Brian Crain
Brian Crain grew up in central Illinois, riding three-wheelers and dirt bikes through farm fields and along the river bluffs. He was first introduced to the Imperial Sand Dunes in 2004 and was immediately hooked. From then on, Brian, his wife, and their two sons spent nearly every weekend from October through April enjoying the dunes and becoming part of the Glamis community.
Brian has been a member of the American Sand Association since 2004 and previously served on the ASA Board of Directors from approximately 2005 to 2009. His involvement in the dunes extends well beyond recreation. In 2004, Brian organized what began as a small Veterans Day gathering at the Glamis Flag Pole. Over the years, that gathering has grown into what is now recognized as the largest off-road Veterans Day event in the world. Brian later founded Glamis Veterans, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring veterans, supporting the veteran and active-duty military community, promoting responsible recreation, and preserving the traditions and freedoms associated with the Imperial Sand Dunes.
A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a federal civil servant with 34 years of service, Brian brings extensive experience working within federal agencies and navigating government processes. He has also served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, giving him significant experience in organizational leadership, advocacy, and community engagement.
Brian views complacency and a lack of education and engagement as some of the greatest challenges facing the sand recreation community. He believes protecting responsible motorized recreation and continued access to public lands requires users to understand the issues, participate in the process, and make their voices heard.
As a member of the ASA Board of Directors, Brian’s primary areas of focus are advocacy, government affairs, education, responsible recreation, and protecting continued public access to the Imperial Sand Dunes.
A lifelong outdoorsman and off-road enthusiast, Brian’s philosophy on protecting public lands and recreational access is simple:
“You need to be involved to effect change.”
