Frederick Bicycle Coalition

Please vote for you 2012 Board of Directors. Candidate bios are below the poll. Please click the Done button on the survey when you have completed it

Tom Rinker – President
My name is Tom Rinker. I am one of the original founders of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition (FBC) and currently the president of the organization. I am running for that position again.

As a representative of the cycling community, I have promoted bicycling by regularly attending Frederick City and County meetings. I have worked continuously in Maryland bicycle shops since 1995 which provides me a unique perspective on the importance of cycling advocacy. I am the owner of The Bicycle Escape in Frederick, MD. I both personally and professionally support advocacy groups such as Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts, International Mountain Bike Association, the Frederick Pedalers, The League of American Bicyclists, the Frederick Bicycle Coalition and more. My shop regularly leads rides, volunteers time for trail maintenance, and supports these and other events by supplying such items as prizes and food for participants.

Since the beginning of FBC, and even before it was established as a non-profit, I have spent considerable time and resources to ensure the health and vibrancy of the organization. As it reaches this milestone I am pleased with our accomplishments and excited to keep going. If re-elected I will continue to work with the cycling community, the FBC Board of Directors, and Frederick government to improve and promote area cycling.

John Thomas – Membership
City of Frederick Resident, John is currently the Senior Transportation Planner for the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission providing transportation planning assistance to 5 counties and the City of Winchester in northern Virginia. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry & Natural Resources Recreation from Virginia Tech and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the State University of New York at Albany. He is a certified Professional Transportation Planner, a member of the City of Frederick Mayoral Ad-hoc Bicycle Friendly Community Committee and a member of the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals. Prior to joining the NSVRC, he worked for Frederick County, MD; the New York (State) Bicycling Coalition; the National Park Service; the US Forest Service and as a private sector transportation planning consultant working on bicycle and pedestrian planning projects around the US. He enjoys cycling, crabbing and skiing with his wife and 8 year old son.

Anna Kelso- Treasurer
A passionate advocate for cyclists’ rights, Anna Kelso dedicates her professional and recreational life to the love of cycling. Anna began racing in 2002 on the University of Georgia Cycling team where she earned a degree in Environmental Economics. After receiving a masters in Forest Resources at Penn State, Anna moved to D.C. where she accepted a job with the US EPA. In 2009, Anna took a leave of absence to work with the League of American Bicyclists as a policy analyst. Today she lives in downtown Frederick where she can easily ride to trails right from her door.

James Johnson- Secretary
James Johnson, Secretary of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition, has been active in the cycling community for 12 years. He has worked in bike shops in the Maryland area for over a decade, and in Frederick shops for 6 years. His work extends to volunteering for local bike safety seminars, trail work, and the founding of dirtdata.org, a website devoted to mapping the vanishing dirt roads in the Frederick area. As the advocacy coordinator for Bike Doctor Frederick, he is working to further the cycling cause for local and visiting riders.

Jeffrey Stevens – Communications Director
I would like to run for the Frederick Bike Coalition board of directors. I am interested in the Communications Director position. My qualifications are:

Assistant Marketing Director for The Common Market Co-op in Frederick MD.
Responsible for the planning, set-up and maintenance of The Common Market Co-op’s Facebook page.
Responsible for the business planning of The Common Market’s social media strategy.
I have created a very content rich Facebook experience for The Common Market “fans”, with a much higher level of fan interaction than local competitors.
Maintenance of The Common Market Co-op’s current website.
Avid bicycle commuter.
Mountain bike enthusiast.
10 years of welding/metal fabrication experience.
Experience in Branding and Brand development.
10 Years of website design and maintenance.
10 years of Photoshop/graphic design experience.
20+ years of photography experience, film and digital.
2 years of professional photography experience.
Use/own professional Nikon photography equipment.
Extensive “photo event coverage” experience.
Digital video knowledge.
Social Media business/demographics knowledge.
Creative writing skills.
Lived in Frederick for 32 years.

This Friday and Saturday, January 6 – 7, 2012 is modern firearms deer season in Region B which includes the Frederick Watershed and nearby Greenbrier State Park. Stay safe out there!

Don’t forget, January 3rd, 2012 will be the Frederick Bicycle Coalition fundraiser at Brewers Alley in downtown Frederick. All day long, 20 percent of profits from your food and bar bill will be donated to FBC. So visit Brewers Alley for some great food and beer and help support Frederick biking at the same time.

Plenty of bikers and FBC board members will be there in the evening, so come on out and introduce yourself, enjoy some great food and beer and help support the Frederick Bicycle Coalition. Last year this was a great fundraiser and best of all it is an easy way to help support FBC.

Brewers Alley is located at 124 North Market Street in downtown Frederick, MD and will be open from 11:30AM to 11:30PM on the day of the event. Come on out!

Don’t forget, if you intend to run for the FBC board of directors, send an email to the following address foundingchair@frederickbicyclecoalition.com with the position you wish to run for and a bio explaining your qualifications for the position. Your bio will be posted with all candidate bios prior to the election.

Candidate bios will be accepted between 12/20/2011 and 01/07/2012.

Full details about the election and the positions can be found here.

The new newsletter is out. Read it here!

The bylaws of The Frederick Bicycle Coalition stipulate an annual election for positions on the board of directors. Being on the FBC Board of Directors is an excellent way to influence cycling in Frederick City and County. Any member of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition may run for an open board position and all members are encouraged to run.

Except for the Founding Chair, each board member serves a one year term. The board meets in person once per month for approximately 2 hours to discuss business. Between board meetings a large amount of business takes place via email. All board members have an equal vote on issues. All board members head up bicycle related projects and advocacy issues. Additionally, each position has a specific focus which is outlined below.

To run, send an email to the following address foundingchair@frederickbicyclecoalition.com with the position you wish to run for and a bio explaining your qualifications for the position. Your bio will be posted with all candidate bios prior to the election. Candidate bios will be accepted between 12/20/2011 and 01/07/2012. Voting will take place via an electronic ballot sent to members between 01/14/2012 and 01/28/2012. The board transition meeting will take place 02/21/2012.

The following positions are up for election:

• President
• Secretary
• Membership/Social Director
• Treasurer
• Communications Director

General position descriptions are as follows:

President: Presides at meetings of the members and the Board of Directors, has general and active management of the business of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition, and sees that orders and resolutions of the Board are carried into effect.

Secretary: Maintains the official record of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition. The Secretary shall attend Board meetings and record all votes and the minutes of all proceedings. The Secretary shall maintain copies of the Articles of Incorporation and all amendments in effect, the Bylaws and all amendments in effect, the Club Rules, and all correspondence of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition. In the event the secretary must miss a meeting another board member can temporarily fill the role of Secretary.

Treasurer: Serves as the chief financial officer of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition. Has custody of FBC’s funds and financial records and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Frederick Bicycle Coalition. The Treasurer shall deposit all moneys and other valuables in the name of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition in such depositories as the Board may designate.

The Treasurer shall collect moneys due to the Frederick Bicycle Coalition (FBC) and shall be responsible for the dispersal of all club funds as the Board may authorize. The Treasurer shall render to the Board at its regular meetings, or whenever the Board may require it, an account of all transactions and the financial condition of FBC.

The Treasurer shall prepare or cause to be prepared annually a full and correct statement of FBC’s financial condition, including a balance sheet and a statement of operations for the preceding fiscal year, which shall be submitted at the annual meeting of the membership.

Membership/Social Director: The Membership/Social Director will attend monthly FBC Board meetings to provide the Board with a written or oral report of social activities as well as the current status of FBC membership. This individual will help to create and coordinate various social and fundraising events for members and friends of FBC, as well as the greater community, in addition to working closely with the Communications Director to promote membership via electronic or other media.

Communications Director: The Communications Director will attend monthly FBC Board meetings to provide the Board with a written or oral report of activities. This individual will promote FBC events and activities by communicating information to the greater community using electronic or other media.

January 3rd, 2012 we will be having a Frederick Bicycle Coalition event at Brewers Alley in downtown Frederick. All day long, 20 percent of your food/bar bill will be donated to FBC. So visit Brewers Alley for some great food and beer and help support Frederick biking at the same time.

Plenty of bikers and FBC board members will be there in the evening, so come on out and introduce yourself, enjoy some great food and beer and help support the Frederick Bicycle Coalition.

Brewers Alley is located at 124 North Market Street in downtown Frederick, MD and will be open from 11:30AM to 11:30PM on the day of the event.

And of course, you are encouraged to ride your bike to the event. Hope to see you there!

What would you say to a cheap, easy way to stay slim, one that would help avoid serious illness and early death? How about if it made your neighbors healthier, too? It could be as simple as biking to the store.

Read the story Secret To A Long, Healthy Life: Bike To The Store on NPR