Oaks and Spokes is governed by an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors. The board is responsible for managing the organization’s staff and contractors, and overseeing the implementation of the strategic plan. Board members serve two-year, staggered terms and are elected every January at the Annual Member Party. The board is governed by a set of bylaws available here.
Oaks and Spokes Members are welcome to attend the Board meetings to listen in, or raise items with the board. Please contact us to add an item to the Board agenda.
To be on the Board, members must live, work or attend school in the City of Raleigh and be a current Oaks and Spokes Member. The board meets the second Wednesday of the month from 6pm-7pm in a hybrid in-person, virtual format.
To request attendance to a board meeting, please email director@oaksandspokes.com.
Welcome to our new 2023 – 2025 Board Members! The full January 2023 Board election results and Board Candidate Questionnaires can be found on our website here.
Kuanyu Chen | President since 2023
Kuanyu (at) oaksandspokes.com
I have been a long-time Greater Raleigh resident for almost two decades, and for many years I have been a bike commuter and the Capital Area Greenway enthusiast. I first connected with Oaks and Spokes through the various Bike Festivals, and I am now on the Board to help continue the excellent work the organization has done. In parallel with Oaks and Spokes responsibility, I am currently on the Neuse River Park CAG helping to envision and build a destination recreation space, and I am also on the Clayton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, covering the Johnson County end of Neuse River Greenway.
Harry Johnson | Vice President since 2023
Harry.Johnson (at) oaksandspokes.com
I live in Raleigh with my wife and two young boys and we use bikes to get just about anywhere we need to go! I’ve been involved with Oaks and Spokes for about 8 years and I’ve been on the board for the last two as treasurer - during which we increased our revenue by about 200% from the prior two years! It’s a time of big change for our organization and I’m excited to help us continue to grow and succeed. Raleigh also has a huge opportunity over the next few years to greatly expand biking as a viable transportation option for people of all background and abilities - and it’s imperative that we do so to tackle the significant affordability, environmental, and equity challenges facing our City.
Seth Markovich | Treasurer since 2023
Seth.Markovich (at) oaksandspokes.com
My name is Seth Markovich. I have been in Raleigh for about 4 and a half years. For about 10 years I have been an avid cyclist. This started with commuting back in high school. Eventually, I started going to social rides. After a bit of that I started to go to faster “training” rides, and eventually racing during college. Post college I came to Raleigh for a software job. Now you can find me cycling in the triangle area for fun. In the spring I might start racing again.
Vance Miller | Secretary since 2024
Vance (at) oaksandspokes.com
Vance is a software engineer and project manager living in Raleigh without a car. Vance is an avid cyclist who uses much of the cycling infrastructure that advocates from Oaks & Spokes have helped advance in years past. In the years ahead, he will work with Oaks & Spokes to continue engaging the cycling community and to support advocates for safe cycling infrastructure in Raleigh. He serves as Secretary of the Board and Chair of the Events Committee for Oaks & Spokes.
Beverley Clark | At-Large since 2024
Beverley (at) oaksandspokes.com
Hi, I am Beverley Clark. I am a longtime resident of Raleigh. My happy place is riding my bike. I have a long history of community involvement; currently I am chair of the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board. I ride roads, I love our Greenways, and when I travel it usually involves cycling or friends that I have made through cycling. I ride a Gunnar, and an All City
(chosen for me by Jared) and I have a couple of other “grocery” bikes! I consider myself more of a recreational cyclist than a commuter, but often what is good for one cyclist is good for most. What else do you want to know about me???…..well, just ask!.
Amber Echevarria | At-Large since 2024
Amber (at) oaksandspokes.com
Amber Echevarria is a Chicago transplant that has called Downtown Raleigh home for close to a decade. You may have met them on a group ride, volunteering with Oaks & Spokes events. When not cruising around on her single speed bike through downtown bike lanes & nearby greenways, you can catch Amber drawing or running the Munjo Munjo storefront, a hub of local creatives.
Rashawn King | At-Large since 2024
Rashawn (at) oaksandspokes.com
Rashawn King is the new Program Manager of the Triangle Trails Initiative. He previously served as a consultant for North Carolina State University's College of Natural Resources, where he worked as a recreational consultant for the Recreation Resources Service. In this capacity, he managed grants for local governments across North Carolina needing assistance with development and land acquisition projects, including greenways and trails.
Rashawn holds a master's degree in Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Management from NC State University and a bachelor's degree in Recreation Administration from North Carolina Central University. He also sits on the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board.
Joan Lyons | At-Large since 2023
Joan (at) oaksandspokes.com
I am a dedicated Transportation Planner that has worked on various innovative projects throughout the State of Colorado and State of North Carolina. I hold a Master's degree in Urban Planning from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In North Carolina, I have managed projects including but not limited to ADA Transition Plans projects to increase pedestrian infrastructure for all ages and abilities, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans to identify long-range bicycle and pedestrian projects, and NCDOT projects with clients throughout the state. Prior to relocating to the Raleigh area, I worked at Boulder Transportation Connections, Boulder's Transportation Management Organization, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Boulder and managed the nation's second largest Bike to Work Day. I am an avid volunteer in my industry to advance sustainable transportation choice and am currently writing a book about women in my industry called Women Moving People. Outside of my professional experience, I am a bike commuter and ride to Raleigh from Cary.
Anna Stokes | At-Large since 2023
Anna (at) oaksandspokes.com
I first became interested in bicycling during a semester abroad in Copenhagen as an undergraduate student where I, like the majority of people there, utilized a bicycle as my main form of transportation. When the semester ended, I brought this interest back to North Carolina with me, bicycling almost everywhere I went and switching my major to one that focused on transportation planning. Upon moving to Raleigh in 2011, I got involved in the variety of weeknight Social Rides (Benelux, Crank Arm, and OCCP) through which I met the majority of my friends and community. From 2012 to 2015 I became involved in the early days of Oaks & Spokes where I spent many hours planning bike month events, fundraisers, etc. I recently moved back to Raleigh (October, 2021) following a six year stint in the Northeast (New Haven, CT and New York, NY) during which I was involved with other local bicycling advocacy efforts and obtained my Masters of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University. At this point in my life I am a pretty low key bicyclist who is generally seen scooting around town on my longtail electric assist cargo bike with my two year old daughter.
Jessica Winebrenner | At-Large since 2024
Jessica (at) oaksandspokes.com
Jessica has been a member of the Raleigh cycling community for over two decades. She believes cycling is a powerful tool that can build community, provide transportation, and transform lives. She is eager to help Oaks and Spokes continue in advocating for people on bikes in all areas of the city. Jessica has raced mountain, road, and cyclocross disciplines, but you’re just as likely to find her commuting to work or joining a cruiser ride. She works for the state as a legislative attorney and lives in Raleigh with her partner Nate, five chickens, and pup Ernie.
Mike Porvaznik | At-Large 2024
Mike.P (at) oaksandspokes.com
I have lived and worked in Raleigh since 2015. I am currently a civil engineer by trade and work in downtown Raleigh. As soon as I moved to the City I got involved with Crank Arm brewing and have been leading their Wednesday night rides and representing the brewery in charity events for several years. I have also spent a few years working in the cycling industry at Trek Holly Park. In between both of these avenues I have had the pleasure of introducing hundreds of people to the great sights and riding our city has to offer. I love riding our city streets and trails and sharing all of the good routes and areas with everyone.
We are adding a special thank-you to following out-going board member(s) for their services
Phil Veasley | At-Large 2023-2024
Phil (at) oaksandspokes.com
Phil is a Transportation Engineer focusing on Multimodal Design to make streets safer for people throughout the Southeast. He's lived in the Raleigh area for two years after spending most of his life in Atlanta. Outside of work, Phil enjoys bike riding, walking, Atlanta sports, and blogging about how our cities can become better places for everyone. His goal is to make Raleigh the safest Southern city for cycling.