Board of Director Candidates

2023 Candidate Profiles

As a member-based organization, HUB Cycling is accountable to its members and is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. Candidates for the 2023 elections are listed below in alphabetical order (first name).

The Board Development Committee (BDC) of the HUB Cycling Board of Directors has solicited applications for directors from across Metro Vancouver. The BDC developed a list of director skills required and held multiple orientation sessions for applicants. 

The Board as a whole has approved this candidate slate. Candidates who are incumbents and those who are running for President of the Board are indicated.

Skills & Experience Sought for the Board:

  • Accounting/financial reporting 
  • Advocacy
  • Board governance 
  • Marketing/marketing research
  • Human resources
  • Legal

Board Positions to Be Filled:

  • Vice President
  • Board secretary
  • Treasurer

Voting has now closed. To register to attend the AGM and learn the results register here.

No videos of candidates will be available this year. 

Photo of Alexandra Flynn

Alexandra Flynn

Update: ELECTED Sep 2023

Alexandra Flynn is a law professor at UBC and a mom of two teenagers. 

Alexandra's work focuses on municipal law and governance, including Indigenous-municipal legal relationships. She is an avid cyclist for transportation, sport, and pleasure, including taking a 6-month cycling trip in Europe and Southeast Asia with her family. 

Alexandra has a long history of volunteer and board experience and hopes to contribute to making cycling safe and possible for all.

Photo of Anne Murray

Anne Murray

Update: ELECTED Sep 2023

I’m excited at the prospect of bringing my 30 years of strategic leadership to HUB's Board. I love to bike for fun, commuting, and travel, and want to ensure these opportunities are available and comfortable for all. As a seasoned executive and board director, I’m passionate about driving success through sustainability. My Vice President responsibilities at Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR) spanned diverse areas including marketing, community, environment, government advocacy, and first nation relations over 20 years. While at YVR, I built respectful, deep, and personal relations with Musqueam leading to a  historic 30-year Sustainability and Friendship Agreement. I have served as board director on YVR Art  Foundation (an indigenous-focused not-for-profit), Georgia Strait Alliance, and Richmond Hospital  Foundation and recently attained my Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation, Canada’s highest board governance credential. Since retiring from YVR in 2020, I volunteer as a business advisor to indigenous organizations and provide strategic consulting services in tourism, aviation, and sustainability.  I’ve been an active HUB member for decades and recently mentored a refugee family and a new immigrant through HUB’s newcomer program. I would be honored to bring my optimistic, ethical leadership; sound judgment; and personal commitment to the HUB Board.

Photo of Brendan Bachewich

Brendan Bachewich

Hi, I would love to be one of your next board members! I am 34, born and raised in Edmonton Alberta, but since moving to Vancouver there is no way I could ever leave the city and the cycling culture I have immersed myself in here. 

I originally moved to continue my legal career and landed at RBS, a vocal and longstanding supporter of  HUB Cycling. They introduced me to HUB but since experiencing cycling in this city I am looking for a way to help make it a safer and more fun city to cycle around. I bring experience with negotiations, contracts,  advocacy, and many other skills that lawyers possess, but more than that, my passion and ability to get out, engage with people, and speak confidently about the issues is what I believe will make me a great board member. 

I really hope you agree and hope I can count on your vote in the upcoming AGM. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of Caitlin Hyldelund

Caitlin Hyldelund

Update: ELECTED Sep 2023

Hello! A few words about me - I am a Canadian-Danish citizen who has spent the last 30 years living in Denmark and Russia, where I worked and raised my children – and taught them how to cycle responsibly in and around our cities. 

As a Dane, I see cycling - whether city cycling, sport cycling, or as an alternative to car ownership - all of these I perceive as normal, organic, and sustainable. I have yet to see this framework in Vancouver and believe that there is work yet to be done to create safe and logical bike pathways, to cultivate mutual respect inside the road framework for bikes, cars, and bus transportation - including the responsibility of cyclists to be co-participants in traffic. 

The "bike wheel" of safe and integrated cycle transportation is already invented and can also work here. 

The HUB Board is particularly looking for applicants with leadership insights. I have worked in leadership roles for the past decade, where I have led supply chain projects and business development initiatives,  including tough international scenarios with limited funding and complex frameworks. I am collaborative and goal-oriented and believe that my Danish experience can help HUB achieve its goals. Thank you!

 

Photo of Craig Mckee

Craig Mckee

Lifetime resident of Burnaby. Always thought that cycling is a good option for local errands. A good cycling network is vital to keep people active. Been cycling for many years.

Photo of Esther Holubowich

Esther Holubowich

Update: ELECTED Sep 2023

I have been a biking enthusiast for 35 years. While living in Kelowna, I would commute on my Walmart bike to and from my accounting job, during winter and summer. In winter, I would get home some days and say, whew, I made it. There was no safe cycling infrastructure, just painted lines. But even with that, I was grateful that my employers supplied a safe bike lockup area, showers, and lockers. It was rare (and still is). When teaching my two daughters to ride, I was nervous. I had seen a lot. It was about constant vigilance, not freedom and fun, which it should be. 

I bring to this board years of accounting and bookkeeping experience, experience on two boards, strong communication skills, and a desire to work with an organization that I support and appreciate.  Advocating for safe mobility routes for all is important and necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of Luke Gillies

Luke Gillies

Update: ELECTED Sep 2023

Riding doesn’t have to require special clothing or the best bike, but for most people (including me), it requires safety and convenience. I believe that cycling should be accessible to people of all ages,  backgrounds, and abilities, providing a transportation option that is cheap, fun, and safe for everyone. I’m Luke Gillies and I believe in creating accessible and inclusive active transportation. 

I’m a professional municipal civil engineer with over a decade of managerial experience both here and abroad. I have four years of community board experience and volunteer as an adaptive ski instructor, helping people with disabilities access winter sports on Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains.  Professionally, I’ve delivered a wide range of municipal projects, many with bikes in mind, and have overseen the maintenance and operations of bicycle infrastructure. I’ve advocated for the benefits of bike infrastructure projects and maintenance to a wide range of stakeholders, including City Councilors. For my Masters of Engineering Management thesis, I researched the user experience of cycling infrastructure on the North Shore. 

I understand what it takes to design, fund, build, and use good bike infrastructure. Vote for me to give everyone the chance to ride safely.

Photo of Mairin Shields Brown

Mairin Shields Brown

Update: ELECTED Sep 2023

Mairin is a passionate changemaker and avid road cyclist based in Vancouver. From her upbringing on northern Vancouver Island to her studies in Resource Management at Simon Fraser University, she carries with her a deep sense of respect for our home planet and all that is necessary for us to steward a  regenerative, just, and equitable economy. Mairin is an Impact Strategy Consultant at Decade Impact, a boutique, women-owned impact consulting firm in Vancouver. She finds joy and excitement in her work helping purpose-driven organizations define, measure, manage, and communicate their social and environmental impact on the world. With several years of experience in the sustainability consulting space, Mairin is skilled in policy development and advocacy, as well as team management, leadership,  and facilitation. As a daily bike commuter and keen cyclist for the last 6 years, Mairin’s familiarity and lived experience with Metro Vancouver’s cycling infrastructure have inspired her to join HUB as a Board Director. 

She believes that cycling plays an invaluable role in fostering thriving and accessible communities. Mairin hopes to help advance HUB’s policy advocacy work in service of removing barriers to cycling and support HUB’s collaboration with government bodies and other values-aligned organizations.

Photo of Nicolay Slater

Nicolay Slater

As an avid cyclist and proponent of all types of active transportation and as a senior with prior non-profit board experience, I felt it my responsibility to put my name forward for a position on HUB's Executive Committee. The significance that cycling can bring to our BC coastal communities in this age of global warming cannot be understated. All the current evidence clearly shows our communities as a whole will benefit from more cycling infrastructure, as will our individual health, which will further reduce the tax burden that an unhealthy population typically requires. Combined with more complementary transit infrastructure, cycling, in my opinion, is the future writ large!

I am a sheet metal tradesman and former business owner with 20+ years of service in BC Search & Rescue. Politically involved, I sat on the BC Executive of one of BC's two political parties, with years of experience fundraising as well. Working with grass-roots non-profits, I have a developed understanding of the political hurdles inherent in running a non-profit, especially as it involves the membership and your support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of Samiya Rashmi

Samiya Rashmi

I graduated from SFU with a degree in Resource and Environmental Management. I am a career peer advisor at SFU and an Insight Education facilitator. As a career peer advisor, I facilitate workshops and assist students with job searches. In the last 1.5 years, I managed and recruited talent for a marketing company. Other than that, I have been President of IJM SFU for three years and served as Vice  President of Education for Burnaby Mountain Toastmasters. As a marketing and education professional, I have experience across many industries. My main focus has been on non-profit organizations, which I strongly encourage others to do as well. 

With my enthusiasm and drive, I would be able to contribute to the organization's success and to its execution as a board member. In particular, I am interested in working in the sustainable transportation industry which inspired me to apply for the board member position. I enjoy working in an environment where I can explore ideas and contribute to the organization's development. As a final note, my motto is  "Just do it." This quote inspires me to take calculated risks and strive towards my goals in a systematic manner.

Photo of Simon Caulfield

Simon Caulfield

Hailing from the West of Ireland, Simon moved to Vancouver in 2019 and has worked primarily on transportation planning & architecture projects in both Canada and the USA. Before moving to the PNW, Simon worked and lived in London, San Francisco & Stockholm and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to the public realm as well as engagement & collaboration, that he can bring to the HUB Board of Directors. Simon commutes around Metro Vancouver on his bike as a way to keep his carbon footprint down and loves exploring the city & surrounding lands, whatever the weather! He has seen a lot of changes to cycling infrastructure & policy since moving here and sees a lot that still needs to be done. He is ready to tackle this challenge as an opportunity to contribute his skills to make a  difference. 

Simon has experience volunteering with HUB at previous events. He believes that education,  engagement & advocacy are invaluable tools that can encourage change for more sustainable, safe &  livable communities. Simon loves meeting new people, hearing their stories, and collaborating with like-minded individuals to create safer cycling and encourage more people to use active transportation on our streets.

Photo of Will Meredith

Will Meredith

Originally from the UK, I came to Vancouver in 2008 and fell in love with the city. With an educational background in geography and geophysics, I founded GeoScan Subsurface Surveys in 2010 and have since grown it into the employee-owned GeoRadar Group with over 100 team members. As a passionate cyclist, I believe in the transformative power of cycling and its positive impact on quality of life. I want to make cycling safer and more accessible in the Vancouver area, which is why I am motivated to serve on the board of directors for HUB Cycling. With my experience in business operations, research and development, marketing, and human resources, I bring a unique perspective to the table. I have firsthand knowledge of running businesses and overcoming challenges, which I believe can contribute to driving positive change in the cycling landscape. Serving on the board allows me to give back to an organization I wholeheartedly support and utilize my skills and experiences to make a lasting impact. I am dedicated to promoting cycling as a preferred mode of transportation and contributing to HUB Cycling's mission.

2022 Board of Director Candidates

Jonathan
Aitken

I work from home. I have worked at lululemon, MDA and Accenture. I have an MBA from University of Utah, an B.Sc. from Stanford and a certificate in Digital Leadership from UC Berkeley. I have two girls both at university so I find myself with free time. My hobbies are cycling, scuba diving and electric cars. I have a black lab who enjoys taking me for walks in Pacific Spirit. I have bike commuted to work when I was not working at home. I ride on the road and gravel with Lotus. I am a former mountain biker and triathlete.

Sarah
Eustace

Update: ELECTED Sep 2022

Sarah is a lawyer for the Federal Department of Justice and a mother of two. She is an avid cyclist who chooses to go by bike as her primary mode of transportation. She also enjoys road biking. She has experience as a board member of a non-profit organization and enjoys fundraising. In her role as a civil servant and government lawyer, she has extensive experience with risk management and the interaction between policy and law. She is a member of the HUB Van-UBC local regional committee and a long-standing HUB member. Sarah loves biking and is grateful for Vancouver’s cycling lanes and bike safety initiatives.

Alicia
Gowan

Update: ELECTED Sep 2022

Alicia is an emerging sustainability professional working as the Zero Waste Manager of Ocean Ambassadors Canada. When she’s not turning the tide on ocean pollution, she ponders about how to make Vancouver a less car dense and more bike-friendly city. While spending two years living in and studying her Environmental Sustainability Master’s in the south of Sweden, she grew amazed by the bike path network. When moving back to Canada, she grew motivated to bring this inspiration to Vancouver to make cycling accessible for 8 to 80 year old's and help transform Vancouver into a city made for people, not cars.

 

 

Victoria
Gray

Update: ELECTED Sep 2022

Victoria is an avid cyclist with over thirty years of marketing and research experience. She’s held senior management positions with some of Canada’s most prominent advertising agencies. She also spent many years client-side, leading teams in the development of comprehensive marketing solutions across North America.

She is passionate about leveraging her extensive experience to create a positive impact for cyclists across Metro Vancouver. She has a collaborative nature and brings a structured yet responsive approach to everything she does. Her love for problem solving, sustainable living and lifelong learning drives her in both her professional and personal activities.

Jeff
Leigh

Update: REELECTED Sep 2022

Incumbent: running for President of the Board and Board of Directors

Now retired, Jeff lives downtown and cycles daily both for transportation and recreation.

Jeff believes that cycling is a critical part of our transportation mix, and that it can best be encouraged by the creation of infrastructure that allows people cycling to both be safe and to feel safe, and through celebrating our successes as we increase cycling mode share.

HUB Experience: Local Committee (10 years); Board (8 years); VP (6 years)

Skills: Cycling Advocacy; Business and Operations Management; Volunteer, Member, and Stakeholder Engagement; Strategy Development; Turning Strategy into Action; Organizational Development; Data and Systems Governance; A passion for action

Douglas
Mackenzie

I'm from Calgary and moved to Vancouver in 2009 to study Cognitive Systems at UBC. It's an interdisciplinary program incorporating subjects from computer science, philosophy, linguistics, and psychology.

I've worked in a lot of different spaces, but I've always used quantitative disciplines (databases, analytics, dashboards, programming, systems theory, etc) to help people learn and make better decisions.

Cycling has been my main tool for mobility, recreation, and exercise since 2010, and I believe it can change people's lives and society at large for the better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tai
Silvey

Update: REELECTED Sep 2022

Incumbent: running for President of the Board and Board of Directors

Tai is Senior Vice President at KITS Eyecare. Prior to joining KITS, Tai was a founding member and head of Evo Car Share for 8 years. A team builder, strategist, and business leader, Tai has played key roles in the launch and growth of businesses such as Evo Car Share, Dyson and Red Bull.

Tai has been a HUB board member since 2018 and is chair of the Operations Committee. Tai has a record of building effective, diverse, and inclusive teams and is passionate about bringing these skills to HUB. Tai believes that cycling plays a central role in creating livable cities.

June
Yi Su

Currently, I am in the process of completing my Bachelor of Business Administration in Digital Marketing. I am interested in creating and enhancing websites for the purposes of e-commerce and marketing, as well as general marketing.

In addition to studying, I am working on a part-time internship in the e-commerce and marketing department of PharmaPax. My experience there has shown me that digital marketing is crucial to the future of marketing in this industry.

Aurora
Tejeida

Aurora Tejeida’s interest in cycling and environmental protection started in an unexpected place: the concrete heavy streets of Mexico City. Ten years ago, she moved to unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh and xwməθkwəy̓ əm territories to complete a master’s degree in journalism at UBC.

Since graduating, she has worked in various communications roles for non-profits and academic institutions, including Megaphone Magazine, Canopy, and UBC. Aurora is currently a communications co-lead at Sierra Club BC. She is particularly interested in knowledge mobilization and the role cycling can play in building healthier and more environmentally friendly communities. She also loves bike camping and dreams of better province-wide cycling infrastructure.

2021 Board of Director Candidates

 

Matthew
Alexander

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Matt is a father of two and is passionate about making cycling safe for his family. His passion for cycling took off after a Canada-wide bike trip and since then he's constantly making excuses to go for a bike ride.

Matt is a Chartered Professional Accountant- CA with over 15 years of accounting and finance experience. He has extensive experience preparing financial statements, reviewing internal controls, and preparing annual and multi-year budgets. His board experience includes four years with Hub cycling, where he is the Treasurer and is the Co-Chair of the Operations Committee. He also has previous board experience as the Chair of the Finance Committee for the West End Food Co-operative- a co-op promoting access to healthy and sustainable food.

He believes that cycling is incredibly fun and that with the right exposure everyone would prefer a bike over other modes of transportation. He sees HUB as a fantastic way to expose and educate residents as to how amazing commuting can be on a bike.

Carlos
Alonso

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Carlos was born and raised in Argentina where he attended school and university. Carlos's background is in aerospace engineering. He has worked in space projects development in Argentina, Italy and Canada.

Carlos came to Canada in 2004 to work for MDA in Richmond. Carlos was a Program Manager and managed space infrastructure projects for commercial customers and for the government of Canada.

Last year Carlos left MDA to develop other interests in addition to aerospace, and now enjoys cycling across the lower mainland and getting back to his passion of designing and building bikes.

Geneviève
Bowers

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Geneviève Bowers moved to Vancouver in 2010 and started cycling soon after. She is a regular commuter, a road cyclist, and an adventurer who enjoys self-supported cycle touring. She’s also used cycling to fundraise for ovarian cancer research.

She has extensive work experience in analyzing various policy issues and developing policy for public entities. Geneviève has also volunteered in the past as a Board Director for a non-profit that fundraises for and disperses student financial awards. She hopes to use her skills and experience in fundraising, working closely with senior officials, intergovernmental relations, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning to assist Hub in its mission to get more people cycling more often. Currently, she works as a Policy Analyst at the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.

Geneviève has served on the Board of Hub Cycling since 2019 and has sat on the Regional Advisory Committee and Board Development Committee. She believes cycling can provide a sense of joy, freedom, empowerment, and connection and wants to help others feel safe and welcomed while riding through Metro Vancouver.

Nadia
Fourik

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Nadia was born and raised in North Vancouver and currently lives in the Moodyville neighbourhood. Nadia has a background in business and management consulting. She completed her Master of Public Health from the University of British Columbia in 2018 and is now the Regional Leader for Health Promotion and Prevention at Vancouver Coastal Health.

Nadia is passionate about creating transportation networks that make active transportation the convenient choice for people of all ages and abilities. You can find her cycling the North Shore on the weekends, to her office in Vancouver during the week, and exploring new places by bike whenever time permits.

Julia
Gellman

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Julia has lived in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. With experience as a bike commuter in all these cities, she is dedicated to the creation of bike-friendly cities and communities.

Currently, she works as the Sustainability Specialist for the University Neighbourhoods Association, and has just completed her Masters of Education for Sustainability at UBC.

Julia also volunteers for the Vancouver Park Board’s Neighbourhood Matching Fund; supporting neighbourhood-based community projects to enhance parks and public spaces in the city. Julia hopes to contribute to HUB’s Board of Directors by helping create systems, infrastructure, and community around cycling in Metro Vancouver.

Nicole
Mallette

 

Nicole is a researcher and instructor at UBC, whose work focuses on social inequalities in education. When not on a bike commuting, Nicole is cycling around town with friends or participating in local group rides (e.g. YVR Coffee Outside Saturday Slow Rides, Kissing Crows Bike Shop Sunday Slow Rides).

Nicole and her partner are avid bike tinkerers and love nothing more to see more people getting out on bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter
Sales

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Peter Sales has lived in Canada for the past 10 years. Peter grew up in England and first moved to Vancouver to study for a year at UBC. He fell in love with the ocean, the mountains and the forests and knew he would be back.

Peter now has 2 young children (aged 3 and 5) and cycles to school with them each morning. Peter has been a regular cycling commuter all my life and I am passionate about cycling and helping encourage others to do so by removing any barriers they may have.

Matt
Strand

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Matt Strand has worked at the intersection of business, environment and community for the past 20 years.

Currently, Matt works for QuadReal, a global real estate company based out of Vancouver. His responsibilities include leading the company's accessibility strategy, facilitating QuadReal's response to COVID-19 and its commitment to indoor air quality, developing the company's health and safety program, and working on elements of the climate change adaptation strategy.

Matt has been on HUB board of directors for the past 3 years. He is the board secretary and the chair of the Board Development Committee.

Özge
Yazar

Update: ELECTED Sep 2021

Özge is a lawyer and an avid cyclist. Özge grew up and finished their Bachelor's degree in Turkey.

Özge lived in Montreal, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver for law school, and Özge now lives and works here. Özge likes to swim, run, and go for very long bike rides all around the Lower Mainland.