Our FB4K MN Staff and Board
Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN is led by a passionate and engaged staff and board of directors. Find out more about them below.
FB4K MN Staff
Jay Zemke – Executive Director
Email Address: Jay@FB4KMN.org
As Executive Director of Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN, our mission and purpose is geared toward helping all kids ride into a happier healthier childhood by providing bikes to those most in need. Free of charge. Other responsibilities including operations and strategy; securing financial stability and serving as a spokesperson but the most important is to put kids on bikes.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Zemke grew up on a bike, riding with friends, when little, and turned it into a number of years racing throughout the United States. Active in triathlons, marathons and enjoying training with his brother.
Operations Director – Christian Casteale
Bike Recipient Coordinator – Andrew Barlage
Andrew loves bikes and helping create opportunities for people to ride them. From organizing rides and races, to serving on the Minnesota Cycling Federation board for a number of years, to taking the neighborhood kids out for their first mountain bike rides, if it’s on two wheels, he’s there to help. He used to race bikes, and still occasionally pays entry fees and pokes safety pin holes in his jerseys just to get dropped.
Volunteer Coordinator – Karen Johnson
Supporting volunteering and helping to provide Bikes 4 Kidz is a perfect match for Karen. She has been coordinating volunteers for several years and believes they are a gift and they make the world go round! Karen is a retired Geography professor but is always checking out the landscape–human and natural. Every kid should have a bike! Biking builds curiosity, health and community! Bikes = adventure!
Host – Virginia Youness
Virginia is happiest outside, in all seasons, and has a love for nature, animals, and environmental sustainability.
Host – Berette McNaught
Berette is originally from the Twin Cities and moved to Montana and Vermont for 8 years before settling back in her home state. She has a passion for promoting access to the outdoors for everyone regardless of identity. She has put this into practice by mentoring at-risk youth and young adults in biking, skiing, and rock climbing, as well as leading backpacking and canoe trips for people of all abilities and backgrounds.
When not outside or on her bike, you can find Berette playing guitar and enjoying live music around town
Host – Leilani Abraham
FB4K MN Board of Directors
Maureen Vischer- Chair
Maureen has loved bikes and kids since she was one. Her first bike was a yellow beauty with a basket, bells and a fabulous banana seat! When her older brother Dave wasn’t looking, she would take his black dirt bike and try to catch air off the curb at the end of their driveway. After college, Maureen rode her red Bianchi road bike across the state of Pennsylvania and learned that maybe she should have trained a little. Maureen has always worked at the grassroots level trying to help kids and families improve their lives. So, when she was asked to join the FB4KMN board, it was an easy choice. Kids and bikes, bikes and kids? What’s not to love?
Martha Hoeppner – Vice Chair
Martha Hoeppner is the mother of three children, a dog lover, and an avid cyclist. She loves the outdoors and is a believer in the power of exercise when it comes to creating healthy and energetic people. One of the reasons Martha is excited about the opportunity to serve the Free Bikes 4 Kids organization is because she believes that all kids deserve the opportunity to be outside and on two wheels. We have an amazing park/trail system in the Twin Cities and providing bikes for all kids in need is a powerful way to promote healthy change. Martha is an educator and is passionate about serving children, especially in areas where systems are failing them. Recently, Martha has worked to serve children in North Minneapolis with after school tutoring, organizing an annual coat drive, and providing food resources to people in need. Martha enjoys using her outreach skills to connect with communities and bring people together for the greater good.
Jeff Lundgren – Executive Committee
Retired financial services executive, Jeff Lundgren has returned from 9 years in London to get Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN finances cranking. Cheers! He’s clearly a roadie, ready to cruise on his Cannondale Synapse, Focus Mares and Pashey Countryman.
Matthew Kennedy – Treasurer
Former bean counter before becoming a client spokesman for HairClub for Men. When not modeling and putting miles on my Wilier, I play an amazing #2 parent with an even more amazing wife to Monroe and Maris.
Phil Wolpers – Executive Committee
A seasoned problem solver and technology leader, Phil cut his professional teeth in the bike industry. More recently he has held strategic roles in technology product management across retail and logistics leaders. When not in the office, supporting FB4K MN, or spending time with his wife and two kids, Phil loves maintaining his bikes almost as much as he loves riding them with family and friends on all the beautiful tarmac, gravel, and dirt that Minnesota has to offer.
Britt Monson
Marketing and branding by day, downhill skiing in the winter by night and weekends – spending time with her family/friends/dog OUTSIDE every chance she gets. Born and bred a MN girl, she calls Savage home but always counting the days to get on skis or hit a trail in MT (where her sister/daughter live).
With a long career as an painter and illustrator, Joan has unleashed her creative powers to make Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN look good and feel good in the world of social media. Her wheels are always turning.
Adam Clarke
Experienced IT leader and longtime lover of bikes. In 7th grade he rode to school many days through a Minnesota winter as a challenge with a friend – surprisingly that only made him like riding even more and ever since he has been hooked. Adam‘s favorite place to ride is Cuyuna on his Salsa Rustler. Worked in the bike industry for 15+ years, and his most recent bike related accomplishment was reducing the size of his herd from 10 bikes to 5.
Linda Stone
An experienced lawyer who also helped lead the revitalization of a grant-making non-profit, Linda helps to fuel the kids in her current work as a strategic director for an organization focused on relieving hunger for Minnesota’s kids. Her first bike was a green Schwinn, still remembered while she turns the crank on her De Rosa.
Bryan Wall
Bryan Wall is an experienced digital marketing leader specializing in customer acquisition. Loves riding trails and enjoying nature. Bryan also builds bicycles including fillet brazing his own frames. Previous board work includes Make a Wish, Stages Theater, and the Leland Johnson Common Vision program. Loves Free Bikes 4 Kids MN for its mission to provide bikes to those most in need.
Melissa Burns
John Baker
Nick Garbis
Terry Esau – Board Member Emeritus
The now National ED, this composer, producer, music superstar gave up his successful career to write books, ride bikes and become the fearless founder of Free Bikes 4 Kidz. He rides a Trek Madone with Di2 that costs more than his car, which says more about his car than his bike