American Whitewater is pleased to announce that Tim Kelley has been appointed as AW Safety Chair. Kelley, an army officer and expert whitewater paddler, has an extensive background in risk management. He recently designed successful Risk Management Plans for several American Whitewater competitions and events.
“Paddling is not just a sport of risk takers, it is a sport of risk technicians” notes retiring chair Lee Belknap, “It’s all about how to deal with the inherent risks of whitewater. Tim will draw on an extensive paddling career and his experience managing the safety of our troops. I look forward to the growth his energy and expertise will bring.”
Belknap, AW Safety Chair since 1990, designed the Close Calls & Injuries Survey and set up the AW Accident Database. “It was a huge job, but it now contains 25 years of data,” notes Charlie Walbridge, a former Safety Chair. “He also developed the Benchmark rapids for our River Rating System to allow the difficulty of rapids in different areas to be easily compared. And he educated untold numbers of organizations, agencies, and reporters about river safety on behalf of American Whitewater.”
“Tim Kelley has a unique set of skills that will expand the reach of our safety message,” says Walbridge, “I’m excited that he’s taking over and look forward to working with him.”
For more information contact Charlie Walbridge (304) 379-9002 ccwalbridge@cs.com
or Risa Shimoda (301) 589-9453 risa@amwhitewater.org