Executive Director

Jim has been BRNW’s Executive Director since 2018 - one of only three in our history.

After a varied and interesting professional path, Jim has shifted to bike tours as his "last career." He's an avid cyclist, and the author of “75 Classic Rides: Oregon.” He started doing marketing for Cycle Oregon in 2006 and quickly figured out that the bike-tour world is a pretty great place to work. He eventually developed and directed two brand-new events – Cycle Greater Yellowstone and Cycle Adirondacks – for nonprofit conservation groups. When he found out there was an opening at BRNW, he jumped at the chance to get back to working in the Northwest. He's not only drunk the BRNW Kool-Aid - he mixes up new batches for others all the time. He emphasizes maintaining the feel and traditions of BRNW while always getting better, and adding a little pizzazz here and there.

Assistant Director

As a self-proclaimed “serial feeder” and bike junkie, Sue brings her love of food, fun and bikes to her roles with BRNW. In addition to her year-round role as an Assistant Director managing permits and crew, she has held a variety of BRNW roles over the years, including Rest Stop Director, SAG driver and Camp Central Director. After many years in hot kitchens and stuffy restaurants, she's loved working outside and refueling hungry riders. As she says, “It’s a week-long, rolling party with great people and healthy appetites… what’s not to love?” Her work is mostly behind the scenes now, but the fact that our tours have access to roads and sites - plus having a fantastic crew team - are the results of her efforts.

Retired from her role as Nordic Ski Center Director at Mt. Bachelor, she stays busy planning and pursuing long-awaited travel adventures and enjoying the wealth of recreational opportunities in her hometown of Bend, usually on a bike or a pair of Nordic skis.

Assistant Director,
Equipment Manager,
Social Media Manager

Emil has pitched tents all over the USA – from the wilds of Alaska, east to Maine and as far south as Missouri. This includes some out of anger, and one into a dumpster. After his wife, Sara – a veteran of three BRNW seasons in Rest Stops and Tent & Porter, including this year – promised him it was great fun, he signed up and is looking forward to being a part of the traveling circus. In reality, it was that or else stay home and feed/clean up after their cats while Sara had all the fun.

With a background in logistics, manufacturing, retail, cabinetry, bike mechanic-ing and kitchen design, he feels more than ready to do what Sara tells him. When not pretending to work on their house remodel project, Emil enjoys photography, woodworking, web design and eating Sara’s chocolate chip cookies.

Event Operations Director

Bob is a living, breathing example of what happens when you prove yourself exceedingly handy: people start giving you more to do. After a year of reshaping the Tent & Porter program with his wife Maelynn, we asked him to take over the role of the event troubleshooter (although we gave him a more formal title). He’s a born problem-solver who can range between professional-grade and MacGyver, as needed. He’s worked in the construction/electrical industry for nearly 25 years, putting his skills to good use. He sums it up best: “Troubleshooting and fixing things is very satisfying.”

For Bob, cycling continues to generate that feeling of freedom he first experienced as a teenager on a bike. He still enjoys cycling for exercise, commuting, friendship, community and that exhilarating freedom. He did his first week-long ride in 2005, where he met several lifelong friends and cyclists he continues to ride with today. His first BRNW ride was in 2016, and after enjoying a bunch of our tours, he converted from rider to crew in 2023 to give back to a group/community that has provided so many great experiences to him. Off the bike, he enjoys swimming, remodeling, woodworking, hiking, camping, outdoors, sightseeing and adventure.

SAG Director

Stefan came to the USA from Switzerland in the mid’ 90s for work in the software implementation industry. These days he’s an independent consultant working on transaction tax solutions. Cycling has always been an escape from the long and stressful work hours – Stefan has participated in more than 20 week-long organized rides. He arranged, planned and directed a small tour for his riding friends in 2021 during COVID, where his exceptional organizing skills, empathy as a rider and mechanical skills came in very handy. Stefan looks forward to the role of SAG Director so he can help riders and crew have the best possible experience on our tours.

Stefan lives in Portland, where you’ll find him walking with his wife and dog around the neighborhood, or out on the roads riding his bike.

Camp Central Director

Sarah first rode with us back in 2018, when we had to quickly shift our entire operation from Spirit of Shasta to Eastern Oregon due to a fire the WEEK before the ride was to start. She was so impressed with how everything shifted so seamlessly that she knew she had to be a part of the organization! So she spent the next couple of years riding and crewing for Camp Central and Rest Stops. When the Camp Central Director spot opened up, she jumped at the opportunity!

Sarah recently retired from teaching. Her experience as a middle school teacher for 25 years has helped her as Camp Central Director. Knowing how to herd cats – without getting bitten or hissed at – is an important skill when working with tired and hungry cyclists, and she does it with grace and humor. She loves making sure every single cyclist gets their fave snacks and beverages (well…she’s not doing sardines; sorry) while in camp. She’s eager to make Camp Central a friendly and engaging place to fill your tummy, quench your thirst, open your heart and put a smile on your face.

When Sarah isn’t serving slices of juicy, sweet watermelon with a smile, she’s an avid road cyclist, mediocre weightlifter and struggling writer. And, apparently, she really likes descriptive adjectives.  

Tent & Porter Director

Maelynn is a prime example of what happens when you start doing BRNW rides: You have so much fun that we just suck you in. In the case of Maelynn and her husband Bob, we managed to convert them from riders to crew leaders (it’s not exactly going over to the dark side, but…). She was just planning to work one year, but now she’s our Tent & Porter Director, to our immeasurable benefit.

Maelynn is a regular bike-commuter to her job in Vancouver, WA, helping high school students learn and grow in an alternate educational environment. She’s been teaching for 33 years, and she loves seeing her students find their purpose. She, Bob and some friends started riding BRNW tours in 2016, and she relishes the positivity, support and camaraderie of the tour and the cyclists. In 2023 she decided it was time to give back to the BRNW community, and she hasn’t looked back. She’s overseeing the rapid expansion of our Tent & Porter program, which she leads with a solid plan, an encouraging smile, and more hard work than most people could take.

Sustainability Director

As the Sustainability Director for Bicycle Rides Northwest, Vanessa leads the team that keeps BRNW’s tours running cleanly, efficiently and environmentally responsibly. This includes overseeing the waste-system management, the reusable mealware systems, and the composting and recycling operations, as well as helping riders and crew make low-impact choices throughout each event.
Originally from Chicago, Vanessa brings to BRNW nearly a decade of conservation experience as well as a strong background in environmental sciences. She leads the planning for each event’s sustainability systems, coordinates equipment and resources, and guides the team in creating cleaner camps and greener tour experiences. She’s beloved for her collaborative leadership and upbeat, hands-on approach; you’re not likely to ever see her looking anything less than energetic.
In her spare time, she lives like a Bend resident should: mountain biking, backpacking and paddleboarding. These are the passions that fuel her dual, steadfast commitment to outdoor adventure and environmental stewardship.