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.

DANIELLE ARIGONI, Vice Chair

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.

 

KECIA MCCULLOUGH, Secretary

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.

MARIA BOUSTEAD, Treasurer

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.

MAX HEPP-BUCHANAN, At Large

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, At Large

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.

KARIN WEISBURGH, At Large

 

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.

 

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.

  

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.

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.

   

ANNA ZIVARTS

Seattle, WA

 

Anna was born with nystagmus – a genetic condition that means her eyes are always shaking. This reduces her visual acuity – she’s not legally blind but can’t drive, recognize faces across the room, or read most signage. She began her career as a union organizer and communication strategist for political campaigns, before joining the LGBT & HIV/AIDS Project at the American Civil Liberties Union as a storyfinder and videographer. In 2010, she co-founded Time of Day Media, a digital strategy firm that collaborates exclusively with social justice clients to tell stories that create change. At Time of Day, Anna produced digital video content featuring the stories about the criminal justice system for the Innocence Project, unions standing up for the 99% during Occupy Wall Street and fast food and airport workers in the Fight for 15. She also traveled to the border to find stories that could support the fight for comprehensive immigration reform in 2013, and to Kansas and Wisconsin to find voters disenfranchised by voter ID and other laws restricting voting rights. Anna earned her undergraduate and masters degrees from Stanford University.

KAREN JENKINS, DIRECTOR EMERITUS

New Haven, Connecticut

 

Karen Jenkins is the Managing Principal of Development4Good, a consulting firm specializing in organizational alignment and fundraising for non-profit organizations in the United States and abroad. She is also a Senior Associate with S. Sutton & Associates, a Canadian consulting firm. Previous leadership positions include President, BCA Study Abroad, a non-profit consortium of higher education institutions in 17 countries and Executive Director, African Studies Association, an international higher education association. For nearly a decade, Karen worked in Zambia where she served as the Resident Representative for Africare, a US NGO and then as Executive Director of New Development Applications (NDA), a consulting firm which administered community development funds for Barclays Bank and the Canadian High Commissions in southern Africa. Karen served as the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Studies in International Education and wrote regular columns on International Education for Diverse Issues in Higher Education. She has also published articles on biking and walking. Karen, who is a League Cycling Instructor (LCI), served as chair of the Board of Directors of the League of American Bicyclists and was voted “Director Emerita” in recognition of her service. Karen has served as chair of the Board of New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, and chair of the New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation. Other board experience includes the International Education Research Foundation (IERF), Model UN/HBCU of the United Nations Association, and Minnesota International Health Volunteers. She has an M.A. in International Relations from Yale, a J.D. from Rutgers and her undergraduate work was at Fisk University.