Board of Directors

Peter Gray, Chair

Peter Gray has been an avid cyclist and advocate for biking, walking and safer streets for the past 20 years +.  He served as Chair of the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, was a board member of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, is currently on the Steering Committee of Montgomery Families For Safe Streets and is excited now to step into the role of Interim Board Chair for Bike Maryland. He hopes to lead Bike Maryland into a reinvigorated era of the organization as a leading voice for all those biking and walking in the state of Maryland!

Joshua Feldmark, Vice Chair

Joshua brings 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and government sectors, having served as the founding director of Maryland’s first local government sustainability office and as the Executive Director of a DC-based environmental nonprofit. Feldmark comes with a strong background in nonprofit management, program development, policy advocacy, and organization development. He holds a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School and a bachelor’s degree in human ecology from Rutgers University

Chris Reno, Treasurer

Chris Reno has been actively cycling since the late 90’s when his metabolism failed to keep up with his caloric intake. He served on the board of the Spring City Cycling Club in Huntsville, AL as President for 5 years before moving to Maryland. The SCCC was active in AlaBike and the League of American Bicyclists and runs an annual fundraising bike ride. He worked in Finance for The Boeing Company for 37 years and has an undergraduate degree in Business and an MBA in Finance. After he retired he started participating in both the League and the Bike Maryland Advocacy Days. He is a member of the Cecil County Strategic Highway Safety Plan committee for Maryland. He hopes to lead Bike Maryland into a stronger financial position using his experience and skills.

Alison Gillespie, Executive Secretary

Alison Gillespie is a writer living in Silver Spring, MD and she works as a public affairs specialist with the Office of Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Her favorite question is: “Wanna ride bikes?” and she spends as much time as possible cruising around Montgomery County’s streets and paved trails. She fell in love with mountain biking during the pandemic, rides trails often, and now proudly serves as the Cabin John Regional Park trail liaison with the Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts. She has served in many civic leadership roles over the last two decades, and advocates for parks, bicycle and pedestrian safety, better transit options and more housing near urban centers and transit hubs. She also enjoys hiking and gardening for wildlife.

Dan Behrend

Dan Behrend began advocating for safe streets after becoming a bike commuter in Prince George’s County. He volunteers as a board member of the Friends of the Greenbelt East Trail, a member of the City of College Park’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and an engaged member in RISE Prince George’s safe streets advocacy. As a League Cycling Instructor, Dan enjoys teaching children and adults to ride bikes with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. He holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh (BA), Duke University (MPP), and the University of North Carolina School of Law (JD). Dan looks forward to supporting Bike Maryland with its efforts to promote safer streets throughout the state and to make bicycling a safe form of transportation and a fun recreational opportunity for all.

Francis Bramande

His education in Mechanical Engineering with a MBA in Finance has taken him throughout the USA, Europe and Asia in his career.  After working for large mutli-national companies he successfully owned his own business for 30 years supplying MD, VA, PA, WV, OH, NC with industrial, specialty, medical and beverage gases as well as commercial and residential propane.  He currently is retired and resides in the mountains of Western Maryland.  A long time road cyclist with cycling highlights of riding across California, North Carolina, Colorado, parts of Europe and riding to the top of the highest paved road in North America Mount Evans Colorado 14,265′.  He has seen all levels of commitments from communities, counties and states with trail systems and outdoor recreation.  He is concerned about the rampant increase in poor health in our society and believes advocating for safe streets, roads, trails and parks correlate into better overall health and productivity in our communities for our young and old.

Darryl Claggett

A native of Baltimore, Maryland now residing in Montgomery County, Darryl has been an avid bike rider ever since his parents bought his first green and white Ross bicycle, complete with training wheels in 1st grade!  Now-a-days Darryl enjoys biking mostly near his home in the DC Metropolitan Area with his young daughter.  Darryl is a broadcast management major from Howard University, who’s worked with several major radio stations in the DMV, and throughout the country.  He has also worked with several health care companies, and several community organizations including CASA of Montgomery County, The Greater Gaithersburg Cares Hub, Groundswell Community Solar Advisory Board, Junior Achievement, Montgomery County C.E.R.T., and the National Sales Network.  I look forward to advocating for safe biking in Maryland and connecting the many other organizations and individuals in the State who have a strong interest in this common goal promoting a safer, healthier, and more fun, common sense approach to biking in our great state!

Joseph Ross

Joe Ross is an avid cyclist and hiker who retired to Annapolis after 40 years as a Health Care Executive. Joe has a deep appreciation for Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Western Maryland as cycling spots. While new to organized cycling safety advocacy, he has deep experience with health policy advocacy and has served on many non-profit and for profit organizational boards during his professional career. Joe holds a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration from Xavier University and a Bachelor’s Degree from West Virginia University. Joe and his wife Mary Beth live in Annapolis and enjoy outdoor activity throughout Maryland. They also spend time cycling and hiking in West Virginia.

Nigel Samaroo

Nigel Samaroo is a long-time cyclist, starting when he rode his bike as a main form of transportation as a kid growing up. In 2001, he began seriously road cycling when he participated in the Washington, DC leg of the Bristol Myers Squibb sponsored Tour of Hope. He has meddled in trying to ride a mountain bike but found his passion in road cycling after giving up many years of playing tennis, both for fun and competitively. Nigel grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Maryland in 1999 and has since called the area home. He was motivated to become a cycling advocate when, in 2017, he was struck by a car and suffered a broken neck and right sided paralysis. He typically would ride anywhere from three to four thousand miles a year prior to his being severely injured and although he has been able to return to cycling, he suffers daily with the residual effects of that incident. He played a key role in achieving passage of the Vulnerable Road User legislation in Maryland and was appointed to the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (MBPAC) by Governor Hogan in 2022. He enjoys organized cycling events both locally and in other states and is a member of several local bicycling clubs. When he isn’t on his bike, he works in the field of oncology. Nigel has a B.A from UCLA and a M.P.H in Health Education and Promotion, with a focus in breast cancer in under-served and minority women.

Meshia Sutton

Ms. Meshia Sutton is a Baltimorean who enjoys bike riding. While her days are often filled by her career as an educator and children’s book author, she always tries to make time for bike riding.   Bike riding is her self-care.   With over 20 years of experience in education and ten years in business, she brings a unique outlook and perspective to education.  She believes the challenge in education is ensuring the students are provided with the tools they need to prepare them to be positive citizens with a respect for human-kind, life-long learners and productive members of society. Ms. Sutton has enjoyed the excitement of bike riding since she was a young girl.  Over the years, for her, bike riding has remained a source of exercise, transportation and social connection. She hopes to bring more awareness to the issues of equity and diversity in cycling in the state.

Dennis Sykes

A cyclist since his youth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dennis fondly remembers his first bicycle, his first bicycle accident, having his new bicycle stolen, racing bicycles with friends, his first bicycle repair, and his latest bicycle ride. A University of Minnesota Journalism School alumnus and Baltimore County resident, he joyously shares his 25-plus years of professional nonprofit fundraising and management experience amongst the truly-diverse stakeholders advancing Bike Maryland’s mission. The founder and operator of LOL Bicycles, dedicated to donating used bicycles to individuals in need, he treasures mild Maryland weather, smooth pavement, insightful cycling memes, and riding bicycles solo and with others.