New Candidates on the PBC Ballot
1. Joel Loh
Hear ye, hear ye, club elections are right around the corner and the only person on the ballot who is NOT an incumbent is Joel Loh, who is running for road captain. So, what does a road captain actually do, and who in the world is Joel Loh? I put both of these questions to Joel during our recent sit-down.
For those of you who, like me, have no idea, road captains as a matter of fact have a pretty big job. Joel told me that they are the ones who decide what rides go on the calendar and what ride information is included in each posting: start location, route, mileage, pace, and ride leaders. The captains solicit ideas for rides and work with ride leaders to refine routes as necessary. (For a more detailed position description, go to Executive Board on the PBC website and scroll down to Duties of Road Captain. Question #1, answered. ✎
Now, again, for those of you who, like me, have no clue as to who Joel Loh is, let me introduce him. Joel has been a member of PBC since 1993 when he relocated here from Vancouver BC, though he’s ridden with clubs since 1981. He also cycled competitively in California. Joel’s previous PBC leadership experience includes a term when he served as member at large on the board.
I asked Joel about his thoughts regarding the club and any challenges that might be coming down the pike. Not surprisingly, membership came up. Joel said that while club numbers are fairly stable, membership is always a challenge. The cycling population is aging, so recruiting new members and ride leaders is something that clubs must keep in mind. Given the importance of making and keeping PBC accessible to new riders, Joel believes that entry level rides are critically important.
I asked Joel about what, if any, goals he has for his tenure. His first reply was that he hopes to “maintain the well-oiled machine that is in place, credit to Todd McCollum and Rob Schroeder.” Joel sees a learning curve ahead of him. After he’s up to speed on the details of the job, he’ll think farther down the road (so to speak). Ideally, Joel would like to see more and a greater variety of rides and ride leaders, adding that he’s happy to see some female ride leaders and gave shout-outs to Ann Morrow, Khaliyah Williams-Rodriguez, and Ronda McKenzie. (Way to go, ladies!)
So why did Joel volunteer to run for ride captain? Well, Joel said that he’s benefited from the camaraderie he’s felt from being a member of PBC and wanted to give back. Giving back is a significant aspect of Joel’s life. He volunteers 25-30 hours a week with International Students Inc., an organization that offers extracurricular activities for international students studying locally.
Joel said that the road captains want input on rides you’d like to see offered. Better yet, consider leading a ride featuring your favorite route. Joel added that the road captains offer a workshop of prospective ride leaders, typically in late spring, and are looking for people who are friendly, demonstrate safe riding skills in their own riding, and have a desire to attend to all riders in a group.
Without volunteer road captains, there would be no ride calendar on the website. Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Joel. See you on the road.
Julia Surtshin, Club Member
Editor’s note: 🛑 BRAKING NEWS! 
2. Steve Price
Thank you to Steve Price who has just accepted a nomination to run for vice president!