Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

these guys are great, helping represent bicyclists' rights and making it easier to commute and ride for recreation. they do great work around bike to work day too.

I have been volunteering with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition since 2006. My experience as a volunteer led me to run for the board of directors and I am excited to work with this effective organization to have an even greater impact. For the past several years the organization has worked hard to make the bicycle a primary transportation choice by engaging community members in fun activities, hosting Bike to Work Day and working on policy advocacy.

I first heard about SVBC when I participated in my first Bike to Work Day back in 2005. I very much respected their passion for cycling, people, and wanting to keep two wheeled pedal power growing in our bay area. I also was very much involved with cycling through the team management side and decided to try and join the Board in 2010.

My involvement with SVBC has and continues to be a rewarding experience for me. From my observations, SVBC makes every attempt to have complete transparency in its business practices and adheres to its governance and policies. I look forward to seeing what 2011 brings with respect to engaging the different bike communities and bringing them towards helping us making the roads safer for all.

As a passionate advocate for cycling, I have watched this organization grow tremendously. Several times I was asked to join the board and I declined because I did not have the time to devote to an organization that had not yet reached a sufficient level of professionalism. That has changed significantly under the tenure of the current ED. What started as a small grassroots nonprofit is now a credible voice for cycling in Silicon Valley, one that is bringing cycling into the mainstream. As a result, I eventually changed my mind and the last time they asked me to join the board, I agreed, viewing it as a good investment of my time and a way to be impactful on issues I care about.

I begin working with SVBC in 2010 as a volunteer on the event committee. Having owned a nationally recognized cycling event production company for 15 years, I came away from my volunteer experience with great confidence in the organization's staff and their commitment to SVBC's mission. When asked if I was interested in running for a Board seat -- I agreed without hesitation -- and I was lucky enough to be elected. I look forward to working with SVBC members, the ED, the staff, and volunteers. Much has been accomplished already. There is much more work to be done. SVBC is a valued and important participant in raising awareness and facilitating healthier, more cycling-friendly communities in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

The silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition used to be a great magnet and gathering ground for grassroots Bicycling advocacy in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. For several years, local long term bicycling advocates have suspected financial and operational irregularity. The ED and board held closed meetings and refuse requests from members of the public for meeting information. They stopped having legally required board meetings, and refused to comply with legally and properly made request for legally required disclosure and review of documents. They then imposed their own bylaw rewrite without membership comment or approval, despite many changes affecting voting rights. The newsletter ceased publication, long time services were discontinued or unreasonable demands for guaranteed profits were made for the services to contnue. They conduct censorship and defamation against known critics selectively removing their access, even to view postings only, from the email list and all other SVBC electronic and printed media. This despite the SVBC being the dominant and controlling provider of cycling advocacy community and related information in the South Bay and Peninsula area. They receive public funding to conduct events, yet fail to properly disclose the accounting of the use of the public funding. The ED continually refuses to request an opinion for clarification from the CA State Attorney General, despite this being the Attorney General's recommended action prior to engaging in possibly questionable dealings. Myself and several others combined resources to investigate their operations and research applicable laws and codes. We found self serving transactions leading to the ED receiving a compensation package considerably out of proportion with other similar nonprofits, with half of revenues going toward her household, and her mother being hired as an assistant using a noncompetitive, unadvertised hiring process. In early 2010, the City of San Jose, CA, code enforcement department served a notice to cease order on the executive director for an illegal business and zoning arrangement, which included the ED failing to pay taxes on illegally obtained rental income, and failing to disclose the income on her divorce filing. Pending still, are IRS actions, and State of California Attorney General's office investigations. Lastly, they act illegally to control and manipulate the nonimating and voting process for board of director elections.

SVBC is a really effective advocate for those of us using bicycles for transportation. I appreciate their multilevel approach - from teaching safety classes in schools to advocating with transportation agencies for greater accommodation of cyclists to organizing Santa Clara County's Bike to Work Day activities. They have a great website - dedicated volunteers provide updates on construction projects and policy developments in cities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Volunteering is fun; there's a strong esprit de corps.