KARI ALSAGER - PRESIDENT

I grew up in the triathlon scene but other sports were my primary focus. I really got into cycling when I moved to Ann Arbor in 2013. I bought a bike to commute to work, learned was a gravel/cyclecross bike and started using it to race. Since then I’ve bought a few more bikes and tried nearly every type of racing there is. I really like biking with friends, making friends on rides, and all the adventures I’ve had on two wheels.

BRAD HUMPHREY-STARK - EXECUTIVE VP

“Howdy! Bradley Humphrey-Stark here! Avid endurance gravel cyclist these days, but I’ve raced in road, tri, and fat bike events in the past. My wife, Lauren, and I have two orange cats, Hobbes & Zucchini; a wall of board games; and we grow a huge garden of tomatoes & spicy peppers during the summer. I’m a mechanic over at Sic Transit Cycles and have lived in Ann Arbor since 2007. Two big races on my calendar this year include Polar Roll 100 and the Moran 333, but I’ll try to get to as many of the MGRS gravel events as possible. See you out on the dirt roads! Have fun & ride safe!”

PATRICK FORD - TREASURER

My family moved to Ann Arbor in 2020 from Boston in order to raise our toddler closer to family. These factors combined to reallocate my time from sailing, rugby, and rock climbing to various cycling disciplines (and golf). I spend most time locally on the MTB and am looking forward to participating more fully in next year’s CX season. When not cycling, I provide financial advice to life sciences companies.

MARC EPSTEIN - SECRETARY

Howdy! I began working in bike shops after I moved to Ann Arbor in 2005 and have been so happy to be a part of the bike community ever since. I am currently the General Manager at Sic Transit Cycles and I have been looking for a chance to volunteer more with the AAVC to help it grow and make cycling more accessible for all levels of riders. I don't race much but you can find me out early mornings on the dirt roads and on all the single track in our neck of the woods and beyond.

NICHOLAS STANKO - VP OF SPONSORSHIP

I grew up in Southeastern Michigan playing a lot of different sports, but one of my favorite things to do was riding and racing my BMX bike at the Waterford Oaks BMX Track. Throughout high school, college, and for about 10 years after college I primarily focused on distance running. As my competitive running days started to wind down, I dabbled in long-course triathlon for a few years, but quickly found out that I still love riding my bike a lot. Now as a cyclist, I enjoy riding and racing off road (gravel, cyclocross, and mountain biking). When not riding my bike you can find me running around Ann Arbor Running Company or helping to put on events for the local running and cycling community.

LAURENS DE JONG - VP OF MEMBERSHIP

Born and raised in the Netherlands, bicycling and all facets of it are ingrained in my belief system. Really, for a Dutchman, I have a moderate amount of interest in cycling. In Michigan, that translates to being nearly obsessed with the sport. I’m glad I found the Ann Arbor Velo Club, it makes me feel a little more normal.

My son Ansel was nine years old when I realized the sport of competitive cycling would be a good fit for him. Soon after he joined the club in 2018, the then-President and Juniors coach left. I thought that if I wanted my son to have a cycling club, I needed to step up and take the positions of both President and Juniors coach. The rest, as many of you know, is history. For five years I have loved being Chair of the AAVC Board, overseeing our Juniors program grow beyond expectations, and take part in … oh, about one or two races a year. Wooden shoes preferred.

In 2023, I am incredibly excited that Kari Alsager has volunteered to Chair, and at the same time I’m excited that I can remain connected to the club and its leadership by serving as the VP of Membership. I am looking forward to getting to know every single of our nearly 400 members on a first-name basis. Allez AAVC!

JOE MIESSNER - MEMBER AT LARGE

I’m the long-suffering, but now former, treasurer of the Club. I’m sticking around for a bit as a member-at-large and as Pat Ford’s shadow. I found my way into the club through Dawn Lovejoy, the women’s team leader when GWB was President. In other words, a long time ago. I got into road racing early on, but now prefer gravel. I also commuted by single-speed bike when my company moved to downtown Ann Arbor. Still working on N+1 bikes!

JENNI WOLGAST - MEMBER AT LARGE

Hi I’m Jenni, my daughter and I joined AAVC a few years ago so she could ride with the juniors. I did a bit of MTB riding for fun when I was in high school and my early 20’s but running became my main focus eventually working up to ultra marathons. Pretty much on a whim I decided I wanted to do an Ironman so I got back into cycling about 5 years ago. My daughter had joined me on my running adventures so she wanted to try getting into cycling as well. We attended a kids bike clinic, saw all the juniors in AAVC jerseys and decided to look at joining. We’ve enjoyed the ride since then, literally, and can thank (or blame) the club for getting us out and trying all types of cycling we would not have otherwise considered!

DAN APPLEDORN - MEMBER AT LARGE

My name is Dan Appledorn. I live on the west side of Ann Arbor with my wife, two wonderful children (Forsythe MS and Lakewood Elem.) and a cat. My day job consists of developing technologies for interrogating the biology of ceIls. I'm relatively new to the biking/cycling world - one of those pandemic people. I started mountain biking in the spring of 2020 and quickly realized I was headed towards serious injury. That fall, I bought a groad bike and haven’t looked back. The following year (2021) I explored long/ultra gravel and gravel racing, last year (2022) I flipped the script and explored road racing (criteriums) in the spring and summer and cyclocross in the fall. I’ve somehow accumulated five bikes in the process. This year, I plan on going back to the dirt roads and racing the long distance MGRS (a series of gravel races). When I started this journey, I had no idea cycling had so much to offer - community, health, competition, etc. I love trying new things, overanalyzing every nuance, surprising myself, and the process of improving.