Below is a letter from new BCU Board President Katie Theodoros

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As many of you know, Angela Johnson-Rodriguez, our outgoing Board President (and now President Emeritus) has just begun a doctorate program at Rutgers-New Brunswick. Go Angela! We were fortunate that Angela was able to continue in her role as president beyond December 2020 as originally planned, and that she will serve as an Advisor to the Board through Summer 2021.

As the former Vice President, the board has asked me to step up and fill the role of President. I am thrilled to continue working with Angela, our new Vice President Peter Cheung, Executive Director Becca Wolfson, the BCU staff, and the whole community to continue to fulfill the BCU’s mission.

Despite that fact that people who ride bikes in the Boston area come from an array of income levels, genders, races, and ethnicities, it’s no secret that most of the people with power and influence in the biking community are predominately cis-gender, white, male, and wealthy. Since I began volunteering with the BCU in 2015, it has given me, a queer woman, who has not always felt wlecome in this community a place where I could have my voice heard and have influence over decisions. I acknowledge that Boston is a majority non-white city and that there is a need for even more diverse voices at the highest levels of leadership within the local biking and transportation communities. For this reason, one of our shared goals on the board is to quickly begin recruiting for our next President so the leadership at the BCU better reflects and represents the people of our city. Therefore, my time as President may be short, and the sooner I am able to transfer this role and the influence that comes with it, the better the BCU will be able to serve all of the current and future users of the bike infrastructure of Greater Boston. 

Please join me in congratulating Angela on her new adventures in academia, and also Peter for taking over the role of Vice President of the BCU Board. I look forward to deepening my work with the BCU during a time of exciting change and growth within the organization and within the wider bike community. I hope you all stay in touch, stay safe, and get to soak up some of that sweet, sweet spring air! 

Ride on, 

Katie Theodoros
President, Boston Cyclists Union Board of Directors
(she/hers)