Staff
John Tallmadge (he/him),
Executive Director
John joined Bike Durham in January 2020 as our first executive director. John had a 21+ year career in public transportation at GoTriangle as a planner, manager, and leader. He led the agency’s service planning team, the Transportation Demand Management team, and the customer information team. He also served as the interim Project Director for the Light-Rail Project from September 2018 through March 2019. Before getting his graduate degree in city and regional planning at UNC - Chapel Hill, he worked as Co-Coordinator for the Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean Air Network in Washington, DC. He is also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison and was born and raised in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin immediately west of Milwaukee. He has lived with his family in the Old West Durham neighborhood since 1999, and is a lifelong user of bikes, transit, shoes, and cars to get around.
You can reach John at Director@bikedurham.org.
Jacopo Montobbio (he/him),
Education Program Manager
Jacopo joined Bike Durham as a Safe Routes To School team member in August 2021. Post graduation, Jacopo decided to shift his career to the biking industry and Bike Tourism, and he’s traveled internationally on his bike ever since, both as a Tour Leader on organized bike trips and as a solo traveler. When not at a Durham Public School teaching students how to ride bikes safely, you’ll find him leading local group rides, wanderlusting in the parks around Durham or volunteering at the Durham Bike Coop refurbishing bikes for those in need of sustainable and affordable transportation. Born and raised in Italy, Jacopo moved to Durham in 2020 after living in New England for the last few years, and has joined the Bike Durham world out of his shared dedication and dream for a better, more inclusive and sustainable community. Bicycles can save the world and so can you!
You can reach Jacopo at jacopo@bikedurham.org, he’ll love to go for a bike ride with you.
Gregory Williams (he/him), Advocacy Campaign Organizer
Gregory brings a decade of organizing experience to his role as Advocacy Campaign Organizer at Bike Durham. With a background in coordinating political races at various levels, from city council to presidential campaigns, Gregory is passionate about effecting change and amplifying voices within the community.
Having moved to North Carolina as a child due to his parents' military service, Gregory fell in love with the state and chose to make it his permanent home. He is committed to contributing to the betterment of his community and ensuring a brighter future for the next generation.
Outside of his advocacy work, Gregory is an avid musician and multi-instrumentalist, often found making music or enjoying the outdoors.
You can reach Gregory at gregory@bikedurham.org
Kyle Sullivan (he/him), Development Manager
Kyle’s journey with Bike Durham began in the most fitting way: on two wheels, joining a Halloween group ride in 2020 just days after arriving in Durham. Welcomed immediately by a warm and engaged community, Kyle saw firsthand the connections Bike Durham was building across the city—connections that felt authentic, grounded, and transformative. Now, as Development Manager, he’s the point of contact for donors, the architect behind events, and the one coordinating the volunteers who bring Bike Durham’s mission to life.
For Kyle, it’s all about the relationships. Whether he’s talking with supporters at a community event or helping to plan the next big initiative, he carries a sense of pride in what Bike Durham has accomplished and a drive to help it reach even further. It’s this ongoing story of positive change that he’s honored to continue.
You can reach Kyle at kyle.sullivan@bikedurham.org
Ashley Scott (he/him),
Safe Routes to School Lead Educator
Growing up in New Jersey during the '70s, Ashley recalls his father's active participation in local road races, which fueled his own love for cycling. During his time at UNC-Chapel Hill, Ashley became an experienced cycling commuter, making his daily journey from Carrboro to campus a regular routine. Since the early 2000s, Ashley Scott has been an engaged resident of Durham. Through riding with his son on the American Tobacco Trail, he developed his passion for cycling and community involvement. Though currently residing in Downtown Durham, he is frequently in South Durham to spend time with family and embark on cycling adventures, often accompanied by his young niece.
Ashley's dedication to education and service shines through his role as a Lead Educator with Bike Durham and his active involvement in various cycling-related initiatives as a volunteer.
You can reach Ashley at ashley@bikedurham.org.
Desiree Squire (she/her), Safe Routes to School Lead Educator
Desiree is a New Jersey native. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2017, where she studied Women and Gender studies and Spanish. As a daughter of immigrants, she has always had a passion to connect with vulnerable populations. She is all for empowering, giving back, and providing equal experiences for all.
As long as she can remember, she has always been a lover of animals, plants, and nature. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, gardening, and traveling. When exploring other countries, she loves to learn about different languages and cultures.
You can reach Desiree at desiree@bikedurham.org
Kelsey Graywill (she/her), Communications Specialist
Kelsey grew up in Colorado and moved to Durham in 2014 to study Neuroaesthetics at Duke, later moving to London, England to pursue an MSc in the same topic at the University of London, Goldsmiths. She started learning to ride a bike in 2022 after returning to the US and joined Bike Durham shortly after.
Since she never learned how to drive, you can find her rolling around town commuting on her bike, on social cruiser rides, or sweating it out on a road ride with her amateur racing team, Rescue Racing.
You can reach Kelsey at kelsey@bikedurham.org
Pablo Maigua Paredes (he/him), Bicycle Safety Educator
Pablo is a passionate educator, originally from Ecuador, who speaks Spanish and English. He has an MBA and experience in business, project management, and street safety advocacy. He is passionate about making sure kids and families have safer and more accessible routes to school.
He joined Bike Durham in December 2024, and is excited to work with communities to promote walkable and bikeable streets and better transportation systems. When he’s not working, you can find him exploring the trails in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro, learning about sustainable urban planning and behaviors, or sharing stories about Ecuador.
Lowell Oakley (he/him), Bicycle Safety Educator
Lowell is a proud Durham native with a deep commitment to his hometown community. As a Safe Routes to School Educator at Bike Durham, he channels his passion for creating safer, more connected neighborhoods by teaching elementary students about safe biking practices. Lowell is excited to give back to the city that shaped him by helping the next generation of Durham residents develop independence and responsibility through cycling. In addition to his work at Bike Durham, Lowell works as an Artist and Producer—singing, performing, and collaborating with the many talented musicians of the Triangle.
Board of Directors
Shaun King (he/him), Chair
Shaun works in the field of communications for Trinity College at Duke University and he is the owner of Visual Rituals. Shaun co-leads the Duke Video + Photo Working Group. For Visual Rituals, he has worked on marketing campaigns for international brands and has taught at the largest photography trade shows, like PPA and WPPI. He is an award-winning volunteer in his service to the Boys and Girls Clubs over the past decade, and is proud to serve on the Board of Directors for Bike Durham.
You can reach him at Shaun@bikedurham.org
Erik Willis (he/him), VICE CHAIR
Erik relocated to Durham in 2019 and currently serves as a research scientist at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Erik holds a Doctorate degree in exercise physiology, a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and biostatistics and completed his post-doctoral training in public health at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Erik's research focuses on developing, testing, and disseminating effective programs aimed at promoting physical activity and healthy eating across the lifespan. Erik's goal is to foster communities where all individuals can live, work, and play in environments that prioritize optimal and equitable health and well-being.
You can reach him at erikwillis@bikedurham.org
Eric Rubinstein (he/him), Treasurer
You can reach him at Eric.Rubinstein@bikedurham.org
Marc Maximov (he/him), Secretary
Marc's move to Durham in 2006 came with a question mark—is midsize-city living possible without a car? He's been delighted to find that the answer is yes! He gets around solely by biking and walking (with occasional bus rides and car trips with friends), and he believes nothing clears the mind and recharges the soul like pedaling home at the end of the day. His work with Bike Durham is focused on making the streets safe and pleasant for all users, which will help make Durham a more equitable city. He was formerly the coordinator of continuing education at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, and today he works as a freelance sound recordist, audio producer, and writer.
You can reach him at Marc@bikedurham.org
Mary Rose Fontana (she/her)
Mary Rose is an Environmental Engineer, focussing primarily on air quality research for federal, state, and local governments. Her passion for biking started as a child - she attended bicycling camps and often used bicycling as transportation, even into her college years. In 2018, she started competing in triathlons, and much prefers the bike portion over the run or swim. She recently gave up using a personal vehicle for everyday transit, substituting it with bike rides along the greenways or taking the bus or train for farther destinations. Her dream for Durham, and the Triangle, is to make alternative modes of transportation more feasible and desirable for everyone.
You can reach her at maryrose@bikedurham.org
Angela Hollowell (she/her)
Angela Hollowell is originally from Alabama and moved to Durham in 2019, just a few miles from the American Tobacco Trail. She is the founder of Rootful Media, a documentary film production company featuring projects centered on environmental justice, the outdoors, and social impact. She is also the podcast host of Honey & Hustle and Creative Architects by Castos. She has worked with other local cycling advocacy organizations like the East Coast Greenway Alliance and Oaks and Spokes and is a volunteer with Dogwood Alliance. Angela enjoys biking for exercise and enjoyment, with the added benefit of lowering her carbon footprint.
You can reach her at angela@bikedurham.org
Joshua Poor (he/him)
Originally from Kansas, Josh Poor moved to Durham in 2017. He had been a bicycling enthusiast until his 20s, when work and school got in the way. After moving to Durham in 2017, he picked up cycling again as a means to get healthy. He enjoys commuting by bicycle whenever possible, but most of the time he’s on two wheels it’s for social rides or exercise. He enjoys volunteering and has worked with other nonprofits such as Durham Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, and Activate Good.
You can reach him at Josh@bikedurham.org
Katie Seiz (she/her)
Katie moved to Durham in 2008. She comes to Bike Durham with a passion for road cycling, mountain biking, group social rides, and environmental and social justice causes. She brings over 10 years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience to the board and is keenly interested in centering community, collaboration, and inclusion in our efforts. Katie is the Director of Annual Giving at the North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) where she is responsible for co-developing and executing a comprehensive annual giving program in support of NCSSM’s mission.
You can reach her at Katie@bikedurham.org
Brian Van Cleave (he/him)
Brian grew up in a small town outside of Milwaukee, before attending the University of Miami to study Exercise Physiology and compete on the triathlon team. While in South Florida, he learned both the importance of a vibrant cycling community and the risks when a city does not protect its residents traveling by bike. After 4 collisions involving inattentive or aggressive drivers, he was inspired to volunteer with Bike South Miami and Safe Streets Miami, helping lead rides and advocate for better infrastructure. He moved to the Triangle in 2020 and has fallen in love with the local cycling community and is inspired to see this community grow through safer places to ride, walk, and commute. Come say 'hi' to him at Trek Chapel Hill, where you'll often find him leading a ride.
You can reach him at brian@bikedurham.org