Thanks to your votes as LMB members, we’re excited to welcome five new board members and congratulate two incumbent members on their re-election to the League of Michigan Bicyclists’ Board of Directors! These individuals bring a dynamic mix of experience, energy, and regional representation to help guide our mission to improve life through bicycling. Meet our new board members:
Nick Balcer – Jackson
Nick got into cycling in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Having always been a runner, he was seeking a change of pace and looking to add longevity to his legs. He got started with a gravel bike from Trek, put road tires on it, and immediately caught the riding bug. Cycling opened new doors for Nick. Through cycling, he has developed new lifelong friendships and camaraderie, ridden to and in some of the most beautiful places in the Midwest, and it has improved his already excellent fitness. Nick’s goals for service with LMB are LMB’s mission. His first priority is safety: advocating for safe roads, cycling awareness, and laws that treat all cyclists fairly. His second goal is building the cycling community: get people excited to serve in any way that fits for them, whether that be donating, volunteering, teaching, trail cleanup, etc.
Michael Darga – Detroit
Michale is a Detroit based civil engineer and transportation planner. He possesses over 30 years of experience incorporating Complete Streets elements and non-motorized facilities into road projects including designing bike lanes, street conversions, cycle tracks, and land use plans. Michale worked with Lawrence Tech to receive Bicycle Friendly University status. He has extensive non-profit experience with Friends of the Rouge, Tour de Troit, Lawrence Tech, and Hatch Detroit. Michale is a bicycle touring advocate with Wheelhouse Detroit. His goals for LMB is to continue seeking balance on roads and right-of-way for all users and bikes contributing to community building, tourism, transportation options, environment, economic benefits, and history.
B.J. Hull – South Haven (Re-Elected)
B.J. Hull is the Vice President for Advancement at YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. He brings with him 27+ years of advancement and development experience in higher education and community non-profits.
Most recently, he served as the chief development officer for Purdue Fort Wayne and the COO for the Purdue Fort Wayne Foundation. Prior to his time at Purdue, he served as vice chancellor of university advancement at the University of Michigan–Flint. His fundraising roles have also included eight years in major and planned gifts at Michigan State University in East Lansing, four years as the director of development for the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and roles with the March of Dimes and Boy Scouts of America to begin his career.
He earned his MBA, with honors, from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Alma College in Alma, Michigan. He has served as a board member within his community and industry for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, and Rotary International.
He and his wife, Teri, live in South Haven. They spend lots of time at their cottage in Michigan and enjoy cycling and spending time with their dog, Alphi.
Chris Konyn – Munising
Chris’s connection to bicycling began in childhood. For multiple summers during middle and high school, she participated in the 100k option of the Menominee River Century Bike Ride, traversing Marinette County, Wisconsin, and Menominee County, Michigan. Chris’s ties to cycling continued into adulthood, working for over 26 years in the bicycle industry for a global Midwest-based bicycle company. This experience gives her a rich perspective as a cyclist and advocate. After involvement in a serious on-road collision with a motor vehicle, she developed a deep commitment to cycling safety and advocating for safer infrastructure. Chris is a long-standing member of the Munising Bay Trail Network. She firmly believes that bicycling is a simple, scalable solution to many of today’s mobility, health, and environmental challenges. Most importantly, she is dedicated to advocating for safe, connected cycling across Michigan.
Michelle Leveque – Ada
Michelle brings more than 20 years of Michigan cycling experience, spanning mountain, gravel, and road cycling across the state. She grew up in Calumet /Houghton in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, studying for her undergraduate degree at Michigan Technological University, and now resides in Grand Rapids. Michelle maintains deep family ties to the UP and continues to ride and race regularly in Copper Harbor, Marquette, and beyond. She is a long-time volunteer for trail workdays with the West Michigan Mountain Bike Association supporting local mountain bike infrastructure, competes in road, gravel, and mountain bike events, and is consistently involved in Michigan’s cycling community. Michelle has made cycling central to her personal life and identity, including cycling-focused travel, as well as seasonal bicycle commuting utilizing Michigan’s roads, gravel routes, and bike paths. She has been an attorney in Grand Rapids since 1998 and is keenly interested in advancing cycling in Michigan through strategic advocacy, policy development, and collaborative problem solving. Michelle’s goal is to leverage her legal experience and long-standing engagement in the sport to support safe access, sustainable infrastructure, and equitable cycling opportunities statewide.
Cleo Moody – Southfield
Dr. Cleo Moody is an Academic Advisor at Wayne State University, a former Detroit Public Schools principal, and the Vice President of Metro 313 Cyclones Major Taylor Detroit. Her cycling roots trace back to her time as a Detroit lifeguard, using a bike for essential transportation. In 2020, she returned to the sport to honor her late brother’s legacy as an avid cyclist and triathlete. A dedicated community advocate, Dr. Moody supports Detroit initiatives like Free Bikes 4 Kidz and the Ride for Unity, focusing on health education and safe infrastructure. As an LMB board member, she aims to broaden the organization’s reach within diverse local communities and champion initiatives that support riders of all levels across Michigan, especially cyclists in urban environments.
Larry Prange – Grand Rapids (Re-Elected)
Larry lives in Grand Rapids, and he loves commuting to work and around town on a bicycle. He also loves working on bikes and teaching others how to fix their own bike.
Larry is a co-founder and former president of Cycle-Re-Cycle, a non-profit community bike shop in Benton Harbor, MI. Similar to the League’s mission of improving lives through bicycling, the mission of Cycle-Re-Cycle is to improve lives in Southwest Michigan by promoting bicycles and cycling. Larry’s work with Cycle-Re-Cycle included the management of the organization, training community members in the repair of bicycles, providing bicycle safety training, fundraising, and overall program development.
Larry is the General Counsel for Knape & Vogt Manufacturing Company in Grand Rapids. He is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of business and legal experience. Larry earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University, and a Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School.
Each of them will help shape LMB’s direction and keep our wheels turning toward safer, more inclusive, and more connected biking across Michigan.
Board Leadership Update
B.J. Hull will be assuming the role of Board Secretary, taking the baton from Sara Ross, who is continuing to serve on the board. We’re grateful for Sara’s leadership as Secretary and we’re lucky to have her still at the table.
Thank you to all who voted and continue to support our mission to make Michigan bicycling better for everyone.
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