Mission

To enhance the quality of our urban life by providing a convenient, easy-to-use bike sharing program that will provide residents and visitors a healthy, fun, different way to get around town.

Vision

We see a bike sharing program that will permanently change the way people experience and perceive our city, as well as the way they experience and perceive transportation.

Nice Ride will create a more vibrant city, a place where people want to work, live and play.

Nice Ride will stand as a working example of how our state and cities create programs that meet critical and shared public goals.

Nice Ride will show that the benefits of alternative transportation are many and lasting. For our residents those benefits will include:

• Avoiding vehicular congestion
• Reducing our carbon footprint
• Less dependence on fossil fuels
• More efficient movement from place to place
• More opportunities for healthy physical activity
• More interesting personal experiences interacting with the city
• A growing affinity to make other changes in all modes of transportation
• A sense of civic pride

Nice Ride Minnesota Board of Directors

Paul Adelmann
Paul Adelmann is Xcel Energy's Manager of Community and Local Government relations in the city of Minneapolis. He is the liaison between the company and elected officials and community groups and organizations in the city. Prior to joining Xcel Energy, Paul was Director of Communications for the city of Saint Paul and Public Information Coordinator for the city's Police Department.

Paul holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Minnesota and spent more than 15 years working for televisions stations in the Twin Cities. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the City of Lakes Chamber of Commerce. He is a past president of the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators.

Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson
Currently Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson is Program Manager for the $900K Non-motorized Transportation Pilot program Bike Walk Ambassador Program housed at the City of Minneapolis. A native of Minnesota she has spent 13 years in nonprofit and government project development and management with specific experience in: leadership and group development, grant making, and mission based management and development. Lynnea has extensive consulting and nonprofit board experience including: leadership development, programming, grant making, board development, strategic planning, and group/retreat facilitation.

Most recently Lynnea was with the Metropolitan State College of Denver as a coordinator of the Adventure Leadership Program and then the Office of Institutional Diversity in the Office of the President.

Prior to moving to Denver Lynnea spent over 7 years working for Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, with Project Empowerment Leadership Institute and as an adjunct professor at Hamline University and then with the Pre-college and Summer Enrichment Initiative.

Lynnea has a degree in Nonprofit Administration, Communication, and Promotions and a certificate in Nonprofit Administration. In addition she is a League of American Bicyclist Certified Instructor and AFAA Group Fitness certified Instructor.

Lynnea is regularly featured in national and local articles and stories on diversity in the outdoors and non-motorized transportation. Recently she was the first chapter in the book “Black and Brown Faces in Americas Wild Places” for her work combining cultural competency and outdoor education techniques and programs.

Lynnea is most passionate about citizen, public, and private partnerships that when done well empower everyone and realize the common good efficiently.

Lisa Austin
Lisa Austin is a planner with the MnDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. Lisa is a member of the Board of Directors, Twin Cities Bicycle Club and a long-time twin cities cycling advocate.

Mark Bixby
Dr. Bixby is currently a full-time faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health where he directs the University of Minnesota / North Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program. He completed medical school at the University of Illinois and residency in Family Medicine at the University of Minnesota. He served as chief-of-staff and other leadership positions at North Memorial Medical Center. In addition to his work for the University and at North Memorial, he serves on the board of directors for UCare and volunteers for St Paul YMCA Camp Widjiwagan and the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation. Dr Bixby is married to Keelin Kane, his spouse of 34 years, is an avid biker and skier and enjoys spending time in the wilderness.

Lars Christiansen
Lars Christiansen (Ph.D.) is Associate Professor of Sociology and Urban Studies at Augsburg College. Lars’ scholarship focuses on urban sustainability, transportation systems, work and organizations, education, and the philosophical tradition of American Pragmatism. With Professor Nancy Fischer, and assistance from the Government of Canada, Lars is studying urban sustainability in Portland (Oregon), Vancouver and Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), and the Twin Cities. Lars has begun research that compares the social-psychology of various modes of transportation (bicycling, walking, and driving). In 2008, Lars was named recipient of Augsburg College’s Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning Award.

Lars serves on the Board of the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA). A resident of Saint Paul, Lars is a member of the Hamline-Midway Coalition and serves on its Transportation Committee. He is also a member of the League of American Bicyclists, enjoys bicycle touring and mountain centuries, and commutes by bicycle in the Twin Cities year-round.

Joseph Duffy IV
About Duffy & Partners: Duffy & Partners is committed to deliver design to enrich everyday life. Celebrating 25 years of award-winning work this year, Duffy & Partners’ efforts span many design disciplines including corporate identity, brand identity, packaging design, new media, and environmental design. Clients have included, among others: American Eagle Outfitters, Aveda Corporation, Coca-Cola, Brown-Forman, Jack in the Box, Sony, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Islands Of The Bahamas, Thymes, Toyota and Whole Foods. Additional information can be found at www.duffy.com.

Non-Profit Experience: Joseph helped create and implement the branding and communication for The City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation and The City of Lakes Loppet cross country ski race in Minneapolis, MN. He has also worked on the creation and design for The Mill City Commons, a non-profit organization that helps build a community of resources to downtown Minneapolis residents. Recently, Joseph and the rest of the D&P designers hosted Art for the River, which helped raise money for The Mississippi River Fund, who's mission is to clean up one of Minneapolis' best resources, the Mississippi River. He also currently serves on the advisory board at one of the largest art colleges in the United States, The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Bicycling Enthusiast/Advocacy Experience: Joseph is an avid cyclist who's lifestyle revolves around the bike. He races and rides both on and off-road throughout the year. He is a member of the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC), an organization which helps promote responsible cycling as well as building and maintaining sustainable bike trails throughout the Twin Cities. He is also a member of the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) and a 2009 sponsored team member of Twin Six, Alternative Cycling Apparel. www.twinsix.com.

Andrew Finsness
Andrew Finsness is the General Manager of the Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown, located at Lake and Chicago, adjacent to Allina, Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Midtown Greenway.

Andrew has served in the Hospitality Industry for 25 years, currently with Wischermann Partners, a hospitality development and management company. Prior, Andrew was with Radisson and Hyatt Hotels.

Andrew is a member of the Chicago/Lake Business Association, the Midtown Greenway Coalition, past member and board chair of the Edina Park Board, member and past board member of the Edina Rotary.

Andrew and his wife Lisa live in Edina and have three children. As well as bicycle commuting, Andrew enjoys skiing, running, reading and music.

Mike Gibbs
On the marketing Board of Directors also sits Mike Gibbs, currently running Marketing and Olympic Athlete Management at Bite Tech, Inc., a young start-up in Minneapolis. Mike joined Bite Tech after a 19-year stint as an Emmy-winning writer and creative director at Fallon Worldwide. Consequently, Mike has a remarkably broad range of strategic experience on a variety of clients and categories, including BMW, The NYSE, Holiday Inn, PBS, Nuveen Investments, Atomic Skis, Dyson, Lee Jeans and Nikon. Mike is also a former professional triathlete and coach of the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Development Team. His experience and connections therein will serve him well in endurance athlete management-and help him understand the local cycling community. Married to another cyclist, Beth, Mike is most envious of his children’s imaginations, Max, 14 and Piper, 11.

Tim Jensen
Tim Jensen is Building Supervisor Coordinator for the Downtown YWCA of Minneapolis. He has a hand in all daily activities and operations at the building for both employees and the 250 members that visit the YWCA each day. His goal is to keep everything running smoothly at the facility as well as ensure an enjoyable experience for all who visit.

He has a Bachelor's degree in Construction Engineering and Management from Purdue University but has also explored the field of Kinesiology in coursework at the University of Minnesota and in working as a personal trainer.

Tim enjoys commuting to work year round on his bike, mountain biking (or off-road cycling for those from the Midwest), and hanging out with his girlfriend and their apathetic cat. Tim hopes that with the success of the Nice Ride MN bike share program cycling will soon become THE mode of urban transportation and that Minneapolis can claim to be the most bike friendly city in the United States.


Matt Moore
Matt currently serves as General Counsel and Risk Manager at Quality Bicycle Products, Inc. in Bloomington, Minnesota. Matt previously held several other positions at QBP, including Distribution Manager. He received his law degree with honors from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and also holds degrees in philosophy and history from St. Olaf College. Prior to joining QBP, Matt served as a law clerk at both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and for U.S. Magistrate Judge Floyd E. Boline, and was also in a private law practice. Matt serves on the Board of Directors of the Bicycle Products Supplier’s Association, a trade group, and serves on the Legislation Committee. Matt is also President of MOCA, a Minneapolis mountain bike trail group that created and maintains mountain bike trails in Wirth Park. He also does volunteer work for Trips for Kids Twin Cities. Matt and his family have lived in Minneapolis for over 25 years.

Richard Neuner
Richard Neuner is senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, the state’s leading health plan with nearly 3 million members located in all fifty states. Mr. Neuner’s accountabilities include responsibility for all commercial markets business, as well as corporate responsibility for new product development, marketing and communications, and medical banking. During his 11-year tenure with Blue Cross, he has also had accountability at various times for customer service, pharmacy management, government programs, and network management, among other duties. Mr. Neuner has also served on a number of advisory boards for the Blues system nationally, and is presently a board member of the Consortium Health Plans, a group of Blue Cross Plans focused on national account business.

Prior to joining Blue Cross, Mr. Neuner spent seven years as president of Herman*Mancino, a Minneapolis-based marketing consulting firm with both U.S. and international clients. He also served as director of marketing and operations for the Sage Company, building and managing senior living residences in twelve states, prior to which he was the executive director of the Minnesota Institute of Public Health, a nonprofit health care consulting firm.

Mr. Neuner holds a master’s degree in counseling and personnel services from the University of Missouri. He is the board chair for the non-profit Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis and is a long-time board member of the Northern Star Council of the Boy Scouts of America, serving as the president-elect of the board. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Laura and has three (mostly) grown children.


R.T. Rybak
R.T. Rybak was first elected Mayor of Minneapolis in 2001 in his first run for public office and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2005 to serve another term for the people of Minneapolis.

Mayor Rybak took office facing a post-9/11 budget crisis and deep state and federal budget cuts. He responded by implementing innovative fiscal reforms that saved taxpayers millions by reducing $80 million of inherited debt, reigning in government spending and producing six balanced budgets in four years.

Rybak’s other accomplishments include recruiting Allina and the Global Market to the Midtown Exchange, closing the City’s employment gap, creating 2,500 new housing units in three years with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, growing the police department by 100 officers in the last two years and launching the innovative Minneapolis 311 phone system.

Mayor Rybak is now leading efforts to revitalize north Minneapolis, attack juvenile crime, make Minneapolis a wireless city, end homelessness in ten years, and significantly reduce the City’s energy consumption to combat global climate change.

Mayor Rybak is a lifelong Minneapolis resident and the son of a pharmacist in the Phillips neighborhood. Rybak currently lives in the East Harriet neighborhood of Minneapolis with his wife, Megan, and their two children Grace and Charlie.

Mayor Rybak truly believes that Minneapolis has the potential to become the great American city of our time and his Great City Agenda to achieve that vision includes making Minneapolis a place to live, preparing the next generation through the Minneapolis Promise, creating great public spaces by reweaving the urban fabric, closing the gaps between haves and have-nots and running the City government well, but running it for a reason.

The Twin Cities Bike Share Project was conceived by Mayor Rybak, who sees public bicycle sharing as a key piece of larger initiative to enhance livability of Minneapolis streets. Rybak has been a champion for the project at every step. To retain his title as “America’s Fittest Mayor,” Rybak will be a committed user of Nice Ride bikes.

Steve Sanders
Steve Sanders is the University of Minnesota's first and only Bicycle Coordinator, a position he has held for 13 years. Steve has been a University employee for 23 years. Steve has held many positions in the bicycle advocacy world, including:

• State Non-motorized Transportation Committee - six years as citizen representative, currently Higher Ed. rep.
• Met Council's Transportation Advisory Board, Bike and Pedestrian Technical Advisory Committee - 2003 - present
• Twin Cities Bike/Walk Advisory Committee since its inception
• Minneapolis Bike Ambassador steering committee since its inception
• University Bike Committee chair
• Numerous MnDOT project-specific technical advisory committees
• Former board member Minnesota Coalition of Bicyclists
• Steve is a League of American Bicyclists certified safety instructor (LCI 2169) and a year-round commuter bike commuter.

Todd Taggart
Todd F. Taggart is a partner in the international accounting firm of Grant Thornton LLP, where he specializes in assisting his clients in managing their overall tax burdens through planning and succession strategies. Todd has a track record of active participation in non-profit associations, including trade associations and other not-for-profit entities. Todd is an avid bicyclist and frequently commutes to and from work on his bicycle

Jim Van Iwaarden
Jim Van Iwaarden, owner of Van Iwaarden Associates, is a downtown Minneapolis business owner and year-round bike commuter. He is a consulting actuary known for innovative retirement plan design, and a frequent speaker on retirement issues. He has 30 years of experience in employee benefit consulting. Jim is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary and former chair of the Minneapolis Pension Council. He holds a B.S. in math, with highest honors, from the University of California. Jim lives in Minneapolis with his wife Ellen and two daughters. He enjoys cycling, golf, nordic skiing and viola jokes. He plays his fiddle in chamber groups and a rock band. And he's pretty extroverted, for an actuary.

Perry Wilson
Perry is a partner in the trial practice group at Dorsey & Whitney, LLP. He practices in the areas of business contract litigation, employment litigation and estate and trust litigation. Perry and Dorsey have been supporters of the Twin Cities Bike Share Project since its inception, providing pro bono legal assistance relating to evaluation of business models and formation of the non-profit corporation. Perry currently serves on the boards of directors of Admission Possible (2006 to present), Headwaters Foundation for Justice (2005 to present), and Weisman Art Museum (2007 to present). From 2001-2004, he served as a board member and chair of the Minnesota Fringe Festival. As a long-time cycling enthusiast and downtown resident, Perry is a strong advocate for livable streets.