Every year a portion of the Hawai‘i Bicycling League Board of Directors are elected. Voting will be open from December 1st till the 12th and all current HBL Members will be receiving emails with a link to cast their votes.
HBL’s Board of Directors are HBL Member volunteers who serve two-year terms to guide and serve our organization. The Board approves HBL policies, budget, and supervises the Executive Director.
These nine individuals have either been nominated or have stepped forward to help lead our organization. Five seats on the Board of Directors are open right now. Five of these nine individuals will serve on HBL’s Board of Directors for two years (2025 & 2026).
- FAQ -
Do HBL Members elect the Board Members?
Yes. All Board Members are directly elected for two year terms by the membership towards the end of every year. The newly elected Directors are announced in the January HBL Spoke-N-Word Newsletter and presented at the Annual Dinner.
What are the Qualifications for a Board Member?
A board member is expected to:
- Be an active member of the Hawai‘i Bicycling League. (Membership not necessary for initial nomination, but required if selected as a candidate.)
- Have experience as a leader and professional level skills in a field of use to the Board and Hawai‘i Bicycling League.
- Act as an advocate for the Hawai‘i Bicycling League sharing the mission and advancing the outcomes of the organization.
- Encourage membership and financial support of the organization. Provide or seek individually meaningful financial support to the organization.
- Attend and participate in Full Board of Directors meetings bi-monthly (even months) and, if assigned, attend Executive Board Meetings on a bi-monthly (odd months) basis.
- Participate or chair board committees which meet on an as needed basis. The committees include but are not limited to Advocacy, Education, Events, Finance, Fundraising, and Membership.
- Volunteer at events or attend meetings that support the mission of the Hawai‘i Bicycling League subject to individual availability. Examples of meetings to attend are advocacy meetings, legislative sessions, and neighborhood board meetings. Examples of participation in events are teaching classes, volunteering in support of events, or leading rides.
- Sign a statement of support for HBL’s Code of Ethics and complete Conflict of Interest paperwork.
How are candidates for the board selected?
Each year, Hawai‘i Bicycling League announces the opportunity to apply for open board positions via our website, emails, and social media.
Once applications are submitted, the nominating committee evaluates each candidate based on the seven specific qualifications above and their capacity to provide high-quality, national board service. Committee members take this responsibility extremely seriously, to ensure that all the candidates have the basic qualifications necessary to serve the League well, regardless of their specific platform or views.
They approve the nominations for the upcoming election. Those not selected are thanked and invited to continue to play an active role in the League.
How does the voting system work?
Hawai‘i Bicycling League moved to online voting in 2018. Since then, we send an email to all active members to select who they wish to be on the board.
How large is the HBL Board of Directors?
The Hawai‘i Bicycling League Board of Directors currently has nine at-large seats.
What are the Hawai‘i Bicycling League bylaws?
Read the Hawai‘i Bicycling League bylaws found online at HERE.
Further questions?
Email Bicycle@HBL.org for any comments or concerns.
- Candidate Write Ups -
Andee Blackwell:
I am a cyclist and an elementary teacher. I currently serve on the school board and have served on accreditation committees for schools with the Hawai’i Association of Independent Schools (HAIS). I am about to complete my PhD in Global and International Education and I believe my education background, my international background, and my cycling interests could be a nice addition to HBL.
I am particularly interested in giving back to the HBL community because of the ways I have personally, and professionally benefited from HBL’s hard work. I have benefited personally through my almost daily use of bike lanes. I primarily cycle for commuting, and over the last 8 years I have reaped the benefits of HBL’s hard work at making the streets in Honolulu safer. When I first started cycling in Honolulu I had already been an avid cyclist for 5 years in multiple cities and I had never experienced the, let’s say… adventure of biking on the streets of Oahu. I used to have almost daily stories about an aggressive driver or close call, with an actual accident occurring once. However, I am happy to say that these days those types of stories are rare, probably not even once every 6 months, and I attribute a lot of that to HBL’s work on adding bike lanes, raising community awareness, and creating a safer biking community for us in Hawai’i. I have also enjoyed participating in the century ride in 2023 and 2022.
Norb Buelsing (incumbent):
I’ve had the good fortune of being able to enjoy many years of bike riding in Hawaii with occasional week-long mainland rides. Apart from the beneficial exercise, biking is a sport shared with my two children. I’ve been an HBL member for several decades, with my initial HBL event being the 1982 Century Ride.I’m retired from my career at Alexander & Baldwin, where I was President of A&B Properties. While at A&B I had the memorable opportunity to work with John Kelley, who regularly shared his enthusiasm for HBL.I attended the University of Cincinnati following graduation from Roosevelt High School and have served on the Boards of the, Manoa Valley Theater, Historic Hawaii Foundation, Diocese of Honolulu Land Asset Management & Acquisition Committee and Waialae Ridgeline Association.
I envision numerous opportunities for HBL to expand its reach to community members throughout Hawaii. Biking has a low “cost of entry”; it can be a shared or solo activity and Hawaii offers perfect year-round biking weather. I’m also interested in expanding the network of bike lanes and paths to encourage new bike commuters and recreational riders.
Gary Gill (incumbent):
As a bicycle advocate and commuter for decades, I have served on the HBL board for the past few years and am eager to continue this important work for another term. Way back In 1969, I attended a bike rally in Honolulu as a kid on a single-speed and have been a dedicated cyclist ever since. As a member of the City Council in the 1980’s I introduced and saw passed the measure that created the
Bicycling Coordinator position for Honolulu. Much later, while working for a community-based nonprofit, I helped create KVIBE (Kalihi Valley Instructional Bike Exchange), an organization that continues to train and motivate young riders in urban Honolulu. As the State’s Environmental Health Director, I helped to secure public funding to start the BIKI bike share system in Honolulu. In the coming years, I hope to continue to advocate for the expansion of a safe bike transportation system in Honolulu and work to make the Hawaii Bicycling League even more effective in fulfilling its mission.
Geoff Hamilton (incumbent):
My interest in continuing to participate on the HBL Board stems from:
My passion for biking for the sheer joy of just doing it, whatever biking activity it is. I’ve done the Dick Evans, the Pedal to the Meadow, and the Cycle to the Sun multiple times. I’ve done the two HBL Century rides for perhaps 15 years. I’ve done a Backroads bike trip to Italy. I biked with Tradewinds Cycling Team for years (and that took “plenty time”, since I was probably the slowest team member…………way, way off the back); and,
My passion for making biking safer, easier and more popular in Hawaii. That’s my motivation for my participation in HBL. I went on the Board in 2012, just after a poor girl was killed on her bike by a Robert’s Bus turning right on to Dillingham. Since then I’ve been the President of the Board for two years and the “resident” attorney on the Board. I am proud of all the tangible HBL accomplishments since then…..the growing grid of bike lanes, the fourth grade bike ed program, Chad’s focus on advocacy on bike safety issues, etc.; and,
My passion for the internal “blossoming” of HBL. That’s actually happened since I have been on the Board. There were many dark, dire days years ago, and we have come a long ways back from near extinction. I hope I contributed to that, and I look forward to continuing to contribute in the future. My specific, and thus far unique, contribution to the HBL Board is my legal skills, which, thankfully, are vastly better than my bike skills. I am recognized nationally in “Best Lawyers in America” and “Super Lawyers”, and in the venerable world wide rating service Martindale- Hubbell, as a “Preeminent Lawyer”.
Patricia Johnson (incumbent):
As a kid growing up in Southern California, I had an adult sized womens Schwin my Dad had adapted with wooden blocks on the pedals where I had to ride standing up. I would ride for hours with my buddies, free and without supervision. I still remember the joy of those rides! At age 62, in 2006, Lance Amstrong inspired me to get a bicycle, and needless to say, I got hooked. I have ridden 74,00 miles since then.
In 2007 I moved to Hawaii to care for my mother. I met some great people cycling in Hawaii who together with me started the Red Hot Ladies Cycling Club and two HBL rides, Monday’s Start the Week Off Right and Kailua for Brunch, that continue to grow in popularity. My interest in expanding the role of cycling in Hawaii took me to becoming a League Cycling Instructor, joining the HBL Board in 2016 and to currently serve as the Vice President of the Board and a member of the Nominating committee. The highlight of my week is welcoming new and renewing members of HBL and discussing the great work HBL is accomplishing.
Going forward I am committed to growing our membership and establishing a robust fund raising committee. I will work with the board and our Executive Director to enhance the effectiveness and results of HBL for all of our members.
Michael Parsons:
My wife and I moved to Honolulu in late 2020. I have not been active in the community because we were not certain we would stay. We have now purchased a condo in Chinatown and Honolulu is home. I am looking for opportunities to become engaged in the community, so the Facebook call for Board member applicants resonated with my interests and values. Let me tell you a little about myself and offer this email as a self-nomination.
I am a retired university professor who also spent several years in academic administration. Over my career I gained experience in a number of areas that would be valuable as a Board member. These include:
1. Non-profit leadership and organizational development
2. Fundraising including a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University
3. Legislative lobbying at the federal, state and local levels
4. Working with Boards of Trustees and university advisory boards, and
5. Grant writing.
Samantha Lara:
I am excited to express my interest in joining the Board of Directors for the Hawai‘i Bicycling League (HBL). As the Senior Community Planner at OahuMPO with four years of experience in the transportation sector, I bring a strong background in community outreach and education, which is crucial for advancing HBL’s mission to promote cycling for health, recreation, and transportation through advocacy, education, and events.
Recently, I adopted a car-free lifestyle, aligning my personal values with my professional work and demonstrating my commitment to sustainable transportation. This decision has strengthened my dedication to creating safer and more accessible cycling infrastructure, which I am eager to support as a board member.
As a woman of color and a mother, I offer a unique perspective and a deep understanding of the diverse needs within our community. My current role within state government has provided me with valuable networking connections and expertise in securing funding and opportunities. This network will enable me to actively seek out and leverage resources that can significantly benefit HBL. I appreciate your consideration of my interest.
Morgan Pōmaikaʻi Lee:
My name is Morgan Pōmaikaʻi Lee and when I decided to move to Hawaiʻi nearly four years ago, I bought a $500 bag specifically to get my bicycle across the Pacific Ocean. Relocating to Hawaiʻi was a chance to connect with my culture and family, and as an urban biker for nearly a decade, having my bike with me—my primary mode of transportation—was essential.
Owning a bike on Oʻahu has had its challenges. I’ve faced two bike thefts, and biking daily on Kapiolani and Ala Moana requires resilience! I also love the convenience of pulling up to Rockpiles with my surfboard tucked into my bike rack and sneaking peaks at the Koʻolau while biking down the Ala Wai. These experiences have motivated me to run for the Hawaii Bicycle League (HBL) boardl, where I hope I can bring a thoughtful perspective on bicycle safety, traffic flow, bike share, and the dynamics between cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.
As a member of my local neighborhood board, I’m encouraged by HBL’s involvement in local government discussions on e-bikes and transportation. I’m eager for HBL to continue to speak into relevant discussions involving Biki (I’m a former Biki ambassador), Skyline, the Department of Transportation, and the Bus. I look forward to supporting HBL in its advocacy and educational efforts to make our island safer, our bike infrastructure thorough, and to create an environment that more easily showcases the delight that is biking.
Frank Smith (incumbent):
For many years my goal has been to save the planet with bicycles and the HBL is the key actor to do just that. Think globally, act locally. Let’s get more people on bikes! Bikes offer so many benefits: economic, fitness, fun, ecology, just to mention a few. Hawaii should be an example to the world.
I will continue to ride my bike and to do some of the less glamorous HBL volunteer work like picking up trash in Waimanalo and calling lapsed members to encourage them to renew. Since the late 1970’s I have been involved with the HBL so I can offer a historical perspective. After selling Island Triathlon & Bike I have been refurbishing bikes at the Men’s Shed and donating them to folks who truly need a bike for transportation. I look forward to many more miles in the saddle and to a great future for the HBL.