Board of Directors

About Our Board

VBF’s board of directors are drawn from all aspects of bicycling. In November 2007, our bylaws were changed to allow additional board members as needed, so that anyone with a positive influence on bicycling could be brought in to help steer the statewide advocacy process.

So we’re very grass-roots and democratic, and we’re always looking for eager volunteers. If you have something to offer, please let us know! Email the board member closest to you.

Current Board Members

Champe Burnley, President, is a life-long cyclist who lives in Richmond Virginia. Champe also sits on the boards of the Richmond Area Bicycling Association and the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation.

Lloyd J. “Bud” Vye, Vice President and Advocacy Director, is VBF’s point person for bicycle issues when the Virginia General Assembly is in session. He is also the Advocacy Chair for the Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA), and was their Social Ride Captain for 13 years, until giving up that post to become the Chair of the Heart of Virginia Century, their major event held every September. He also represents RABA and the cycling community on the Richmond Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Citizen’s Transportation Advisory Committee and has been involved in a number of other efforts, including meetings pertaining to the Virginia Capital Trail, since retiring as Maintenance Manager for Circuit City Stores, Inc.

Allen Muchnick, Treasurer, has been actively campaigning for on-road bike accommodations, safe and effective trails, and less car-dominated urban communities throughout Northern Virginia since 1991. During a decade on the board of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), one of the leading metropolitan bicycle advocacy groups in the U.S., Allen spearheaded scores of advocacy campaigns; represented WABA on VDOT’s statewide Bicycle Advisory Committee; developed two major fundraising bike tours; networked with smart-growth, environmental, and trail coalitions; and guided a six-fold growth in membership, revenue, and paid staff. A 12-year veteran of the VBF board, Allen is currently also the president of the Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation, serves on the Virginia Board of Transportation Safety, and maintains his long-term involvement with the Arlington County Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. A skilled transportation and endurance cyclist and an LAB-certified cycling instructor, Allen has taught hundreds of bicycle maintenance and traffic cycling classes since 1994.

Bill Hart is an active member of the Tidewater Bicycling Association from Virginia Beach.

Barbara Duerk has served as chair of the Roanoke City Planning Commission, Y WCA, Roanoke Neighborhood Partnership, Roanoke Business and Technical Education Council, and the Junior Leagues of VA State Public Affairs Committee. She is currently on the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission representing the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, a member of the Advisory Group for Pathfinders for Greenways and the advocacy chair for the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club. Duerk is a member of LAB and Adventure Cycling. She is Effective Cycling Instructor #480. She coordinated the 2003 and 2005 VBF Cross State Bicycle Ride which promoted bicycling as economic development and tourism and May as bike month. She promotes the Bicycling Friendly Decal program and provided the Cross State bike registration notebooks that are at Breaks Interstate Park and Yorktown National Park visitor’s center. She serves on the Bicycle Map committee and wants to promote the 30th anniversary of Interstate Bike Route #76.

Ron Enders is a retired executive director of a non-profit organization and spends three months a year experiencing bicycling conditions somewhere else in the world such as Vietnam, China, Laos, Romania, Ukraine, Denmark, France, Bali and Ethiopia. Currently he serves as Liason to and Treasurer of the Board of BikeWalk Virgina, serves on the Virginia Blue Ridge Rail Trail Foundation Board and the Piedmont Housing Alliance Board of Directors and is currently working on advocacy issues for Rails-with-Trails and promoting the idea of a Montebello to Monticello Loop Trail. In the past he has been President of the Nelson Bicycling Alliance and Chair of the Jefferson Area Bicycling and Walking Committee.

Chris Scott, Mountain Bike Liason, is the owner-operator of Shenandoah Mountain Touring, LLC based out of Harrisonburg, VA. SMT promotes special events and offers guide service and multi-day trips based out of the Shenandoah Valley. Chris is the state representative for IMBA and is active with all the mountain bike clubs in the Shenandoah Valley. He entered the cycling world via mountain bike in the late 80′s and has developed a passion for cycling on every level from professional racing to club rides on every surface he can get his tires on. His current quest for the great outdoors has taken him to the adventure racing world. A world where you can disappear into the mountains for days on end – hiking, biking and paddling – from sunrise to sunset and back again. Chris joined VBF to help push the agenda for a safer more accessible Virginia by bike.

Sheryl Finucane is a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University. Sheryl is lifelong bicyclist who enjoys bicycling for both commuting and recreation. She is a League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor, member of the Richmond Area Bicycle Association; She resides in the Ladysmith area of Caroline County and is a member of the Ladysmith Area Community Planning Advisory Committee and Transportation subcommittee, working to assure bicycle and pedestrian friendly transportation corridors in the Ladysmith area.

Matt O’Toole, Communications Director, is an internet marketing and communications consultant, and VBF’s webmaster. From 2002-2008 he lived mostly car-free in Blacksburg, where he served as Advocacy Coordinator for the New River Valley Bicycle Association, and on several regional trails and bike-ped committees. He has relocated to southern California but is still involved in Virginia bike advocacy, and will remain on VBF’s board until a replacement can be found.

Gary Searcy is an attorney from Virginia Beach.

Bruce Drees hails from the Tidewater area, where he chairs Legislation, Advocacy, Safety, and Education for the Tidewater Bicycle Association.