The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, elected by our members each October.
The Board establishes and monitors major policy direction, oversees the finances and helps secure resources for the organization, and works in cooperation with the staff to fulfill the BTA’s goals.
Individuals interested in serving on the Board of Directors may submit applications until June 1 to be evaluated for election in September. Click here to learn more.
2009-10 Board of Directors
Chris Achterman joined the BTA board in 2010. An Oregon native, Chris grew up in Salem where he frequently rode cross-town to his grandmother's house or up Fairmont Hill to meet with friends. Professionally, Chris is an orthopedic surgeon. After graduating from Washington University (St Louis), Chris returned to Oregon in 1980 and now focuses on pediatric orthopedics at Emanuel Hospital. Chris's return to cycling began in 2000, when he bought a recumbent and signed up for Cycle Oregon. He can be found observing monthly Portland Bike Advisory Council meetings as well as Metro's Blue Ribbon Trails Committee meetings. Chris has attended the last two Oregon Bicycle Summits and currently serves on the Active Transportation Council. As a physician, Chris has a strong interest in active transportation and its impact on public health and the environment, and brings this focus to the BTA Board.
Paul Adkins joined the BTA Board in the fall of 2008. Paul serves on the Advocacy Committee and hopes to help increase BTA's statewide influence. Paul has a background in communications and marketing and coordinates Community Outreach for Paul's Bicycle Way of Life in Eugene. Having earned a fine arts degree from Kent State University in 1995, Paul gained valuable experience working as a designer before moving to Oregon in 2007. Paul also serves as the Advocacy and Education Chair of the Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs), an advocacy and recreation organization in Eugene. Paul and his wife live car-free with their four kids, Rainy, Torrent, Dare and Sangi. He also helped co-found Kidical Mass. Paul has lived all over, in some of America's best and worst biking towns: Palo Alto, Missoula, Slatyfork, Ithaca and Atlanta.
John Beaston joined the BTA Board in Oct 2008. John has been helping the BTA staff with IT upgrades and the adoption of new web technologies. Professionally, John co-founded EasyStreet Online Services after many years with Intel and a stint teaching high school. John holds master’s degrees in both engineering and teaching. A bike commuter since 1985, John currently commutes year-round from North Portland to Beaverton. A long history in bicycling includes distance rides, self-supported tours, many Seattle to Portland trips, Cycle Oregon and other recreational rides, and some racing. John loves meeting people and talking bikes when volunteering at various rides or getting dirty cleaning bikes on Cycle Oregon for the Community Cycling Center. He is striving for a car-free life and is passionate about minimizing our dependence on cars.
Tommy Brooks joined the BTA Board in the Fall of 2008. He currently serves on the Board's Legislative Committee. During the day, he is an attorney who works on land use and energy issues, and it is that combination of issues that makes the BTA a natural fit for him. Prior to becoming an attorney, he spent most of his professional life working for Portland Mayor Vera Katz, so policy and politics seem to be part of his DNA. The space Tommy occupies in the cycling world consists mainly of his regular bike commute to work and the occasional triathlon when he's feeling in shape. Tommy is also eagerly awaiting the days when he can bring his new daughter along for weekend rides.
Mary Fetsch joined the BTA Board member in 2003. She has served as board secretary and currently chairs the Board Recruiting and Nominating Committee. Professionally, Mary is TriMet's Communications Director and oversees the messaging and dissemination of information to the media and the public. Prior to TriMet, Mary joined Elizabeth Furse's Congressional campaign and then became her Press Secretary in Washington, D.C. She also worked as a producer for each of the major network affiliates, KATU, KGW and KOIN. Mary was a regular cyclist in college until a crash put her out of the saddle for many years. Her interest in cycling was re-ignited about 10 years ago and now she considers her 40-minute bike commute the best part of the day. Mary joined the BTA to boost her confidence in cycling and help make it safer and easier to ride.
Stephen Gomez joined the board of the BTA February 2008. He is passionate about Portland's unique livability and progressive culture and hopes that his service through the BTA contributes to the positive growth of our community. Stephen worked at Nike for 17 years through 1998, with his last five years as VP of Nike's global apparel business. Since then he has started a restaurant and partnered with a group of former Nike and Patagonia execs to found Nau, Inc., an outdoor lifestyle apparel company. Stephen has served on the boards of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Cycle Oregon and currently is on the board of New Avenues for Youth. He is vice-chair of the BTA Board of Directors.
Jeff Knapp joined the BTA Board in October 2007 and serves on the Finance Committee, as the Secretary of the Board, and as a resource on legal issues. By profession, he is a lawyer in Portland specializing in employee benefits. A long-time recreational cyclist (including a cross-country trip in 1989), Jeff discovered bike commuting about 7 years ago and now averages 2,500 miles per year on his bike instead of in his car. In addition to the health benefits of bike commuting, he likes the feeling of camaraderie among bike commuters. When he's not on his bike, you can find Jeff dancing (tap and ballroom), playing the accordion, working in the garden, and walking the hills of Portland.
J.S. May joined the BTA board in May 2010. As Director of Development for the Portland Art Museum, J.S. is a seasoned fundraising and communications professional and has worked with a wide range of local, regional, national and international nonprofit organizations. He and his teams have helped raise more than $250 million for PAM. Before joining PAM, J.S. led the fundraising practice for Metropolitan Group, a Portland based social marketing firm, and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation at Oregon Health and Science University; he also served as the director of corporate support for Oregon Public Broadcasting. A graduate of the University of Oregon, J.S. volunteers for numerous non profit organizations and has served multiple terms as president of the board for both the Portland Schools Foundation and the Portland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. J.S. is an avid yogi, cyclist and reader.
Jim Middaugh joined the BTA board in the Summer of 2008. Jim is an avid cyclist with several Cycle Oregon's and many other road trips under his belt. Jim chairs BTA's Advocacy Committee, where he uses his political and communications skills to advance cycling throughout Oregon. Jim currently is the Communications Director at the Metro, the Portland area's regional government, where he works on land use, transportation, climate change and other issues important to cyclists and everyone. Jim also served as Chief of Staff for former Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten and has worked for a variety of environmental advocacy groups including Oregon Natural Resources Council and Environmental Defense. Prior to moving to Portland, Jim worked in Washington, D.C. for Oregon representatives Peter DeFazio and Jim Weaver.
Susan Otcenas joined the BTA Board in October 2007. She serves as the Board Secretary and as a member of the Finance Committee. A self-described "numbers geek," Susan holds a BS in Economics and Finance from the University of Maryland. After a banking career that spanned 10 years and 2 coasts, in 1998 Susan co-founded TeamEstrogen.com, an online retailer of women's athletic apparel. Susan has been riding a bike since she was old enough to walk. In high school, she was fortunate to live in a town small enough that no bus service was offered and nearly every student walked or biked to school. Susan has traveled extensively by bicycle, both domestically and abroad. She believes bicycles break down barriers - physical, cultural and socioeconomic - between people, and provide a path to independence for people in all walks of life. She especially encourages more women to ride for health, recreation and transportation.
Doug Parrow has served on the board since 1997 and is the chair of the Legislative Committee and a member of the Advocacy Committee. Doug also serves as the BTA's representative on the state Scenic Bikeway Committee and participates with other Salem-Keizer advocates to improve bicycling throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley area. Doug is retired from the Oregon Water Resources Department where he coordinated programs involving water right transfers, water conservation, and river basin planning. As a former president of the Salem Bicycle Club, Doug has been a long-time recreational cyclist, participating in a variety of rides including Cycle Oregon, the Oregon Bike Ride, RAGBRAI, and Ride the Rockies. He has also taken self-supported tours of the Pacific Coast, Natches Trace and Blue Ridge Parkways, and Mississippi River. While working, Doug regularly commuted by bicycle and now is a utility cyclist. Doug resides in Keizer.
Nancy Pautsch joined the BTA Board in October 2007. She works on the Fundraising Committee and has chaired the Alice Awards Procurement Committee for the past 3 years. Nancy holds an A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology from Parkland College and a B.S. in Healthcare Administration Management from Concordia University. Professionally, Nancy spent 12 years in the diagnostic imaging clinical setting, and 16 years selling medical capital equipment for Siemens Healthcare and Philips Radiation Oncology Systems prior to co-founding a radiation oncology consulting company. Currently she is a Strategic Account Executive for viaLanguage, a local translation and localization company. Nancy bike commutes daily and enjoys long weekend recreational bike rides with her spouse.
Austin Ramsland joined the BTA Board in the fall of 2008. In addition to serving on the Development and Branding Committees, he is committed to expanding the BTA’s range into the community until every bike messenger, Cross Crusader, and TEAM BEER member sports BTA stickers on their top tubes and memberships in their wallets. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Austin is the co-owner of Sweetpea Bicycles.
Mary Roberts, a Seattle native, moved to the Portland area and bike commuted daily to Portland State University long before bike lanes. She joined the board in 2006 and serves as the Board Chair. Mary is committed to helping Oregon become the “north star” nationally for bicycle transportation and cleaner healthier communities. She holds a business degree from PSU. Mary rides her bike for city errands and meetings, and in good weather rides weekly with a group of women friends for recreation. She and her husband enjoy annual cycling vacations with their Co-Motion bikes or folding Bike Fridays. Other interests include delicious food, attending live theater, and skiing.
