Open Board and Volunteer Positions for 2027

Colorado Whitewater is more than a paddling club—it's a community built by volunteers. Interested in getting involved? Want to shape the future of CW and make new friends? Join our team for 2027!

At our Fall Dinner on October 29, 2026, Colorado Whitewater will hold its annual Board elections. Our seven-member Board serves staggered three-year terms, so members elect two or three Board positions each year. We have two board positions up for election this year - Treasurer and Vice President. Our nominating committee is soliciting volunteers interested in serving in these positions.

• The Treasurer is responsible for the ongoing appraisal of the organization's financial standing, policies, and procedures and makes recommendations regarding financial decisions. 

• The Vice President provides strategic insight, advice, and recommendations and supports programming across the organization. The Vice President also fills in to perform the duties of the President as needed.

To learn more about these positions, or to nominate yourself, reach out to Sadie Conrad at president@coloradowhitewater.org by September 14, 2026.

We're also looking for a volunteer to serve as our Cruise Manager for the 2027 season. Huge thank you to Jen Kling who has served in this position the last two years and taken our club's cruises to the next level. She's built defined processes and systems to make coordination easy. If you've like to learn more about the position reach out to Jen at cruises@coloradowhitewater.org.

If Colorado Whitewater has made a difference in your paddling journey, consider helping the next generation of members experience the same welcoming community, outstanding instruction, and unforgettable adventures. Your time, ideas, and leadership can help ensure Colorado Whitewater remains one of the premier paddling clubs in the country for years to come. If you are interested in getting involved in the club in other ways, reach out to Sadie Conrad at president@coloradowhitewater.org.

Join us on Thursday 10/29/25 at the Buffalo Rose in Golden to eat and mingle with some of your favorite boaters, learn about club news & board elections, and hear from our Guest Speakers John Armstrong (Adventure film maker) and Nancy Wiley (Expedition kayaker)

Click here to Register

Get your tickets now!  Paddling Film Festival is coming April 2, 2026

See details here or go straight to the venue and buy tickets at this link.

This is a fund raiser for our club.

Money raised will support club activities in addition to our river access and conservation initiatives.

The 2025 CW Board is proposing the following changes to the club’s bylaws.

CW Proposed Bylaw Changes Oct 28 2025.pdf

The following members have been nominated for board of director roles for 2026. CW Board Roles and Nominees 2026.pdf 

• President – Sadie Conrad
• Vice President – Ben Bohren
• Secretary – Jessica Bednarz
• Treasurer – Glenn Ingalls
• Access & Conservation – Nik White
• Development – Noelle Wilhite
• At Large – Laurie Maciag

Both the bylaw changes and directors will be voted upon during the annual membership meeting at the fall dinner on 11/11/2025. There is a virtual meeting option available for those unable to attend in-person. You must register in advance.

Please email Sadie Conrad at sadieconrad@coloradowhitewater.org with any questions or if you’d like to run for one of the board positions.

Join us on Tuesday 11/11/25 at the Buffalo Rose in Golden to mingle with some of your favorite boaters, learn about club news & board elections, and hear from our Guest Speaker Elisha McArthur from CMI. Register today.

New Open Pool time in Evergreen!

Thanks to a lot of volunteer work from CW members, the Wulf Recreation Center in Evergreen is going to start hosting open pool sessions for kayakers on Saturdays!!! It will be open to everyone from 2-3:45pm. It will cost $15/session and CW membership is not required. Pay online (link to come) or in person when you arrive.

They are doing the rest of 2024 as a trial run and assuming some people show up, they'll likely keep it going in 2025. So please attend on Saturdays starting November 30th  Edit: December 7th!!!

Rules

Please follow the rules so that we continue to have access to pools. The volunteers at CW work really hard to find pools and convince them to let us practice, it would be a shame for someone to ruin it for everyone.

• Enter directly to the pool deck through the side doors next to the flagpole. 
• When you arrive, please show proof of payment to the lifeguard on duty if they ask for it (phone screen receipt is fine). If you haven't paid online, walk around to the front desk and pay in person.
• Please rinse your boat on the pool deck before entering the water.
• DO NOT SEAL LAUNCH FROM THE TILE! This pool does not have a metal edge but it has a huge flat concrete gutter. Seal launching from the tile will break or rip off tiles and will very quickly make us not invited back. Instead, place your boat sideways in the gutter (or in the water next to the gutter if you want to test your balance!), then get in, then scootch into the water. 
• The building closes at 4pm so you and your boat must also be out of the building by 4pm. The lifeguards might give you some leeway if you help put the lane lines back at the end of the session.

Hi members, 

We have at least one person contacting pools about hosting kayak pool sessions.  But nothing on the books yet. Carmody is having construction this year.

Do you know a pool willing to allow kayaks let us know and we can figure out details.  Best case scenario is the pool just sets aside a time for kayaks and manages signups, CW simply posts information on calendar to drive customers to the pool signup page.

The CW Board of Directors is proposing changes to the club’s bylaws and organizational structure for 2025. 

CW Proposed Bylaw Changes_10.10.2024.docx

CW 2025 Proposed Org Structure_10.10.2024.pdf

The bylaws and 2025 Board of Directors will be voted upon during the annual membership meeting at the fall dinner on 10/24/2024. We will also have a virtual meeting option available for those unable to attend in-person.

If you have questions or comments on the bylaws, or want to nominate yourself for a board, management, or operational position for 2025, please email Sadie Conrad at sponsorship@coloradowhitewater.org.

CW is seeking proposals for a contractors to provide program services for 5 - 15 hours/ week to support club operations, events, and communications. Reponses are due 10/17/2024. Please review the RFP here.

Colorado Whitewater is looking for new instructors to help teach our pool Intro classes, Learn to Roll Classes, Kids Team, and Training Camp classes!

You don't need to be a pro-level kayaker to teach, most of our instructors are class III boaters. You just need to be willing to share your love of this sport with other people. We'll teach you the rest.

Perks

• 5 Days of Advanced Instruction with ACA Instructor Trainers
• Additional optional training classes every year
• An American Canoe Association certification that you can use to work at any kayak program worldwide
• Free Swiftwater classes with CW
• Free Boat-Based Rescue classes with CW
• Free CPR/First Aid classes with CW
• Pro Deals (20-60% off) on 100s of brands through Outdoor ProLink and Expert Voice

Responsibilities

Your certification is good for 4 years. All club instructors are expected to teach with the club for at least 3 of those 4 years. The minimum requirements are:

• Maintain CPR/First Aid certifications
• Maintain their ACA membership including SEI dues
• Take annual online SafeSport training
• Teach at least 4 pool sessions per year (more are available if you want!)
• Attend Training camp as a Volunteer Instructor
• Pass a background check

The Instructor Course

This year's instructor course is going to happen August 14th-18th on the Upper Colorado River near the Radium Campground. Instructor Candidates must attend all 5 days. The cost to take the class with the club is only $50 as opposed to the retail price of $650 and includes camping at Radium. 

Reach out to the instructor Trainer Nik White (nik@whitewaterworkshop.com) with any questions.

Teach with Colorado Whitewater!