Meet our Board Members!

2023 DBC Board of Directors

2023 Appointed Positions

2024 Candidates for Open Board Seats

  • Vice-President
    Michael St. Paul — see Michael’s profile below
  • Treasurer
    Kurt Giles — see Kurt’s profile below
  • Race Team Director
    Ray Spore and Heidi Verbeeck — see Ray and Heidi’s profiles below

Dave Joshel, Interim President

Image of Dave Joshel

tours-rides@davisbikeclub.org

I ride my bike for exercise, fun, transportation, to be social, fresh air, mental health. My favorite ride would be a hilly or mountainous ride of 4 to 5 hours. Gold Lakes loop is one example, or Berryessa-Pope Valley-Ink Grade — any ride that challenges me, without totally exhausting me.

I volunteered to be interim President because the Club needed someone to be president, I’m retired and have the time. Volunteering is what makes the Club work. Being a Club member without volunteering is like being a benchwarmer on a football team. You may be on the team but you’re not engaging!

Russ Ewers, Secretary

secretary@davisbikeclub.org

I began riding seriously for my own fitness and pleasure in 2003.  Since that humble beginning, I’ve ridden in the U. S., Canada, and New Zealand and have logged about 100,000 miles. I’ve always been a road biker and have left the thrills of Gravel and Mountain Bikes to others.

My wife, Sharon, and I moved to Davis in the Fall of 2021, in order to be closer to children and grandchildren.  I found the Davis Bike Club by February, 2022 and its posted daily rides were exactly what I needed and wanted.

As regards my participation on the Board, the answer comes simply.  Throughout my career, I’ve been engaged with volunteer organizations and know that it’s the member’s responsibility to ‘give-back’ whenever possible.  So, when asked to serve on the Board as Secretary, accepting that position seemed to be a natural fit.

Having just returned from a van-supported Tour of the Black Hills in South Dakota, I can highly praise that locale for some exceptional riding with fresh memories, but I must note that I will never forget my tours of the Ice Fields Parkway in Alberta, Canada, nor the glorious cycling to be found in New Zealand.

It is great to be here in Davis, accompanied by so many fine, dedicated and enthusiastic cyclists.

Aimer Bhat, Membership Director

membership@davisbikeclub.org

I started riding after moving to Davis in 2020. Davis has good infrastructure around cycling. I joined DBC to explore the community around cycling.

I ride to enjoy the outdoors, get away from my desk, and stay fit. Volunteering is a great way to know more people in the community, learn about inner workings of a non-profit organization, and a way to give back.

I consistently try to show up for Sunday no drop rides. I like rides with good scenery and friends.

Stewart Thompson, Director-at-Large, Double Century

double-century@davisbikeclub.org

I started riding about 35 years ago, when as a runner, my knees started giving out. (Cycling has a low impact on the knees as compared to running.) I very quickly gravitated to endurance cycling, though I did some road racing as well. While living on the SF Peninsula, I joined the DBC about 20 years ago when I started to ride DBC brevets.

When my wife and I retired ~7 years ago, we moved to Davis and I took an active role in the club as a time to start to “give back” to the community. Since I had been very active in riding double centuries, it was a natural fit for me to assume directorship for the Davis Double Century, which is my position on the DBC board.

I continue to ride double centuries, though at the age of 70 it’s starting to get difficult. But I enjoy just getting out for a long day on the machine. My favorite ride is anything with hills, panoramic views and good road surfaces.

David Watkins, Director-at-Large, Foxy’s Fall Century

foxys@davisbikeclub.org

I started riding seriously as an undergraduate in Pennsylvania, where I raced road a few seasons. I got more into mountain biking and using my bike for practical transportation during my 5 years in Madison, WI before and after grad school. I joined DBC when my wife and I moved to Davis in 2019, since it seemed like an obvious thing to do being new to town.

I took on directing Foxy’s as a personal leadership challenge, and to do my part for the club. It has been rewarding to see all the pieces of the event come together and see how the club works behind the scenes.

My preferred ride is anywhere you can get away from traffic with some nice scenery. Particular favorites have been gravel rides in the coast range through Lodoga and Stonyford, and trails and fire roads in Marin County.

Maria Contreras Tebbutt, Outreach Director

outreach@davisbikeclub.org

Founder/Director of The Bike Campaign & Bike Garage

I started riding a 2-wheeled bike at age 7 in preparation for riding to Birch Lane Elementary in Davis.  My first long distance ride from Davis to Woodland and back was at age 12 on a single speed bike (no helmet/no phone). 

I first joined the DBC when my husband Mark and I moved back to Davis.  I went on one ride and quit, too fast, didn’t have the right bike or clothing, and didn’t feel like I fit in.  I rejoined the club about 5 years ago and now co-lead a couple of the most popular weekly rides.  I started the WOW! rides about 2.5 years ago and am happy to see how far they’ve gone and grown. 

I joined the Board of Directors because, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re the problem.  Would love to see our club grow through encouraging more new riders, women, and families to come and join the fun. 

I love the Etna Tour on the Memorial Day weekend, which Mark and I started leading in 2017.  The scenery is wonderful, the community is welcoming and it’s a great way for 20 bike-loving friends to ride together.

Michael St. Paul, candidate for 2024 Vice-President

I started riding as transportation to school and work. I moved to Davis in the fall of 2022, and I joined the DBC in the winter of 2022 to get in better shape and meet people in the community.

I volunteered to become Vice-President because the Davis Bike Club has enriched my life and I want to be part of sustaining it and moving it forward.

My first ride was the Sunday No-Drop to Winters; and it’s still my favorite.

Kurt Giles, candidate for 2024 Treasurer

As a kid, cycling gave me freedom to get out of our village into the countryside. I started cycling more during college and touring around Europe in my vacations; I’ve always commuted to work by bike. I joined the DBC upon moving to Davis a year ago to help support cycling as a way of life.

I ride for fun, exercise, fresh air, shopping, taking the kids to school, running errands, to reduce my carbon footprint. Why would you not ride?

One of the most memorable rides was a self-contained tour from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. My favorite rides right now are the Tuesday and Wednesday DBC rides.

Ray Spore and Heidi Verbeeck, candidates for 2024 Race Team Director

Ray: I started cycling in 1983 while in college. I joined the DBC in 1987 when I moved back to Davis from college. I raced several years with the DBC Race team in the 80s up until cat 3. Then stopped racing. Got back to racing in 1992, up until early 2000s. Meeting Heidi got me back into serious cycling and racing, and joining DBC again in 2021.

Cycling is a way of life and health for me. I have been involved with DBC in the past and felt it only right to do my part to the club and the team once again.

The Moore Creek Mountainbike trails are my favorite ride. On the road: Cantalow loop with all the bumps included.

Heidi: Coming from cycling crazy Belgium, I grew up around cycling. I started riding and racing in 1994, after I took a step back from cross country running races. Once I made that step, I found my true passion.

I raced for 4 years, made it to the Belgian National Juniors team and participated in the Road World Championship in San Marino, Italy in 1995. The bike just feels home to me and I enjoy pushing myself to become better and stronger.

An injury in 1996 forced me to eventually quit racing in 1997. After that, I sporadically rode my road bike.

After moving to the USA in 2017 and meeting Ray a couple years after, he took it on himself to coach me and got me back into serious riding and racing again in 2021, when I joined DBC and I have been part of the DBC Race Team ever since and currently race as a cat 3. Together with my coach and partner in crime Ray, we keep working towards our mutual race goals.

I volunteered to become more involved with the Race Team and DBC because I like to build our team up, and hopefully get more women in our team and into racing and share years of experiences with the team and help DBC grow.