MEET THE BOARD

Meet the Bike Fort Collins board of directors. Dedicated to governing and ensuring effective operation of Bike Fort Collins while encouraging and engaging cyclists of all abilities and backgrounds to support the development of safer and healthier streets for all.

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Chris Sugai, Chair

Chris has been the President of Niner, Inc. since 2005. Previously, he was the owner of Solar Art Window Films in Los Angeles, a company he founded 1985. Chris has been an avid cyclist his entire life. He raced BMX bikes in his early teens and has been an avid rider of mountain and road bikes for the last 30 years. Chris served on the board of People Plus, a volunteer executive group of the American Red Cross for five years as well as a volunteer for the YMCA youth group. Chris has an AA in Economics from California State University Northridge. He is married and has a 12 year old daughter.

Why He Rides:

“I have always loved cycling in all its many forms.  My wish is to spread this passion to everyone I meet. My hope is to see Fort Collins become the Netherlands of cycling in North America.”

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Jennifer Hoover, Vice Chair

Jennifer is a Virginia native living the dream in Colorado with her husband and three children. She is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant and maternal-child-health specialist working with families in Fort Collins. Jennifer picked up a road bike on a whim while visiting friends back east and immediately fell in love. She adamantly denied any interest in mountain biking until a trip to Costa Rica where she discovered she might love that even more! Jennifer was inspired to join Bike Fort Collins after a close call with a big truck reminded her there is still work and education to do, even in this bicycle-friendly community. She hopes to make bike riding in our city safer and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

Why She Rides:

“Riding my bike connects me to that happy feeling of childhood when my bike was my fun, my freedom, and my passport to adventure in my small rural hometown. When I am on my bike, the stress of life melts away and brings me peace in the midst of a full and sometimes chaotic life.”

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Sam Altman, Treasurer

Born and raised in Fort Collins, Sam has always found pride in this community. Sam grew up competing in BMX races but stopped riding to focus on his education. He recently rediscovered cycling to focus on his health and wellness, competing in a race and a bike packing trip within months of getting his first bike. At the same time, Sam become involved in the Homeward Alliance Bike Repair helping fix bikes for people who using them as their primary transportation mode, which led him to Bike Fort Collins. When not on his bike Sam is the Principal of Full Cycle CFO providing financial analysis to companies.

Why He Rides:

“I ride bikes because they make me feel free. I lived here as a kid and yet there are parts of our city that I never knew until I got on a bike. Back roads or bike paths give me a whole new view of our community. I get to explore this land all over again.”

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Lisa Butler, Secretary

Lisa made her way to Fort Collins 14 years ago to practice as a family physician. She is the owner of Integrative Osteopathy and now practices integrative medicine. She is dedicated to active lifestyles, health, and safety. Through her own activities and her work she strives to inspire others to seek health and to live their best life. Growing up in rural Michigan Lisa spent as much time as possible outside climbing trees, running around, and riding her bike through creeks, neighborhoods, and dirt paths. If it involves movement and nature, she enjoys it, including skiing, trail running, biking, hiking, triathlon and more.  She hopes her enthusiasm will encourage more people to join in the fun.

Why She rides:

“A cartoonist once said that ‘Mach-S is the speed at which stress cannot keep up.’ Riding a bike is the fast track to leaving my cares behind and getting to what really matters; full body contact with joy. Flying down dirt or riding around town I notice things in a way I would not otherwise. On a bike, I can go places and see things that are only reachable by pedal power. Sharing adventures and seeing the sights by bike has built strong friendships.”

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Rick Arneson

Rick (“Arne”) started his cycling early as a pro,  delivering 62 daily newspapers from a 20 incher: Schwinn Stingray. Sub zero temps and no lights on the bike through a Wisconsin winter developed look, listen and feel sensibilities that serve him well as a rider even today. He just never stopped riding. He rode and camped. Arriving in Fort Collins in the early 80’s with wife Shelly, he started his commercial print sales career one that continues to this day. Together they built their careers and raised two lovely daughters and continued to ride. He finished 4 Ragbrais (Registers Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa); a tour through Puglia Italy; and many morning rides along the dams of Horsetooth reservoir. He knew there was more, and decided to join BFC as a board member. Now Arne devotes his time and energy to giving back to the cycling community.

Why He Rides:

“I ride because it reveals the best version of myself.”

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Jeffrey Mizell

Jeffrey is a career non-profit development and programming professional and currently serves as the Director, Innovation and Development at Adventure Cycling Association – America’s largest non-profit cycling organization. Growing up in Japan with bikes, his love for cycling was re-ignited when he found a broken bike abandoned in a drainage ditch (he rode it, and returned it every day until it disappeared). Since then, he’s been hooked. He is an avid member of the Fort Collins cycling community and is excited to contribute to the important work Bike Fort Collins does to make our city the best place to ride a bike in the country.

Why He Rides:

“My partner, River, and I have two beautiful sons, Jay and Kai, and a rescue border collie and we all love to bike around town – as a way to connect with each other, our community, and the beautiful nature in our backyard.”

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Trent Newcomer

Trent has been part of the local cycling community for over 20-years. As franchise owner of Velofix Colorado, a fleet of mobile bike shops servicing Fort Collins, Boulder and Denver, he has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as one of only four Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Colorado. He is also the former owner of Front Range Veterinary Clinic, and though he sold the business in 2016, he still enjoys practicing medicine part-time. Trent has been passionate about bicycles since the age of nine, when he started riding/racing BMX. He has remained an avid cyclist and continues to love riding/(occasionally) racing on the road, in the mountains, and around cyclocross courses whenever he has the chance.

Why He Rides:

“No matter what challenges life presents at a given time, they seem to melt away when I am riding a bike. There is no doubt that cycling has made me a healthier person – physically, mentally, and emotionally. The camaraderie of a social ride with friends, the fitness gained during an intense ride, the meditative focus necessary to stay upright during a technical mountain bike ride, or the sense of accomplishment after finishing a big race – I love it all.”

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Sara Stieben

Sara is a Fort Collins native. She attended Colorado State University for undergraduate and the University of Kansas for law school- Rock Chalk! She returned to her hometown to make a difference in her community by practicing law. Having worked with corporate clients and insurance companies she is now a personal injury attorney. Her passion is holding insurance companies accountable and in doing so, creating change in the safety of the community.

Why She Rides:

“We live in a slice of heaven and the best way to explore is on a bicycle.”

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

We are currently considering expanding our Board of Directors. The BFC Board is a governance and policy-making body that oversees the strategy and operations of the organization—and has fun doing it.

We are particularly interested in people with skills in budgeting, insurance, fundraising, communications, marketing, volunteer management as well as general business and non-profit experience. Or, candidates with experience or strong interest in public health, urban or transportation public planning, public policy community organizing, nonprofit administration or governance. Service on the BFC Board represents a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the cycling community by contributing, and even expanding your skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES & TIME COMMITMENT

Board members serve two-year terms and may serve any number of consecutive terms. Each Board member is asked to:

  • Attend monthly board meetings (approximately 2 hours in length) and one annual retreat (per calendar year)
  • Outside of regular board meetings, participate in at least one working committee or program
  • Seek to acquire knowledge in areas related to our strategy: transportation planning, active transportation, public health, and/or community organization
  • Passionately support our Vision, Mission, and Strategy
  • Champion fundraising
  • Help drive membership and volunteer recruitment
  • Help with our always-fun events

BFC has an active, passionate Board and their time, expertise, and energy is a very important ingredient for our success. Interested candidates should email our Executive Director at mike.moses@bikefortcollins.org.