At BikeNewark’s partnership meeting on December 19th, election results were announced for the four members who will serve as BikeNewark’s board officers in 2025–26, with 41% of last year’s membership having voted.
BikeNewark Chair Bob McBride was re-elected to lead the partnership for a fourth two-year term, having received 13 of the 17 votes cast. Dave Schultz received the other four votes. Bob grew up in Newark and retired here after a long career at a private school in Pennsylvania. In the past, he has been a member of the White Clay Bicycle Club. In addition to leading BikeNewark, he currently serves on the Nonprofit Enhancement Committee of The Newark Partnership and as Secretary to the Board of Directors of The Newark Partnership, representing the nonprofit organizations of Newark community. Bob is an avid recreational bicyclist and bird-watcher.
BikeNewark member and 2023–24 Treasurer Michael Smith has been elected as our new Vice-Chair, having received 12 votes. He succeeds Kevin Monahan, who received 2 votes; relatively new member Jonathan “JT” Fleming also received 2 votes. Michael works as Executive Director for the environmental nonprofit Powering Our Future, based out of Pike Creek. Last fall he ran, albeit unsuccessfully, for a seat in Delaware’s House of Representatives. Michael has been a huge fan of cycling throughout his entire life and has not missed a single stage of the Tour de France (watching, that is) for the past 14 years. He is also a member of The Newark Partnership and the Newark branch of the NAACP.
Running unopposed, Karl Hassler was re-elected for his fourth two-year term as Treasurer. He has served for several years on BikeNewark’s Engineering Committee and this year will take the reins as committee chair. He was a key player on the ad hoc Organizational Committee back in 2016 as well as with the 2020 updating of BikeNewark’s bylaws. A retiree from the University of Delaware, Karl has also been a member of the White Clay Bicycle Club. He enjoys bike trips while traveling the country. He’d remind you that if you can’t support BikeNewark with your time, you can always donate to help enhance our efforts.
Another relatively new BikeNewark member, Jacquee Lukawski will be joining the BikeNewark board as Secretary, succeeding Michael Smith. She received 12 votes; Jonathan “JT” Fleming received three votes, and Michael Smith two. Jacquee got back into riding about three years ago, after the positive influence of coworkers at the University of Delaware (UD). She works in UD’s College of Engineering, serving as Graduate Academic Advisor for the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and has held multiple roles in nonprofit boards over the past five years. She enjoys the annual Bike to Work Day and on that same evening competes in the “Commuter Challenge” category of the Wilmington Grand Prix weekend’s Monkey Hill Time Trial to raise money for Urban Bike Project.
Bob McBride, Michael Smith, Karl Hassler, and Jacquee Lukawski will each be serving during 2025–2026, consistent with BikeNewark’s bylaws. Board member elections are held at the end of even years; board members must be Individual Members of BikeNewark, as defined in the partnership’s bylaws. The partnership thanks Kevin Monahan for his service during the previous two years.
Note: Our partnership meetings are open to the public and typically are held on the third Thursday of the month, alternating monthly between 4:30 p.m. hybrid (in person and Zoom) at the STAR Tower and 7:00 p.m. Zoom only. Want to help? Get involved!
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