About Missouri Bicycle Federation

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is a statewide, not-for-profit, membership organization that advocates advancement of bicycling access, safety and education in Missouri. It was founded by Caryn Giarratano (the first Chair) and Mike Hoeferkamp (the first Treasurer) in 1993, and incorporated in the state of Missouri on November 17, 1994.

MoBikeFed is a 501(c)(4) corporation, EIN 43-1896064. More information: IRS 501c4 letter, Guidestar listing.

More about MoBikeFed's history and accomplishments is here.

For more details about the Missouri Bicycle Federation's stand on the issues, see MoBikeFed's Vision of Active Transportation in Missouri and the Missouri Bicycle Federation Legislative Platform.

The annual business meeting and election of officers is generally the first Sunday in November each year (though some years it must be changed due to various conflicts). We generally have Board Meetings on the first Sundays of February, May, and August (however note that the meetings are quite often moved by a week or two forward or back to accommodate schedule conflicts). Members and visitors are welcome at these meetings.

Our calendar usually contains updated info about meetings. If planning to attend a meeting it is usually best to contact director [at] mobikefed.org so as to be apprised of any last-minute details or changes.

Information about joining MBF is on our membership page. A downloadable membership flyer is available in PDF format.

MoBikeFed Bylaws.

Missouri Bicycle Federation, Inc.
Post Office Box 104871
Jefferson City, MO 65110-4871

Email: director [at] mobikefed.org

Phone: 816-695-6736

To contact a specific staff person, board member, or chair, see the list of current staff/board members below.

The mission of the Missouri Bicycle Federation is to provide an advocacy platform to protect the rights and interests of bicyclists and to make Missouri a better place to ride a bicycle through the advancement of bicycle access, safety and education.

MOBikeFed's Vision of Active Transportation in Missouri (1.7 meg PDF file) summarizes our 5- to 10-year plan and goals for Missouri.

• Obtain funding to meet goals.
• Coordinate efforts among constituents.
• Communicate with other state groups.
• Educate the public on benefits of our sport: health, social and environmental.
• Lobby for legislative issues on behalf of bicyclists.
• Promote safety: sharing the road, wearing helmets and following the rules of the road.
• Establish bicycling as a recognized form of transportation, as well as recreation.
• Facilitate use of state and federal funds to meet goals.
• Disseminate information about constituents' major events in the state.
• Promote the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community program across Missouri.
• Encourage Complete Streets policies at local, metropolitan, statewide, and national levels.
• Promote and encourage more bicycling and walking in Missouri through programs like Bike Month, Bike to Work Week, and Walk/Bike to School Month.

• Wrote and passed legislation that repealed the mandatory sidepath law and defeated its reinstatement in 1998.
• Worked with legislators to improve wording and intent of bike-specific laws. Thanks to this, Missouri traffic laws rate better for bicycle friendliness than those in most other states (though work remains to be done in Missouri and in all other states).
• Defeated a bill that would have required all bicyclists to ride on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Defeated legislation that would have required bicyclists to ride single file.
• Worked with the MoDOT to change its policy on shoulder rumble strips to allow bicyclists some smooth shoulder.
• Worked with Amtrak in 1997 to allow unboxed bicycles to be rolled aboard.
• Worked with legislators to pass as "Safe Passing Law", bicycle-friendly bicycle lane provisions, and numerous other improvements to the state bicycle legislation in 2005.

Board members are elected to two-year terms. Some terms expire each year at the November board/membership meeting. The number after each board member's email address is the year that member's term expires.

Executive Director - Brent Hugh, Raytown, 816-695-6736, director [at] mobikefed.org As many of us do, I rode my bicycle a lot of a child and for transportation during my college years. But when I moved to the Kansas City area in 1993 my bicycle mostly stayed in the shed because I didn't feel comfortable bicycling on nearby roads. The combination of a newly widened road in our neighborhood and a doctor's admonition to "get and shape and lose some weight or else!" got me riding again. Now I ride several times every week, for transportation and recreation, year around.

President - Joseph Torrisi, St. Louis, Joseph.Torrisi [at] slps.org [2008] Joe is an avid cyclist and co-organizer of the Compton-Drew Dolphin Bicycle Club, the only student bike club in Missouri, which now numbers 40 active members and several parent volunteers annually. Joe has given presentations on how to organize school bicyle club at conferences nationwide and was an advisor to a forthcoming book about youth bicycling produced by Adventure Cycling. Vice President - Caryn Giarratano, Jefferson City, cgcyclist [at] mchsi.com [2009] I am a Kansas City community bicycle advocate and a ride leader for the Kansas City Bicycle Club. I was a member of the Police Pursuit Policy Task Force in Kansas City that recently made changes to Kansas City's police pursuit policy in response to the death of a bicyclist during a police pursuit. I am a graphic designer and illustrator and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Kansas.

Treasurer - Fred Schmidt, Columbia, fred [at] accountingcycle.net [2009] Mr. Schmidt was born and raised in Columbia, MO and has watched it grow from a small town into a city. He has lived for many years in New York, and has also resided in Southern California, Washington, San Francisco, and Tokyo. He therefore combines a knowledge of how this community works with new perspectives on how other cities have approached their transportation situations. Mr. Schmidt is secretary of the City of Columbia's Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, and a member of Mayor Darwin Hindmna's NonMotorized Transportation Advisory Committee. He also serves as Policy Coordinator for The PedNet Coalition, Inc. Prior to returning to Columbia, Mr. Schmidt worked for 11 years as a quantitative analyst for various banks and investment firms. Most of his work was in the area of fixed income, including bonds, mortgaged backed securities, and interest rate derivatives. Prior to graduate studies he was a statistician at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He currently runs his own accounting and bookkeeping company Accounting Cycle.

Secretary, Membership - Laura "Levi" Vie, Columbia, leevie [at] mac.com [2008] I am an active recreational cyclist for the last 4+ years. I started with the goal of losing weight and becoming more healthy. My goal in joining the MoBikeFed Board was representing South Central Missouri and promoting bike safety throughout the state.

Wesley Revels, St. Joseph, ws2mbrev [at] stjoelive.com, 816-279-4239[2009] Wes is an avid bicyclist and is involved with the Saint Michael's Meadow Trail Foundation, Inc. and Quad States Trails of St. Joseph, Inc.

Morgan Bearden, Rolla, 573-364-1695, Morgan [at] thedef.org [2009]

Bicycle Education Chair - Coy Hart, Springfield, tenspeedroadie [at] hotmail.com [2008]

Rail-Trails and Multi-Use Trail Network - Jeff Huff, West Plains, jeffhuff [at] missouristate.edu [2009] Jeff is an avid bicyclist with a particular interest in the development of multi-use trails. He has done groundbreaking research as part of his graduate work at Missouri State University in identifying and mapping all known current and historical rail corridors in Missouri. This research will be extremely valuable in identifying possible trail corridors and connections. As part of his MoBikeFed responsibilities he monitors Missouri rail abandonments in Missouri. He is President of the West Plains Bicycle Club and instructor of CG/CAD/CAM at Missouri State University.

Motorist Contact Chair, Walking and Running Clubs Liaison - Dave Schieffer, Kansas City, schiefferus [at] yahoo.com [2009] I have been an active runner since high school. In 1995, I decided to run a marathon, and have since completed 6. I have recently taken up biking as well in an effort to cross train. I represent the Kansas City running community on the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and have joined the MoBikeFed Board with the same objective. Board member of the State of Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee (BPAC); Member, Kansas City Track Club; Member, Mid-America Running Association; active in the Kansas City running community for over 10 years. MBA from University of Iowa; BSBA in Marketing from Creighton University; 20 years experience as a management consultant to the financial services and healthcare industries; currently own DAST Investments Inc, specializing project management and strategic planning consulting services.

Eric Rogers, Kansas City, edr [at] ericrogers.org [2009] I divide my time between exploring the streets of KC's urban core and exploring the mountain bike and multi-use trails around Missouri. I began biking seriously in college and went off-road after moving back home and discovering the fantastic trails developing here. My interests include working for safe river crossings, completing the Katy Trail to Kansas City, bike commuting, and discovering new places to bike around the state. I also have an interest in pedestrian issues, as I have been walking to work for the last five years.

Bicycle Business Liaison - Mike Weiss, St. Louis, mike [at] bigshark.com [2009] Mike is President of the Missouri Bicycle Racing Association (MOBRA), owner of Big Shark Bicycle Company, and an avid bicyclist and advocate.

Randy Niere, Kansas City, tcl1 [at] swbell.net [2008]

Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Springfield, badib-yazdi [at] swbell.net [2008] Bruce Adib-Yazdi is Advocacy Committee Chair for Springbike Bicycle Club in Springfield, MO. His involvement with MBF has been 'on the edges' but being connected to this larger statewide network allows him to have a peer group to associate with and the resources to help encourage safe cycling in SW Missouri.

These lists of previous officers are for historical purposes only. Click here for current board members and contact information.

Past Board Members & Officers, Nov 2006-Feb 2008

• President - Joseph Torrisi, St. Louis, Joseph.Torrisi [at] slps.org [2008]
• Vice President - Laurie Chipman, Kansas City, Treasurer - Fred Schmidt, Columbia, fschmidt [at] mchsi.com [2007]
• Secretary/Newsletter Editor - Laura "Levi" Vie, Columbia, Leevie [at] aol.com [2008]
• Morgan Bearden, Rolla, 573-364-1695, Morgan [at] thedef.org [2008]
• Bicycle Education Chair - Coy Hart, Springfield, Hillbillyoncrank [at] wmconnect.com [2008]
• Rail-Trails and Multi-Use Trail Network - Jeff Huff, West Plains, jeffhuff [at] missouristate.edu [2007]
• Motorist Contact Chair, Walking and Running Clubs Liaison - Dave Schieffer, Kansas City, schiefferus [at] yahoo.com [2007]
• Membership communication - Eric Rogers, Kansas City, edr [at] ericrogers.org [2007]
• Awards - Doug Havach, Kansas City, havix531 [at] mailcan.com
• Bicycle Business Liaison - Mike Weiss, St. Louis, mike [at] bigshark.com [2007]
• Randy Niere, Kansas City, tcl1 [at] swbell.net [2008]
• Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Springfield, badib-yazdi [at] swbell.net [2008]

Past Board Members & Officers, Nov 2004-Nov 2005

• President - Brent Hugh, Raytown, 816-356-1740, president [at] mobikefed.org
• Vice President - Laurie Chipman, Kansas City, chipdsn1 [at] swbell.net
• Treasurer - Paul Wojciechowski, St. Louis, 314-290-8545, wojoplans [at] yahoo.com
• Secretary/Newsletter Editor - Laura "Levi" Vie, Columbia, Leevie [at] aol.com
• Motorist Contact Chair - Morgan Bearden, Rolla, 573-364-1695, Morgan [at] thedef.org
• Bicycle Education Chair - Coy Hart, Springfield, Hillbillyoncrank [at] wmconnect.com

Alternate Board Members

• School Bicycle Clubs Chair & K-12 Liaison - Joseph Torrisi, St. Louis, Joseph.Torrisi [at] slps.org
• Randy Niere, Kansas City, tcl1 [at] swbell.net
• Bruce Adib-Yazdi, Springfield, badib-yazdi [at] swbell.net

Past Board of Directors (Nov. 2003-Nov 2004)

• Elected Officers:
  • Chair - Brent Hugh, Raytown
  • Vice Chair - Chris Dunn, St. Joseph
  • Treasurer - Paul Wojciechowski, St. Louis
  • Secretary/Editor - Laura "Levi" Vie, Columbia
  • Past Chair - Bob Foster, 314-968-5513
• Appointed Board Members:
  • Legislative Liason - Mike Schilling, Springfield, 417-862-2272
  • Motorist Contact - Morgan Bearden, Rolla, 573-364-1695

Past Board of Directors (Nov. 2002-Nov. 2003)

• Chair - Bob Foster, St. Louis
• Vice Chair - Paul Wojciechowsi, St. Louis
• Past Chair - Bob Watts, Liberty
• Secretary/Editor - Laura "Levi" Vie, Columbia
• Treasurer - Mike Murray, St. Louis
• Mike Schilling, Legislative Liason, Springfield
• Motorist Contact - Morgan Bearden, Rolla, 573-364-1695
• Webmaster/Online News Editor - Brent Hugh, Raytown