Building on our work in the community since 2011, our board members have been guiding BFK since its formal incorporation as a Michigan non-profit organization and preparing us to achieve its goals on into the future.  Interested in becoming a board member?  Time expectations are 1-2 hours/week on policy level matters plus regular board attendance.  Additional voluntary service at the committee or event planning level is up to you: none is expected; it’s up to you as you have the time and interest.  Our main expectation is to honor commitments when made (applies to volunteers at any level).  Terms are three years with a two term sequential limit.  More details can be found in our bylaws here.

If you have an interest in helping us fulfill our mission through service on our volunteer board, we would love to hear from you!  Please let us know via our Contact Us page if you don’t know one of us personally.

CURRENT OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS

Bill Adams – Director

• Fall Bike Celebration: Honorary Co-Chair
• Past Village Council President, Village of Vicksburg, MI
• Past VP Engineer Research & Marketing, FlowServe Michigan
• Board of Visitors, WMU School of Engineering
• Advisory Board, Texas A&M University
• MTEC Board, 10 years
• DOE & EPA Clean Air Act Amendments, Energy Efficiency Programs Aimed at Reducing CO2
• Rode bike to and from work for many years

 

Deb Carpenter – Director

• Child Injury Prevention Consultant
• Safe Kids Kalamazoo County: Former Executive Director
• Safe Kids Worldwide President’s Advisory Council: former member
• MI Safe Kids Steering Committee: former member
• Nationally Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor
• MI Occupant Protection Team: current member
• BFK Advisory Council: former member
• Has planned, coordinated and implemented numerous bicycle, pedestrian and road safety events for youth
• M.A. in Elementary & Early Childhood Education

 

Hayden Guild – Treasurer

• CPA and Senior Accountant with the accounting firm of Seber Tans, PLC
• Provides tax, assurance, and bookkeeping services to clients in greater SW Michigan and beyond
• Passionate cyclist and outdoor enthusiast
• B.B.A., Western Michigan University
• M.S.A., Western Michigan University

 

Jennifer Johnson – Director

• Senior Administrative Assistant & Student Mentor/Retention Officer, WMU Paper Technology Foundation
• League of Michigan Bicyclists: current member
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: current member and sanctioned ride leader
• Chain Gang Bicycle Club: current member and ride leader
• Safe Cycling Certification
• BFK Advisory Council: former member
• Survivor, June 7, 2016, Chain Gang Bicycling Tragedy
• Avid cyclist including international trips and a USA crossing
• Wife of Steve, owner of Johnson Cycle Works mobile bicycle repair
• Mom of 3 active boys
• CenterPoint Church: member and small group leader
• B.B.A., Western Michigan University

 

Paul Rehkopf – Director

• Emergency Medicine Physician, Retired
• Adventure Cycling Association: Life Member
• Open Roads Bicycle Program: volunteer
• Bicycle Coalition of  Maine, Bike Maine: volunteer
• League of American Bicyclists: current member
• League of Michigan Bicyclist: current member
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: current member

 

Paul Runnels – Vice President

• Veterinary Clinical Research Scientist at Zoetis, Retired February, 2016
• Board Member and Treasurer, Open Roads Bike Program
• Chain Gang Bicycle Club: current member
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: current member
• BFK Advisory Council: former member
• Survivor, June 7, 2016, Chain Gang Bicycling Tragedy (and very grateful for the support of the entire community!)
• Avid bicyclist (and sometimes runner)
• B.A. degree, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana
• D.V.M., Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
• Ph.D., Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

 

Randall Schau – Director

• Deputy City Attorney for Kalamazoo (retired)
• Volunteer Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteer Kalamazoo Nature Center
• Volunteer Woodland Elementary (math tutor)
• Active Bike Rider
• High School referee (basketball and football)

 

Paul H. Selden – Chair & President

• Retired in 2016 as president of an information systems support firm he founded in 1978
• Bike Friendly Kalamazoo: Founder; Founding Board Member
• Fall Bike Celebration: Chair
• Kalamazoo Bike Week: Chair
• Kalamazoo Region Bike Route Committee: Chair
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: current member; former Board Member; former Awards Committee Chair; former Director of Road Safety; Volunteer of the Year Award (2013)
• TriKats: current member
• Chain Gang Bicycle Club: current member
• League of Michigan Bicyclists: current member; Bob Gibbs Passion for Pedaling Award: finalist (2019); Volunteer of the Year Award (2014)
• MDOT Pedestrian & Bicycle Committee: current member
• Randonneurs USA: current member; designer of many “Permanent” routes; P-12 Award (3 times); R-12 Award
• Southwest Michigan Mountain Biking Association (SWMMBA): current member
• Adventure Cycling Association: former member
• KATS Nonmotorized Subcommittee: current Member
• KATS Citizens Advisory Committee: former member
• World Ultracycling Association: former member; Larry Schwartz Year Rounder Challenge Award (2 times)
• The Complete Kalamazoo (1976): Author

 

Matthew Wells – Director

• Senior Software Engineer, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc.
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: current member
• BFK Advisory Council: former member
• B.S., Western Michigan University

 

Donna Whitcomb – Secretary

• Kazoo Valley AMBUCS: President – 2016 to present
• Vocational Counselor- State of Michigan: retired
• Volunteers for KBC Kal-Tour: Coordinator
• BFK Advisory Council: former member
• Committed to inclusion of persons of all abilities riding bikes in a safe environment
• Member- Women Who Care, Kalamazoo
• 20+ years nonprofit board and officer experience in budget, fundraising and event planning
• M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling, Western Michigan University

 

Former Board Members

Erin Denay – Director

• Erin Susanne Photography: Owner
• Open Roads Bike Program: Executive Director (fmr)
• Certified Non-Profit Professional (CNP)
• Volunteer Ride Leader, Bike the Zoo
• B.A. in Organizational Communication and Environmental Studies

 

Robert T. Loftus – Treasurer

• CPA and Senior Manager with the accounting firm of Seber Tans, PLC.
• Kalamazoo Nature Center: Treasurer
• Provides accounting, assurance and consulting services to clients in a broad range of industries
• BFK Founding Board Member

 

Michelle Karpinski

• Portage Public Schools: Community Relations Manager
• Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE)
• Pretty Lake Camp: Former Executive Director
• Kalamazoo Nature Center: Former VP of Development
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: Member
• 20+ years in nonprofit management
• B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish
• Masters Degree in Public Administration
• BFK Founding Board Member

 

Stephanie Kennedy

• Human Resources executive (Since Jan 2020: Stryker-Sr. Director, HR, Instruments Division; 2004 – 2020: Kellogg; multiple HR leadership roles)
• League of Michigan Bicyclist: current member
• Kalamazoo Bicycle Club: current member
• Active cyclist (since 1986), including road, mountain, touring, gravel
• Support Rails to Trails, Kalamazoo Nature Center, SWMLC, Open Roads
• Founding Funder: Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and Betsie Valley Trail
• B.A., Michigan State University
• M.P.A., Western Michigan University

 

Timothy M. Krone

• Pedal Bicycles: Owner/Founder
• TriKats: Current Member
• Former technologist
• Good sense of financial practice and organizational structure
• Committed to bicycling as a profession, pastime, economic development and source of wellness
• Degrees in physics, economics and engineering
• BFK Founding Board Member

 

Daniel P. McGlinn

• Practicing business attorney, 27+ years: Kreis, Enderle, Hudgins & Borsos P.C.
• Lift Foundation: Current Board Member
• Kalamazoo County: Former County Commissioner
• Friends of Western Michigan University PAC: Former Board Member
• Lakeside for Children: Former Board Member
• Northside Business Association: Former Board Member
• Western Michigan University Center for Disability Services: Former Board Member
• BFK Founding Board Member

 

Brendan Molony

• Bronson Healthcare Group: Acting Sustainability Coordinator
• Passion to drive organizational and community change while taking into account the people, planet and financial success. Focus on waste reduction, mobility, green building design, local/healthy food, green cleaning, and smarter purchasing
• Helped Bronson become one of the top 50 Green hospitals in the United States as rated by the Becker Review
• Michigan Health and Hospital Association’s Green Healthcare: Current Chair of the Committee, engaging other hospitals on sustainability issues and creating a common vision for reducing healthcare’s impact on the environment.
• Aquinas College: Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Business
• BFK Founding Board Member

 

Brian Persky

• Discover Kalamazoo (a.k.a. Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitor Bureau): Director of Sports Event Development
• Assists and supports local, regional, and national sports event planners, organizations, and venues
• Urban planning and economic development: 10 years experience
• Brian’s involvement with Bike Friendly Kalamazoo stems from his interest in strengthening the Kalamazoo region as an even more bike-friendly destination through education, policy/decision-making, community events, and other approaches.
• BFK Founding Board Member

 

Kimberly L. Swinehart

• Attorney with Lewis, Reed, Allen, PC
• Practicing corporate and estate planning attorney, 8 years
• Kalamazoo Concert Band: Clarinetist
• Van Buren County Young Professionals: current member
• Chicago Public Library Foundation Junior Board: former Membership Chair
• Recent area transplant from Chicago
• Avid bicyclist: favorite trips include Chicago to Milwaukee and Chicago to the Indiana Dunes
• B.A. in English and History, Northwestern University, 2005
• J.D., Loyola University, 2010