The bicycle advisory board has eleven members appointed by the city council according to the procedures of Section 4.01.030.
Members of the board are appointed to three-year terms with initial terms being either one, two, or three years, selected on a random-draw basis. No member may serve more than two consecutive full, three-year terms.
Current member term data is here.
Interested in joining the BAB? Go here.
Members
Bill Bender is a neurologist, Chair of the Ethics committee at Deaconess Medical Center, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. He has been a regular bike commuter for the past 24 years in Spokane, previously doing so in Los Angeles and Chicago. Eighteen years ago he started “The Morning Ride”, a group who meets before work to get a good workout ride and fend off middle age. His family knows that biking is good for whatever ails you, physically or spiritually. Bill would like to share that experience with as many Spokanites as possible. He wishes for people of all ages to see biking in Spokane as an attractive and safe means of transportation and exercise.
Bradley Bleck is an avid bicyclist, commuting as much as family circumstances allow and enjoying long and short road rides by himself or with his wife and son. He rides for recreation and exercise on road and off, solo and with his son on a tandem, having long ago given up a short and lackluster career as a competitive cyclist. As a commuter and recreational cyclist, and the fourth generation of his family to make Spokane home (despite being raised in Seattle), he is committed to making bicycling in Spokane and the surrounding environs a safer and more enjoyable experience for cyclists of all levels and desires, whether it be a quick trip to the store, a family ride to the park or on a trail, a training ride with friends or a commute to work.
Barb Chamberlain bike commutes year round and goes on recreational rides with her husband Eric Abbott, a member of the Spokane Rocket Velo club. She chaired the ad hoc committee that organized Bike to Work Week for Spokane in 2008, and is chairing the effort again for 2009. She also serves on the Spokane SmartRoutes leadership team advocating for increased federal funding for active and non-motorized transportation. Chamberlain serves as Director of Communications and Public Affairs at WSU Spokane, where she has worked since 1998. She holds bachelor’s degrees in English and linguistics from Washington State University, a master’s in public administration from Eastern Washington University, and is working toward a PhD in political science from WSU. Chamberlain served in the Idaho state legislature 1990-92 in the House and 1992-94 in the Senate, the youngest woman ever elected to those positions. She is chair of the board of directors of Friends of the Falls; co-chair, Citizens for Spokane Schools; a member of the Empire Health Foundation board; and on numerous committees of Greater Spokane Incorporated, including the Public Policy Council and the Federal Legislative Advisory Group. A resident of the Inland Northwest since 1976, she believes Spokane has outstanding cycling opportunities—always with room for improvement—and that the Spokane River is the gem at the heart of the city.
Sam Compogno grew up in Spokane, is a graduate of Rogers HS, and graduated from EWU in 1974 with a BA. in Ed. and a major in Elementary Physical Education. I taught Elementary P.E. for 8 yrs. in Boise, Idaho and I am currently in my 25th yr. as an Elementary Fitness, Health, and P.E. Specialist for the Spokane Public Schools. I have also coached a wide variety of sports at the elementary level in both the intramural and interschool sports programs. I was also the co-meet director for several years for both the All City Cross Country Meets and the All City Track Meets for the Spokane Public Schools. For the past several years I have taught a bicycle safety course to the fourth grade classes at my school. I consider it the most important safety and lifetime activity class I teach my students. I was an adjunct faculty member at Whitworth College in the Kinesiology Department and taught the Elementary P.E. and Health Methods class for about 10 yrs. My wife of 32 yrs. and I have four grown children who are as physically active as we are. We enjoy a variety of outdoor sports and activities because of the four seasons we have in Spokane. We have always enjoyed biking in the Spokane area because it is something we could do as a family and as a couple. There are also a multitude of places you can ride in and around Spokane to get away from the crowd and enjoy the beauty of the Spokane area.
Dan DeRuyter
Dan has been a business and tax lawyer for 25 years, focusing on estate planning, transactions, and entity development. He is a partner with Douglas, Eden, Phillips, DeRuyter, and Stanyer, P.S., in downtown Spokane. He received his BA in accounting (Cum Laude) from the University of Utah, and his law degree from the University of Idaho.
Dan has lived in and loved Spokane since 1984. As an avid cyclist, Dan enjoys both mountain and road riding, and recently added cyclo-cross to his repertoire. He has been a regular bike commuter for the past 4 years.
On weekends, he and his wife tour the beautiful roads of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Canada, always seeking the next “best ride of the year”. They participate in organized rides several times a year, usually starting the season with the Aurora Lilac Century Ride in April, and adding others throughout the year - STOKR, RAMROD, and RATPOD being among their favorites.
For fun and the “forced exercise of it all”, Dan also competes in several regional and national mountain bike races, including the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 – Race Across The Sky; the Eight Hour Mad Dash, and 2009 was his 5th year as a team member for the 24 Hours Around the Clock in Riverside State Park during each Memorial Day weekend. He also competes in occasional road bike races. He used to enjoy triathlons – but that was about 20 pounds ago. His most recent additions to the world of cycling include cyclo-cross racing and, when weather permits, bike camping. Mostly, he simply rides for fun and recreation with his wife, family, and friends while logging more miles per year than he is willing to admit.
Dan is a strong believer that education, athletics, and the arts are key components of Spokane’s cultural experience. His involvement in civic activities include serving as past President and Board Member for the Spokane Regional Sports Commission, former Member of the Boards of the University of Idaho Foundation, Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture Foundation, and the Spokane Symphony.
Members, continued
Bill Hanson
Neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night will keep Bill Hansen from commuting to work. Well, maybe 3 feet of snow. As a former Marine, Bill believes in getting the job done.
Born in Othello, WA, Bill grew up on Air Force bases around the world. He has been a commuter since he was young, biking in Japan and Spain. Later when he joined the military himself he also rode in the Philippines. Since then he has also ridden in Canada, Mexico and of course, several states.
These days Bill’s regular commute to work is only 12 miles round trip, so it is not uncommon to find him making day trips to Coeur d’Alene or mountain biking at Nine Mile Falls for fun on the weekends. He also participates in century rides and mountain bike racing. He takes his bike with him wherever he goes, always looking for new trails.
Bill's co-workers at the City of Spokane doubt his sanity when he rides his bike in winter. They make fun of his studs and chains. But being Safety Captain for Fleet Services makes his concern for improving the safety of bike riders in Spokane even more natural.
Bill lives in Hillyard and believes in supporting the community, everything from buying locally, to getting involved with the neighborhood kids. Since he works on the police motorcycles and has a collection of 13 pedal bikes of his own, he is experienced at fixing anything on two wheels. This serves him well as he buys bikes from the police auction, refurbishes them, and giving them to the local children. You might also find him organizing an informal ball game at the school, or teaching snowboarding. Frequently a knock at the door will be –“Can Billy come out and play?”
Bill graduated from Rogers High School and after his service in the Marines, got his AS from SCC.
William J. Kelley, a 2009 appointee to the BAB, has served as a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Eastern Washington University for over 30 years. Bill teaches across the planning curriculum, including transportation planning. His past research efforts have addressed transportation, economic development, land use, and natural resource planning. Early in his career, in the late 70s, he and students completed some of the first bicycle plans in the region for Medical Lake and Cheney. Kelley notes that the small plans were successfully implemented and that demonstrates the recognized need dating back 30 years ago. While serving on the City Planning Commission in the late 90s and early 2000s, Bill continued to advocate for strong bicycle and pedestrian policies as the Comprehensive Plan was being developed. A key feature of those non - motorized transportation policies, the hiring of a bicycle – pedestrian coordinator, has been recently realized. Kelley credits that, and the recently adopted Bicycle Plan for the City, to the diligent work of the BAB. He feels honored to join their ranks.
Bob Lutz, Chair, is an urgent care physician for Empire Health Services. He received his Master's in Public Health from the University of Arizona. Since moving to Spokane in 2004, he has become actively involved in health promotion efforts, to include co-chairing a sub-committee for SRHD's Healthy Family Active Kids; serving on the Advisory Board for Spokane Public Schools in the formation of their Health and Wellness Policy; and serving as the incoming Chair of the Inland Northwest Business Council on Health thru the Chamber of Commerce. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Gonzaga University. He and his wife, Amy, are recreational athletes who enjoy the outdoors and the four season-opportunities available in the Inland Northwest.
Kurt Niven, Secretary, is the Electrical Department Manager with Coffman Engineers. He has served on the Spokane Bicycle Advisory Board as Secretary for one year. He has been a regular bicycle commuter in Spokane for 8 years and previously in Los Angeles for 5 years. He is an enthusiastic recreational cyclist who has participated in numerous triathlons and century bicycle rides; has completed six single-day double century rides, and has extensively bicycle toured across Washington, the Canadian Rockies, the Oregon Coast, Upper Michigan, and the C & O Canal Trail. He is a member of numerous Bicycle Advocacy groups and a member of the Five Mile Prairie Neighborhood Association.
John Speare grew up in Spokane, riding his BMX bicycle, then "10 speed," all over the city. John is a graduate of Lewis and Clark High School and EWU. After college, John moved to Seattle where he worked in the software industry. Although he loved the mountains and the greenery of the west side, John could never shake the fondness he felt for the city of Spokane and rugged beauty and the distinct seasons of the inland northwest. Today, John still works in software from his basement of his south hill home. His favorite past time is cycling all over the city with his wife and 6-year-old daughter and exploring every dirt road within Spokane county on his "10 speed."