ACC Columbia Mountains Section Current Board Members
Bryce Schroers | Chairperson : bschroers@acccolumbiamountains.com
Bryce has been on the ACC Saskatchewan section board since 2016 and has been leading and organizing trips with ACC Sask for many years. In his time there he helped to grow the climbing and mountaineering community in Saskatchewan, hosting climbing nights at the gym, organizing ski days at the local hill and organizing rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering trips to Alberta, BC, Ontario, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nepal. Since moving to Revelstoke and joining the Columbia Mountains Section Board in 2020, he has led some beginner trips and co-hosted climbing and hiking meet ups to grow the community and hopes to continue to foster an atmosphere of mentorship within the section.
Ben Wilkey | Youth and Trails Director : bwilkey@acccolumbiamountains.com
Born and raised in Revelstoke Ben has been gifted inspiration among the Columbia Mountains for a very long time. Despite having lived in Revelstoke most of his life he can still find true excitement in planning and participating in adventures within these home mountains. Climbing, skiing, hiking and biking have always been the focus.
A commercial helicopter pilot for over 20 years, with the majority of that time flying around Revelstoke, he has extensively seen and explored the Columbia Mountains by foot and by air. Creator of http://www.revelstoketrails.com he hopes to share his passion for his backyard and inspire others to explore, adventure, experience and protect these surrounding mountains. Being a founding member of the Columbia Mountains Alpine Club of Canada Section he hopes to continue to share this passion and provide outdoor opportunities for Revelstoke youth.
Uri Naprstek | Treasurer : unaprstek@acccolumbiamountains.com
Uri moved to Revelstoke in 2013 to retire and play in the mountains, after a 35+ year career in Hi-Tech. As an avid hiker, his main interest is the stewardship of hiking trails in our area. Although Revelstoke has many unofficial hiking groups, he believes there is a need for more formal and structured representation and coordination with various other outdoor clubs in the development and maintenance of area trails.
Uri has volunteered throughout his life. Volunteer activities included farming development in Kazakhstan, many years of soccer coaching and various school outdoor activities while his four children were growing up. In the past he was on the Executive Committee of a 5000+ members ski club for several years (formerly Nortel Ski Club – now operating as a Bytown Ski Club). Since moving to Revelstoke Uri has volunteered on the City Hi-Tech Task Force, with our Food Bank, Luna, etc. For 2+ years he was on board of directors with Revelstoke LFI and since 2017 he has served on the Board of Directors of Revelstoke Arts Council.
Katee Pederson | Activities Director : kpederson@acccolumbiamountains.com
Katee joined the board in 2021 after relocating to Revelstoke from Saskatchewan. She has been co-hosting climbing, hiking, and skiing meetups and coordinating additional trips and courses. Katee is eager to work to remove barriers and create opportunities for access to mountain recreation for people who may be intimidated or not know where to start. Katee also had the honour of leading the greatest number of trips and meetups for the club in 2022.
Kirsten Silfvenius | Communications Director : ksilfvenius@acccolumbiamountains.com
Kirsten joined the board in 2021 and has been a member since 2019. As a transplant from New Hampshire, she’s spent 10 years in the outdoor industry leading backcountry youth trips, marketing for ski resorts and outdoor recreation businesses, and serving on the board of directors for hiking trails, trail races, and rural economic development organizations. She currently works as a freelance marketing coordinator under the name Headwaters Marketing and in her free time is a volunteer with Revelstoke Search & Rescue and Revelstoke Girl Guides.
Etienne Dore Guay | Secretary
Etienne joined the board in 2023. He moved to Revelstoke from Quebec in 2017 and has been exploring the outdoors in the area since then. Trail running, hiking, climbing and mountain biking are what drives him and he’s been volunteering with trail work for the section since 2022. He wants to help promote the work that the Alpine Club of Canada – Columbia Mountains Section does and encourage enjoyment of the outdoors.
Joe Dzurik | Director At Large : jdzurik@acccolumbiamountains.com
Joe has been a member since 2019 and joined the board in 2021 after relocating to Revelstoke from Bellingham, WA. While living in Washington for 6 years, he traveled all around the PNW. Joe enjoys exploring all aspects of the mountains including backcountry skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, mountaineering, and backpacking. He enjoys these activities while also continuously pursuing a sustainable, minimal-waste lifestyle. Joe strives to share his passion for adventure while creating a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds and perspectives.
Sara Thompson | Gear Manager : sthompson@acccolumbiamountains.com
Sara made the big move from Toronto to Revelstoke in the fall of 2020 and has been enjoying the mountain lifestyle ever since. After participating in several ACC-led trips, Sara joined the board in 2021 and is excited to contribute to the development of the club. She has been snowboarding since the age of 7 but has recently developed a love for splitboarding. Sara also enjoys mountain biking, climbing, and mountaineering.
Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section 