Our Team

BikeMN is governed by a Board of Directors and staffed by tireless advocates for bicycling and walking.

CJ Lindor
Education Coordinator

Before coming to the Bicycle Alliance in 2014, CJ was teaching outdoor and environmental education for 6 years. His background also includes many years of bike shop retail and repair experience, and he is a founding coach for one of the MN High School Cycling League teams. CJ believes in the transformative power of the bicycle to improve the quality of life for people and communities. His current role at the Bicycle Alliance is a perfect synthesis of his passions for outdoor recreation, sustainable communities, and transportation advocacy. CJ loves all types of cycling but most especially ripping through the forest on a mountain bike.

Dorian Grilley
Executive Director

Dorian has worked with non-profits as a volunteer or staff for almost forty years, volunteering many years with the Minnesota Coalition of Bicyclists, BikeMN’s predecessor, and serving as the BikeMN executive director since 2009. He worked for the Minnesota DNR from 1979 to 1996, and then served as the Executive Director Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota 1996 to 2008. Dorian currently serves on the board of the Lake Links (White Bear Lake) Trails Association. He commuted 25-30 miles round trip daily for 25 years and raced for more than a decade. He and his wife Margie live in Mahtomedi near White Bear Lake and enjoys bicycling, nordic skiing, sailing his ice boats, fishing, and working on his model railroad.

Hannah Goldfarb
Communications and Outreach Assistant

Hannah has been with BikeMN for almost a year now! She grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota and graduated from Hopkins High School in 2018. Currently, Hannah is a junior at Macalester College studying political science, urban studies, and media and cultural studies. She’s passionate about bike safety, active transportation, and her All City Space Horse. Her work with BikeMN has included coordinating the Bike Walk Summit, posting from our social media accounts, and helping out with SHIFT. You might recognize her from our monthly Bicycling Book Club meetings or the local bike paths.

Karl Hedlund
Greencorps Service Member

Karl has an inherent love for the joy transportation autonomy can bring to people’s lives. In pursuit of this love, Karl has dedicated his early career towards eliminating barriers to entry surrounding active transportation. Projects included biking, mapping, and photographing every paved mile of Minnesota State bike trails for the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota. Additionally, he helped hundreds of adults learn to bike for the first time while leading Cycles for Change’s Learn to Ride Program. When he’s not on his bike, you will find Karl harvesting local produce or hunting for budget travel opportunities. Wherever he travels his priority checklist includes renting a bike and taking it to find the best coffee and cocktail in town.

Maya Sheikh
Communications Manager

Maya is the Communications Manager for BikeMN. Maya has been biking around Minneapolis with her family for years throughout the Twin Cities, and is excited to write words for BikeMN in this role. She recently returned to Minnesota from Washington, DC, where she worked in communications in the US Senate. She is eager to dive into the world of transportation equity, education and advocacy, and she looks forward to learning to love a chilly bike ride, exploring new trails throughout the state, and talking to passionate Minnesotans.

Michelle Kiefer
Safe Routes to School Program Manager

Michelle was a junior high teacher for approximately 12 years and received great joy from the education and antics of 7th and 8th graders. Michelle’s career as a professional educator encompasses working in public and parochial schools to Girl Scouts to public health. She loves the learning environment, the professional speaking engagements, and many trainings she leads for Safe Routes to School and Walk! Bike! Fun! She also loves being active through downhill skiing, running, biking, and horseback riding. Michelle is a recreational bike rider, using it for exercise, going to work or the grocery store, wherever and whenever the elements and infrastructure will allow. She is hoping that there will soon be many more bike trails throughout Minnesota to connect communities and destinations.

Natalie Gille
Greater Minnesota Program Manager

Natalie Gille grew up in Lauderdale, Minnesota, biking and walking to local parks, community events, church, and the mall. She continued commuting by bike while studying at Bemidji State University. As a League Cycling Instructor (LCI), Natalie teaches bike education, leads bike rides, helps plan Bike Month activities, and works with communities to become more bicycle-friendly. She leads the Minnesota Bike Walk Leadership Network, moderates monthly webinars and manages the Community Bike Walk Leadership Team program statewide. Natalie cycles for both transportation and leisure, frequently choosing travel destinations based on whether they are walk and bicycle-friendly.

Nick Mason
Deputy Director

Nick has been involved in the bike industry and bicycle advocacy for over 20 years. He began his advocacy work in Washington, D.C., with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association before establishing advocacy programs at Penn Cycle and Dero Bike Rack Company. In 2014, Nick became a Smart Cycling Coach, one of only 18 instructors in the country who can provide training and national certification for new League Cycling Instructors. He served as chair of the Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee for a decade. Nick loves family rides to parks and playgrounds as much on and off-road bike adventures across Minnesota.

Ted Duepner
Supporter Relations Manager

Ted has been using his bike as a main source of transportation year-round in Minnesota since 2003 including 15 years of commuting 20+ miles per day. While the most rewarding job he had was being a playground/lunchroom supervisor at an elementary school for 10 years, he has always strived to incorporate bicycle advocacy and encourage ridership wherever he has found himself. Legitimizing cycling and walking for transportation has been and remains a central component of his identity. When not on his bike you may find him, canoeing, hiking, fishing, hunting, playing yard games, losing at board games, and foraging for wild foods or pretty rocks.

Board of Directors

This group of skilled professionals, active transportation advocates, and passionate bicyclists and pedestrians has built up BikeMN from an ad-hoc committee to an organization with statewide influence and a $1 million budget. Directors have hailed from communities across Minnesota.

Paul Acito, Saint Paul

Bill Dooley, Minneapolis

Steph Jacobs, President, Minneapolis

Rachael Weiker, Vice-President, Minneapolis

Andy Lambert, Minneapolis

Tom Steen, Rochester

Rachel Callanan, Saint Paul

Julia Eagles, Secretary, Minneapolis

Verónica Jaralambides, Hopkins

Shawna Mullen, Duluth

Nancy Roehr, Minneapolis

Interested in becoming a board member?

The BikeMN board has annual openings for people from around Minnesota that are interested in contributing their time, interest, skills, and passion toward accomplishing BikeMN’s mission and vision. At nonprofits, a Board of Directors is typically organized as either a “working board” or a “governing board.” At BikeMN, you’ll get a little bit of both flavors.

Directors may participate in meetings virtually and reimbursements are available for meeting travel for Greater Minnesota-based directors. Everyone is invited to apply.

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