2024 Board Candidates

John Benda

Incumbent

Hello! My name is John Benda. I have served on the TCBC board of directors for four years and am hoping to continue to be on the board for a third term. I have been riding a bike most of my life. In 1989, my sister, Peggy, and I rode RAGBRAI for the first time. Since we grew up in Iowa we had heard about it for many years and decided to take it on. After 3 or 4 training rides from St Paul to Lake Harriet we declared ourselves ready, joined the Dubuque (our hometown) Bike Club and made the trip. We quickly learned that a bit more training would have been a good idea but we made it anyway. That got me started on many years of cycling (and several more RAGBRAI’s).

I’ve been a TCBC club member now for 18 years (as near as I can figure) and have enjoyed riding with many of you and learning more about biking and making friends along the way. Having retired from teaching high school math in 2019, being on the board has been an engaging experience for me and an opportunity to try to contribute to the club.

During this time I have been particularly focused on trying to reach out to other races and cultures and welcoming them to TCBC, as I saw that we are not a particularly diverse group. This became particularly apparent after the killing of George Floyd. I noticed that other outdoor groups were looking inward at what they could do be more inclusive and realized that we, too, can make improvements. So, I, and the TCBC board, committed to try to learn more about how we could make progress in this area.

Some of the club work I’ve been involved in, in relation to this, includes the following: Helping craft a TCBC statement on Racism (which can be found on the TCBC homepage), forming the club’s Equity Committee, offering a Juneteenth Black History Ride that visited locations with historic significance for Black people in the Twin Cities, co-leading New Member Rides, working with BikeMN to train a group of TCBC members to put on bike rodeos for kids, hosting a table to promote TCBC at the Saint Paul Classic, hosting a table to promote TCBC at Open Streets Minneapolis events, volunteering with Minneapolis Public Schools by joining in their group rides for students and helping with bike maintenance, and rounding up volunteers to clean up our dedicated section of the Midtown Greenway. These experiences have been enriching for me and my fellow volunteers. I hope you will support me in continuing to find ways to reach out to bike riders of all backgrounds and abilities.

Jean Bentley

Incumbent

It has been a pleasure being on the board for the past 2 years working with a great group of  TCBC members .

I’ve enjoyed participating as a member for 23 years and ride leading for the past 14 years. I am so grateful for the new  bike routes I’ve experienced and the new friendships I’ve made because of our club.

I am happy to offer whatever skills that could be used for another two years on the board if I am reelected..

I am willing to  continue to give back to a club that has brought me so much inspiration and joy.  

Sincerely,
Jean Bentley

Craig Larson

Incumbent

I’m a librarian at North Hennepin Community College, in Brooklyn Park. I’ve been a member of TCBC since 2005 and a ride leader since 2006. I’m a fairly strong B-level rider, and lead mostly B/C- and C-level rides. My yearly goal is to hit 1000 miles and I’ve done that every year but two, and I even managed to ride over 2000 miles in 2012. I’m excited to serve on the board of directors of TCBC and continue to provide my input and suggestions to keep the club successful and moving forward.

Rick Okada

It is an honor to be nominated to the TCBC Board of Directors and if elected, I will work diligently to support this organization. There are many facets to the world of bicycling and TCBC provides a wonderful variety of opportunities to enjoy this sport, not only to its members but to the community at large. As a relatively new member to TCBC, having joined post-pandemic in the spring of 2021, I look forward to learning more about all the different areas the club in addition to all the group rides that are its mainstay.

My cycling journey started a long time ago as a grade school boy, and while my experience is not as extensive as many TCBC members, it includes a variety of bike adventures such as commuting, bike camping, and just plain riding for fun. Organized group rides are a new adventure for me and I continue to learn a lot from all the experienced cyclists alongside me.

I have been an architect for over 40 years, practicing here in the Twin Cities and around the US, and have been a member of various non-profit organizations and boards over the years. I look forward to the possibility of applying my creative problem-solving skills for the good of all TCBC members.

John Rogers

Incumbent

I’ve been a TCBC member since 1998 but have become very active as a ride leader and rider during the past five years.  I’ve been a TCBC board member for the past several years.  I’m a retired police sergeant with a BA in Computer Information Systems and an MBA from Bethel University.