Ikaika Cox (he/him): "A Utah County native, I began volunteering at the Provo Bicycle Collective in 2012. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Philosophy in 2015, I moved to Boise and began working with the Boise Bicycle Project where I honed my skills as a mechanic and educator. In 2016 I returned to Provo, committed to growing the operation here. I love bicycles because I see them as a vehicle that challenges riders to push themselves and engage their community in a different way. I see the Collective growing and becoming more effective in fostering community impact and growth, and serving as a space in which community members can grow and develop themselves. In June 2019, I moved to lead the Salt Lake City branch of the Bicycle Collective."

Before coming to the Bicycle Collective, Essen Skabelund (she/her) worked to develop refugee programming and promote accessibility in a local SLC Title 1 elementary school, and has lived in Japan, Jerusalem, D.C., Kansas, and Virginia. She has also enjoyed directing events, working in youth programs, and conducting social science research, which helped solidify her love for community engagement with diverse groups. She is passionate about cycling centric infrastructure, human rights, and the chance for community created in the Collective. You can find her dreaming about rock-climbing, camping, or writing screenplays for fun.

Owen Geary (he/him): Hailing from both Northern California and Western New York, the raw beauty of Utah is what drew him here. Owen started as a volunteer at the collective in 2012 and has worked as Valet Coordinator, Mechanic, Open Shop Manager, or has been a Keylist volunteer throughout the years. In his spare time he enjoys playing with Beehive Bike Polo, working on his 80's BMW, and mountain biking.

Sam Short (he/him) first got into biking through road racing. Since then Sam has enjoyed touring and bike packing. On his trips he learned the importance of being able to maintain and fix his bike. In his free time Sam enjoys bowling, playing the drums, and skiing.

Casey Carrigan (he/him) fell in love with biking as his main form of transit when he moved from Central New York to the mountain west 12 years ago. He joined us at the Collective as a volunteer in 2015, and currently works full time as one of our mechanics. You'll see him biking around town year round, and mountain biking/snowboarding up in the hills as the season dictates.

George Otis (he/him) is a Boston native who loves riding bikes and working on machines.

Kris Taite (she/her): Kris’ love for cycling was ignited while attending college in Davis, California, where the entire city supported the bicycling culture as a sustainable system of transportation. She had a long career as an environmental consultant specializing in archaeology, before pivoting to community advocacy. The Venn diagram of interests in non-profit organizations, community development, education, and the environment intersected when she started working at the Bicycle Collective in 2021. She continues to bike, hike, ski, and paddle as much as her doggo, Nimbus, will allow.

Kira Johnson (she/her) originally moved to Provo as a student at BYU. During her student years, she didn’t have a car and out of necessity was commuting by bike. She found a lot of mental relief from her bike rides and came to associate her commutes as a form of therapy. As she consistently commuted, she became aware of the lack of bicycle infrastructure and sought for ways to add her voice to those advocating for safe streets. As a result, she got involved with BikeWalk Provo and Provo Bicycle Collective. After volunteering with PBC for a few months, she was offered a position to coordinate programs. She ran the Women/Trans/Femme (WTF) Night and Youth Programs from December 2017 to May 2019. 

After graduating from BYU with a degree in Geography, she moved across the country to Waynesboro, Virginia, a charming little city at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley. There she worked as a city planner for about 2 years. 

Kira is excited to be back at Provo Bicycle Collective, a place that feels like home. She loves the Provo community and is stoked to reconnect with all the great folks in the area. Apart from loving commuting by bike, Kira enjoys cross-country skiing, roller skating, backpacking, bike touring, wearing sweaters, eating ethnic foods, gardening, and doing all things with her pup, Otis.

Sam Osorio (he/him): Whenever there’s a question in the shop that nobody can answer, we always go to Sam. His knowledge of bikes is extensive, and he’s always solving all sorts of bicycle problems that people bring into the shop. His current bike count is around 20, although that fluctuates depending on how many of his friends catch the “bike bug” and take one for themselves. Him and his wife have been Provo residents for a few years now, and they have loved being near the mountains. Sam’s passion in film photography has helped him capture the great scenery that surrounds us. If you bring in your bike to the Collective to be fixed, you’ll most likely get to meet Sam!

Dustin Eskelson (he/him) began his career in the cycling industry as a junior road racer working and wrenching in shops to support his racing ambitions. At one point he had a 50 mile round-trip commute from Bountiful to Millcreek Bicycles. In 2010, Dustin earned his USA Cycling Category 1 rank and had a top-20 result at U-23 nationals in the time trial. The following year he began working at Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) as a customer service representative. 

Dustin became aware of the Bicycle Collective in 2012 after a snowboarding accident put an end to his road racing ambitions. In 2013, Dustin was hired as the Ogden Bicycle Collective’s open shop manager and eventually helped move the building from Wall Ave. to the Fowler Ave. location. 

At QBP Dustin took on an additional role as the site ACE Coordinator. This gave him experience organizing volunteer projects and working on advocacy efforts.

Dustin spent 3 years immersed in the world of disc-brakes at TRP/Tektro USA working as a warranty tech / customer service rep / graphic designer / human swiss army knife before joining the Bicycle Collective as the Ogden Location Director in July 2019.

He loves helping people learn to fix their bikes and enjoy the sport that has brought such happiness to his life. Dustin loves mountain biking and spending time with Chelsea, his spouse  and Edith, his daughter.

Kirsty Johnson (she/her): I moved to Ogden with my husband last year. The mountains, seasons, and accessibility of so many incredible natural landscapes meant that there was no question of whether we'd love it here.

After graduating, I began a career in Human Resources. I also began snowboarding at the same time. After a few years the call of the mountains and adventure was strong, and I left my office based career. In the years since I've taught English in South Korea (where I met my husband), worked as a Snowboard Instructor, and guided people through a Glow Worm cave in New Zealand.

I've commuted by bike on and off all my life, and am loving learning and practicing bike mechanics so far. I'm excited to be working in a position that serves our environment and community, and helps others to do the same through volunteering and providing the brilliant programs offered at the Bike Collective.

In 2013 I moved to Utah from Washington, DC because this place is fascinating and wonderful and bizarre. I joined the Collective’s board in 2015 because I love our mission and because we're the only community bike shop network in the state. Some states have a series of entities doing this work, but here Utah, we're it. And that's worth fighting for. I have served as board chair since 2016, and during that time I have focused my attention on improving our institutional stability and securing the Collective's future. That focus has led to elevating the needs of our wonderful staff and improving our facilities so that the communities we serve can continue to count on us.

 

I will never forget the freedom I felt riding down the street on two wheels for the first time. I hope my volunteer work for the Collective helps provide that same sensation to others; whether they're riding towards stable employment, arriving in America having left somewhere far away, or just looking for a rad new project bike.

 

Professionally, I have worked on a range of public policy issues here in Utah, including affordable housing, campaign finance limits, air quality laws, and land use reform. Today, I plan and build transit-oriented developments for the Utah Transit Authority. I hold graduate degrees from Cornell University in city planning and public administration. 

Dr. Patrick Schwab has been a core volunteer of the St. George Bicycle Collective for several years, often wrenching in the shop and administrative duties. Patrick is a Professor of STEM in both the College of Science, Engineering & Technology and the College of Education at Dixie State University. He has enjoyed bringing his formal teaching background into the Collective to help guide practices in the shop. Before his engineering and teaching career, Patrick owned and operated a bike shop in Tucson, AZ, when not focused on mountain bike racing.

Donna McAleer (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Bicycle Collective. She is happiest outside on her bike or on skis in the mountains.

She has more than thirty years of nonprofit and public sector organizational leadership, financial management and fundraising experience. 

Donna is a former US Army Officer having served in a variety of leadership roles stateside and in Germany. In 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta appointed Donna to serve on the Defense Advisory Council for Women in the Service (DACOWITS) to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment and retention, treatment, integration, and well-being of highly qualified professional women in the Armed Forces.

She began in the private sector with the Novations Consulting Group, later moving to William M. Mercer, Inc. Donna than became a Vice President of Global Logistics and Support Services at GenRad, a leading producer of electronic test equipment. There Donna was responsible for the development and implementation of a global logistics and customer support strategy. As a consultant, she worked on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs top three clinical and operational priorities of suicide prevention, community care, and call center modernization. 

Previously, she served as the Executive Director for People's Health Clinic in Park City, UT where she and the PHC team transformed the business model to create financial stability, increase community awareness, and ensure uninsured and underinsured residents of Summit and Wasatch counties had access to quality medical and healthcare. 

Donna received her B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York and her M.B.A. from Darden Graduate School at University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She is the award-winning author of Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point's Long Gray Line  (Fortis Publishing 2010).

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, she teaches alpine skiing at Deer Valley Resort. Donna enjoys anything outside -- skiing, mountain biking, road cycling, hiking, camping, golfing and traveling. One of her favorite mountain biking trails is the White Rim.

Michael is a cyclist, snowboarder, traveler, and independent Artist. Michael takes his love of bicycles to work. He continues to serve the community, by providing exceptional service and knowledge. Producing at the fulcrum of minimalism and function to create strong, lasting and remarkable memories. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

JP Orquiz (he/him): The man, the myth, the legend... JP!

Born in Washington state, Cory was involved in restoring classic cars since he was five. After an exhausting stint as a professional mechanic in Washington, he moved down to Southern Utah and joined the Bicycle Collective, bringing his mechanical skills and knowledge to help the local community build customized bikes, just like he used to with custom classic cars.

Oxnard (he/him) joins the Bicycle Collective as a cast member of our new video series "Dusty and the Wrenches." In his spare time Oxnard can be found advocating for animal rights and riding his singlespeed mountain bike to punk-rock shows.

Lulu (she/her) joins the Bicycle Collective as a cast member of our new video series "Dusty and the Wrenches." In her spare time, Lulu likes to play guitar and ride her bike (but not at the same time, silly).

Ann Mackin worked in corporate finance, accounting, and manufacturing operations for more than 20 years. For the past 12 years she has served in leadership roles in Higher Education. Currently, she serves as Business Faculty at Western Governor’s University (WGU). Previously she served as the Associate Commissioner at the Utah Colleges of Applied Technology (UCAT), Vice President at Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) as well as director of graduate business programs at Westminster and the University of Utah. Ann serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Holladay. She holds an MBA from the University of Utah and a Doctorate in Education from Pepperdine University.

Ann Mackin is a founding member of Real Women Run at the YWCA which launched in 2011. She serves on the Real Women Run Board. Ann created a non-profit organization, SpringBoard Utah to advocate and promote the placement of more women on boards & commissions in Utah. Ann has served in elected office in Lincoln County, Wyoming and actively promotes women to run for office.

Maria Vyas, AICP, is a consultant with 23 years of experience helping communities become friendlier for bicycling and walking. In her professional life as a transportation planner at Fehr & Peers, she has completed a considerable body of work in active transportation. Her work includes designing on- and off-street bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, establishing a regional vision for active transportation and first/last mile connections throughout the Salt Lake metropolitan region, and developing actionable bicycle and pedestrian master plans for communities throughout the West. She has been recognized for her work by the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Bicycle and Pedestrian Council, the Women in Transportation Seminar, and the American Planning Association. A Salt Lake native, she loves to camp and ride her bike all over the great State of Utah. She believes deeply in providing transportation access and independence to all people, and in the joy of riding a bike.

Nkenna Onwuzuruoha was raised in Marietta, Georgia, and is a first-generation American—both her parents are Nigerian. She completed her bachelor's in Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago and a master's in European Literature from the University of Bristol in England. In 2011, Nkenna moved to Salt Lake to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the SLCC Community Writing Center. After her year of service, she taught first-year writing and social justice courses at the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), and Westminster College. Nkenna is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Writing & Rhetoric Studies at the University of Utah. Nkenna's first bike in Salt Lake City was a free one she received from the Collective as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in need of reliable transportation. She didn’t keep that bike for too long, but it turned her into a bike advocate and enthusiast.

I moved to Utah in the mid 80’s to attend graduate school in computer graphics.  We formed a company that developed and marketed computer aided manufacturing software around the world.  I served as president of that company for 19 years.  During this time I also returned to school to get my MBA.  This company was purchased by the British company Delcam in 2003 and in 2014 Delcam was purchased by the US company Autodesk.  After working at Autodesk for a couple of years I retired.  

On the personal side I am married and have two grown children.  I have been an avid bike rider since coming to Utah.  I humbly participated in local mountain bike races in my 40s and biked to work.  I was involved it’s the Boys and Girls Club here in Salt Lake for over 20 years as a coach, Board member and fundraiser.  I have also served on the capital campaign for Wasatch Community Gardens.  I’m a fan of the Bicycle Collective because I like organizations that focus on making an impact on the local community.  I’m also a big fan of green initiatives and vocational training.

Todd Reeder is a community developer with a passion for place making and creating opportunity in underserved neighborhoods. In his current role as Director of Real Estate Development for the Community Development Corporation of Utah, he works with community partners to provide housing solutions throughout the state. Todd joined the Bike Collective in 2018, where he will utilize his extensive background in finance, operations, project management, and development to help grow the footprint of each of the Bike Collective communities. When not riding a bike around town, Todd enjoys being in the great outdoors and listening to some wicked cool tunes.

I love being on a bike. But even more than that, I love riding in close proximity to my family and friends. A close third is seeing others on bikes, particularly kids. (Particularly my kid, though it is getting more and more difficult to get the teenager on a saddle.) It is at times like these that I feel the most hope for the world.

I like to commute to work (always getting the best parking spot). I like to pedal when I'm going out for the evening. I like thinking about how to get non-riders on bikes. I like to get in a bit of distance on the road. I like riding the mountains and deserts in and around Utah. I like multi-day family treks. And finally, I like exploring other cities and countries by bike.

My favorite day of the year is Bike Prom.

I started pedaling passionately after life changing hip surgeries. Mountain biking restored my ability to get back in the mountains and I discovered a new found love and respect for the bicycle machine. I started volunteering at the Ogden BC in 2017 because I wanted to share my love for biking, to be a service to others, and be my own mechanic. Professionally, I’m a successful restauranteur and executive chef. When I’m not in my kitchens, I enjoy helping others, flying, climbing, mountaineering, traveling, bluegrass festivals and, of course, riding my bikes.

Jim spent his career building brands, customers—and value—for a host of innovative technology companies, both public and private. Jim co-founded Cirque Corporation, inventor of touchpad pointing devices now common on virtually all laptop computers. After selling Cirque to Alps Corporation in 2003, Jim founded the NorAm division of EnOcean, a Siemens spinout employing energy-harvesting to self-power wireless sensor solutions for use in building automation, industrial applications, and environmental monitoring. Since retiring in 2016, Jim consults part-time with companies in the energy harvesting and wireless sensor markets.  

Jim began volunteering at the Bicycle Collective in 2017, became a core volunteer and joined the board of directors in November 2018. Jim has been a lifelong cyclist, former racer, and now an avid mountain biker.  Having seen the personal and community benefits of cycling, Jim joined the Collective to extend that opportunity to all members of the community regardless of economic resources. Jim and his wife are avid skiers, cyclists and travel enthusiasts.

Thomas Cooke (he/him) is a cyclist, skier, coach, writer, teacher, entrepreneur, local county planning commissioner, husband, and father. He settled in Park City, Utah in 1993, and has been turning pedals on all sorts of bikes ever since. 

Thomas has had a long career in brand development, marketing, and brand building through leveraging creative technology. 

Starting in 2005, Thomas led the creative team for SLC-based agency Struck who along with the Utah Office of Tourism and State Tourism Board launched Utah’s Life Elevated brand and subsequent advertising campaigns to promote the state as a tourism destination. 

In 2008, Thomas joined SLC-based digital agency Welikesmall (now called Thinkingbox) and helped launch a ground-breaking website for the 2010 U.S. Census. 

In 2011, Thomas co-founded Rally Interactive, a product design and development studio that would go on to win an Apple Design Award for an iOS app they designed and developed for National Geographic.

Thomas is excited to join the Bicycle Collective and combine his experience in creative technology with his passion for bicycles and the people who ride them.

Alan Gooch (he/him) is a graduate from our Junior Bicycle Mechanic Apprenticeship and a long time volunteer during youth open shop. Alan's music taste has evolved over his employment with the bicycle collective and he's now the expert on folk-punk and 80's new wave.

Matt Reed (he/him) is always the one eyeing the vintage bicycles that come in, and he’s an expert at fixing the unfixable. He has a mysterious aura about him, and every once in a while he’ll pull out some crazy fact about himself, such as the time he played the lute in a renaissance band. Matt and his wife have a new little baby girl, and we’re all sure she is going to be shredding on a bicycle in no time at all. We love having Matt here at the Collective!

Lars Christensen (he/him): If you were out looking for Lars, he’d be a hard one to pin down. You could find him at the skatepark, in the mountains, on a farm, or playing saxophone at his house. His love of bikes first started when he and his dad would go mountain biking together. From there, he wanted to learn how to fix bikes, so he bought an old beater at the DI and took the whole thing apart to learn about each part. Lars is big into bike touring and bikepacking and has sewn his own bags! Say “hi” to Lars next time you stop by the Collective!

If there’s an issue with a bike, Thane (he/him) will surely find it. The bikes that come off his rack are practically perfect, and he doesn’t let any problem slide by. Thane has a wild past full of fixing cars and riding motorcycles, and he has since upgraded to being a bike mechanic. You may not realize when you see him working at his bench, but Thane is legally blind, and he works by feel rather than by sight. Thane loves getting out of the city to enjoy the mountains, to hike or picnic. On those rainy days, he enjoys non-fiction books or movies in his place in Provo. We are so lucky to have Thane here at the Collective!

Connor Biser (he/him) is the senior employee at Provo Bicycle Collective, and he is also the youngest! He has been working here since he was 14, and started volunteering here even before that. Connor just graduated high school and will be starting at BYU this fall. Being a long time bicycle enthusiast, it’s not surprising that his bike collection is always abundant. With all of his bike projects, he still finds time to pursue his second big passion which is playing the bass. He currently plays in a bluegrass band, although part of him wishes it was a jazz band. To remember the biggest things that make up Connor, just think of the two B’s: Bicycles and Bass.

I’m Otis. I’m a good boy and am the cutest puppy on the planet, according to my human. I love all people, especially the ones that throw my ball or play tug. I also love all dogs, but cats freak me out; I’ve had a few try to scratch me when all I wanted to do was sniff them. My favorite activities are hiking, swimming, playing fetch, carrying the ball in my mouth, playing tug, sniffing things, and snuggling.

Quinn Hyde (she/her) is one of our mechanics, and started working on bikes in Denver while earning a BS in Gender Studies, Environmental Science, Math and Art. She moved to SLC after hiking for 5 months on the Pacific Crest Trail, and loves the mountains. Quinn has experience working with kids, from teaching teens to surf, to helping 1st graders plant seeds! She enjoys her time at the Collective most when she's able to support someone learning a new skill.

Abby is currently interviewing to become the Bicycle Collective mascot as a vocal and enthusiastic supporter. She loves meeting all of the volunteers and youth that come into the shop. Sometimes she takes quick dog naps while her human interacts with others. While she loves being in the shop, she prefers to be on the trails hiking or biking with her human. Abby does love treats and ear scratches.