Reflections on serving on the Board from Board member Tom Steen
My experience on the Bike MN Board of Directors has been very enjoyable and, in a couple of ways, even surprising. Since we always need “fresh eyes” on the Board every so often, perhaps you readers might consider it. Or maybe you know someone who you would like to recommend. Either way, I know that all of us at the Alliance would really appreciate your consideration.
I’ve been on the Board since 2019. As a recently retired professor of education and physical education, I was looking for an opportunity to keep my hand in encouraging people to be active and have a great time doing it. As an off-and-on bicyclist, I was also upping my cycling game, riding for personal errands, in bicycle events, and promoting “bikability” and “walkability” in my neighborhood. I put the proverbial 2+2 together, looked around, and found the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. Looking further, I saw that their Board was looking for new members so I volunteered. The rest of the story is that my BikeMN experience has been great!
Although serving on a Board wasn’t new for me (it’s not uncommon for professors to serve on various boards), the BikeMN service has been right down my alley. I’ve been able to tap into my experience in physical education and outdoor education to provide input on biking in Minnesota. At the same time, I was surprised to see how terrific our bicycling infrastructure—trails, protected lanes, bike parking, and more—is in our state. BikeMN has played a crucial role in either making these things happen or supporting them along. I’ve also been highly impressed with the job that BikeMN has done in advocating and lobbying for the development, improvement, and promotion of safe, non-motorized transportation. In this time of climate change and increased expenses for fossil-fueled vehicles, BikeMN is on the front line of making the right kind of change for our state.
Board members get to deal with issues like these. My own service will come to end in the coming year, so I want to encourage you to think about “putting your hat in the MN bicycling ring” as a Board member.
Happy riding, Tom Steen (Board class of 2019)
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