intact, as did the leadership triumvirate of Sergeant Gordon Cairns (Dayton Police Department), Officer Eric Roth (University of Dayton Police Department), and Ranger Adam Gaby (Five Rivers MetroParks Ranger Division). These three stalwarts remained throughout the roller coaster ride of the multi-year planning process.
The Command Staff was rounded out by Jeff Brown, Tyler Hofacker, and Jack Miniard of the Dayton Police Department. The Command Staff, coordinated by Gordon Cairns, directed the efforts of the rest of the team.
The liaisons assigned to each course – Five Rivers MetroParks personnel Mark Arendt, Adam Gaby, Trent Roach, and Adrian Sargent; Dayton Police Department’s Shaun Olinger; and Nick Orrill, University of Dayton – repeatedly demonstrated their preparedness, flexibility, and willingness to ensure attendees had an optimal experience.
Myriad details, such as transportation, equipment, hospitality, bike check, the obstacle course competition, and more, were handled by additional team members from all three agencies, including the following:
- Dayton Police Department: Brandon Bunch, Tony Murphy, Jason Olson, Rod Roberts, Luke Scott
- Five Rivers MetroParks: Alan Starnes (who also worked the 2006 IPMBA Conference)
- University of Dayton Police Department: Ben Belcher, Kevin Bernhardt, Jarrod Birchfield, Jesse Jenk, Max Siegwarth
The Command Post was the domain of Dayton Fire Department Captain Merritt Colton, who not only served as coordinator and gatekeeper and maintained the activity log, but also dispensed snacks, band-aids, and humor in equal measures.
Five Rivers MetroParks Ranger Deanna Flaugher covered lots of territory in her role as official photographer. Visit her website if you’re looking for a Dayton-area photographer with lots of energy and a cheerful disposition.
The Kettering Health Mobile Sports Medicine Clinic was on campus to treat the aches, and pains inherent with cycling activities. A team of six athletic trainers was spread out amongst the training venues to offer EMS support and treat injuries in the field, which, fortunately, were few and far between. Thanks to Austin List, Megan Torres, Amy Federle, Rachel Fritz, Erica Knollman, and Michelle Reinsmith for providing this essential service. This is an IPMBA Conference first, but hopefully, not a last.
Another IPMBA Conference first was the ability to offer the indoor bike park experience. Workshop attendees had a blast at Mike’s Bike Park , which owner Mike Bisig generously made available for formal instruction and coaching as well as after-hours fun. He even arranged an appearance by Tommy Zula, the first-ever UCI World Pump Track champion (and native of Huber Heights, Ohio), who coached Indoor Bike Park Skills Ph.D. attendees Mark Brownell and Thomas Atkinson.
We also appreciate all of the volunteers, who are essential to all events. Special thanks to Beth Roth; the Dayton Police Department Neighborhood Assistance Officers, who staffed the Bike Check; and registered attendees Jeff Glaude and Gerrit “Bip” Terhune, who assisted with registration and merchandise sales while not in class.
None of this would have been possible without the support of Chiefs Kamran Afzal (Dayton Police), Mark Hess (Five Rivers MetroParks Ranger Division), and Savalas Kidd (University of Dayton Police), all of whom graciously provided the human and other resources needed for a successful event.
Finally, we thank everyone who participated as attendees, instructors, exhibitors, and sponsors. There’s a reason that th IPMBA conference is the premier training event for public safety cyclists, and you’re it!