Board of Directors

KEN PODZIBA, Chair

New York, NY 

Ken Podziba is the President and CEO of Bike New York, which is the nonprofit bike education organization that organizes the TD Five Boro Bike Tour (the world’s biggest charitable ride) and produces Bike Expo New York (the country’s most-attended consumer bike show). Podziba says he is most proud of the growth of Bike New York’s education program—the largest of its kind in the country—which offers free bike education classes, after-school programs, and summer camp activities throughout the five boroughs of New York City. He earned an MS at Columbia University’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and a BS at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and Whitman School of Management.

KARIN WEISBURGH, Vice Chair

 

Karin Weisburgh is a non-car owner and lifetime bike commuter, and an LCI since 2015. She’s attended and lobbied at the National Bike Summit for many years, and has been a League member since 1982. She’s received several awards and press coverage (including in The New York Times) for her devotion to bicycle commuting, and has written a how-to manual on year-round bicycle commuting.

 

MAX HEPP-BUCHANAN, Secretary

Richmond, VA

 

Max grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he received Urban Planning and Public Administration degrees from the University of Washington. He has been working in the field of non-motorized transportation policy, planning, and advocacy since 2007. He was previously employed as the Advocacy Campaigns Manager at Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle before moving with his family to Richmond, Virginia (RVA) in 2013. For nearly six years, Max was the Director of Bike Walk RVA for Sports Backers, Richmond’s active living nonprofit and bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders. In 2019, Max shifted careers slightly and became the Director of Riverfront and Downtown Placemaking for Richmond’s downtown advocacy organization and business improvement district, Venture Richmond. Max also serves on the City of Richmond’s Planning Commission and Safe and Healthy Streets Commission, as well as several Richmond-based nonprofit organizations.

 

TORRANCE STRONG, Treasurer

Irving, TX

 

Torrance, a Louisiana native, holds a BS in Psychology from Southern University - Baton Rouge, LA. He has maintained his love for cycling since childhood and has emerged as a successful entrepreneur. Mr. Strong operates a bicycle based business, T. Strong Transportation. As a current Bike Texas board member, he has been involved in several bicycle infrastructure projects on the city level throughout the Fort Worth/Dallas Megaplex. His goal as a League of American Bicyclists Board Member is to expose more individuals to cycling as a safe, useful, alternative form of transportation. Mr. Strong is a commuter and participates in various bicycle rides throughout the country. He is also LCI #2850.

MARIA BOUSTEAD, At Large

Brooklyn, NY

 

Maria is the founder and CEO of Po Campo, an internationally-distributed brand of bike bags for people who love using their bike to get around and refuse to compromise on style or functionality. Since May 2013, Po Campo has partnered with World Bicycle Relief, donating a portion of sales to funding the purchase of bicycles for girls in developing countries so that they can get to school.  An in-demand speaker, Maria has presented about her entrepreneurial journey in the bike and outdoor world at the League’s National Bike Summit, the Industrial Designer Society of America (IDSA) National Conference, and the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show, among others. Prior to founding Po Campo, Maria worked as an industrial designer and brand strategist, solving problems for brands as varied as 3M, Pampers, and Yellowtail. A reluctant office dweller, she prefers to spend her time bicycling around town, traveling abroad, reading books and drinking coffee in cafes, all of which can now, thankfully, count as "work."

MIKE SEWELL, At Large

Louisville, KY

 

Mike Sewell, P.E., is the Director of Active Transportation and Louisville Office Transportation Leader at Gresham Smith and Partners, an award-winning planning firm. Mike has helped establish GS&P as a leader in multimodal design, complete streets and network planning. Under Mike’s leadership, GS&P’s Louisville office received gold-level bike-friendly business status, as awarded by the League.

DANIELLE ARIGONI

Arlington, VA

 

Danielle Arigoni is Director of Livable Communities at AARP, where she works to support AARP’s 53 state offices -- and the hundreds of localities (and several states) enrolled in AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities -- to create great places for all people of all ages. Danielle is an urban planner by education, and has nearly 20 years of professional experience contributing to more sustainable and resilient federal, state and local policy, including prior leadership positions at USEPA and HUD. Originally from California, Danielle currently lives in Arlington, VA where she advocates for even more outstanding bike infrastructure to keep her and other families safe on their rides to work and school.

JIM BAROSS

San Diego, CA

 

Jim is an experienced bike educator and advocate, having been first certified as an Effective Cycling Instructor in 1986 by the League of American Wheelman. Jim then re-certified with the League of American Bicyclists after the name change. In 2002, Jim became a League Cycling Coach and has since conducted more than 45 training seminars certifying more than 400 LCI, taught nine Smart Cycling courses to more than 75 California Highway Patrol officers in five California cities, and certifying 11 officers as LCIs. He is active in local and state-wide bicycle advocacy and has worked with many California government agencies and local groups to improve the safety and convenience of bicycling in Southern California.

Melissa Lee

New Orleans, LA

 

As Director of Planning and Community Engagement at Concordia LLC, Melissa leads a team of seasoned experts to work collaboratively and think holistically to create unique human-centered places and spaces around the world. She also serves as the Board President of Bike Easy, the regional bicycling education and advocacy organization dedicated to making bicycling easy, safe, and fun for everyone in Greater New Orleans.

 

JACKIE MARTIN

Tempe, AZ

 

Jackie is a registered nurse working in public health. She is also a distance cyclist who has bike-toured through Arizona, Michigan, Puerto Rico, and Virginia. Since 2015, she has served on the board of directors of Tempe Bicycle Action Group, the area’s bicycle advocacy 501(c)3 non-profit, acting as President since 2017. She is also an advisor to the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists, Arizona’s state-wide advocacy organization. Jackie has combined her professional skills as a nurse with her passion for cycling, focusing on improving cycling safety and accessibility for women and families. Under her leadership, TBAG has expanded education programs to families, and worked closely with police, city council, Arizona State University, and local governments on safety and infrastructure projects. Her proudest achievement is developing and implementing an evidence-based safe-cycling program for families, called the Bunny Hop, which will launch nation-wide in 2020.

KECIA MCCULLOUGH

Rochester, NY

 

Kecia L. McCullough, a lifelong Rochesterian, is passionate about bringing people together. In 2016, Kecia launched the Rochester chapter of Black Girls Do Bike, the international initiative, to create a friendly, non-intimidating, relaxed cycling space for women of all shades to be embraced and welcomed into the fabric of cycling. Kecia is committed to encouraging and promoting community collaborative cycling, and frequently leads local bike rides while joining with and supporting other bicycling activities in Rochester and across the region. Kecia has served as a board member for the Rochester Bicycle Club, is a member of Rochester Cycling Alliance, and sits on the steering committee of the Health Impact Assessment Initiative. Kecia is the mother to three adult children, and grandmother to one amazingly awesome granddaughter. She holds a Licensed Masters of Social Work (LMSW), Credentialed by the State of New York as a Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), an international traveler, lover of ice cream, red wine and all things purple.

  

RALPH MONTI

Osprey, FL

 

Ralph is the immediate past chair of the board at the League. He’s also the past president of The Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, one of the nation’s largest bicycling clubs, and is a League of American Bicyclists LCI. He is very active in bicycle safety education and bicycle advocacy. He recently helped create and launch a monthly series of bicycle safety education workshops throughout the greater Sarasota County, Florida area. He teaches a monthly bicycle safety session at the Sarasota Boys and Girls Club. Ralph is also an active member of the Florida Bike Association, and lobbies for better bicycle infrastructure for the state of Florida. He’s a board member for the Sarasota Bicycle Pedestrian and Trail Advisory Council, and the Bicycle Director for The Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead Park in Osprey, Fl.

 

VIVIAN ORTIZ

Boston, MA

 

Vivian grew up in El Paso, TX and has lived in Boston since 2009. You can find her leading her neighbors on bike rides on the Neponset River Greenway trail in Mattapan as That Bike Lady. She became car-free in 2007 and started riding a bicycle in 2015. The following year, she attended her first National Bike Summit and also traveled to Boise, ID to become an LCI. Vivian serves on a number of boards to include the Boston Nature Center Sanctuary Committee, LivableStreets Alliance, and the Neponset River Greenway Council. She has a BA in Spanish from the University of Texas in El Paso and was a National Urban Fellow where she received a MPA from Baruch College in New York City. Vivian is the metro Boston outreach coordinator for the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program.

 

 

Cadesha Prawl

New Haven, CT

 

Cadesha currently serves on the board of the New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation (NHCAT), whose mission is to offer free bicycle education that is accessible to all and provides strategic input as well as oversees the organization’s technology needs. Cadesha also serves as a Shero on the New Haven chapter of Black Girls Do Bike (BGDB). As a BGDB Shero, she finds great joy in introducing women to the joy of cycling, coordinating local group rides and the fellowship.

BETH ST. JOHN

Minneapolis, MN and Amsterdam

 

Beth is the CEO and founder of the Aspire Institute, which helps academics travel with their students to the Netherlands to learn more about the urban planning, policy making, and civil engineering integral to creating and maintaining a biking culture. By enabling academics, students, and municipal leaders to experience the most successful cycling city on the planet, Beth and Aspire work to inspire and mobilize future cycling advocates across America to build a more equitable and sustainable future. Prior to launching Aspire, Beth held leadership positions at several internationally-focused non-profits and served on the boards of Minneapolis-based groups working to improve the livability of local communities.

CHUCK SMITH

Dayton, OH

 

Chuck Smith has been chair of the Ohio Bicycle Federation (OBF) since 1995, where he led four successful pro-cycling legislative efforts, including 2006 Better Ohio Bicycling Law, which created uniformity to laws governing bicycling throughout Ohio, and a 3-Foot Passing Law. OBF also helped fund the creation and maintenance of the Cleveland Velodrome under Smith’s tenure. Smith represented OBF on the National Committee for Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances, updating Uniform Vehicle Code (2000 edition) to reflect changing definition of “bicycle” as “vehicle” in UVC. He has pedaled over 50,000 miles bike commuting from home to Wright Patterson AFB over a 22-year period and his other roles have included Ohio Traffic Safety Council, League Cycling Instructor, Vandalia Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair, Dayton Cycling Club Advocacy Director, Bike Miami Valley Regional Action Committee, Miami Valley Trails Committee, City of Dayton Bike/Walk Council, Blue Streak Time Trial at Wright Patterson AFB, and USA Cycling Official.

   

KAREN JENKINS, DIRECTOR EMERITUS

New Haven, Connecticut

 

Karen Jenkins is the Managing Principal for Development4Good, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in fundraising, public affairs, and board development for NGOs and internationally focused non-profit organizations.  She has over three decades of executive positions with NGO/non profit and higher education organizations.  Karen received her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and an M.A. in International Relations from Yale University.  Her undergraduate work was at Fisk University.  From 2010 through 2014, she served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition. Previous board service includes the International Education Research Foundation (IERF), Model UN/HBCU of the United Nations Association, Scandinavian Seminar, and Minnesota International Health Volunteers.  Ms. Jenkins, who is a League Cycling Instructor, is a member of the Major Taylor Cycling Club of New Jersey, the Princeton Free Wheelers, and the Central Jersey Bicycle Club.