AMANDA GOURGUE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Amanda is an accomplished professional with extensive experience driving results for nonprofits. She breaks through barriers and achieves milestones like a runner crossing the finish line, thriving on challenges and exploring new possibilities. In addition to her professional achievements, Amanda was elected and served as a State Representative to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, where she advocated for her community. Her passion for healthy living and outdoor recreation is reflected in her personal life; she enjoys exploring new trails, participating in marathons, and going for leisurely jogs. Running has instilled in her a sense of discipline, resilience, and perseverance, qualities she brings to her role as the Executive Director of BWANH.
PAUL SUSCA, BOARD PRESIDENT
Paul has been hiking and biking for fun and transportation as long as he can remember. He has hiked all of New Hampshire’s and Vermont’s 4,000-footers and is now exploring rail trails and other multi-use trails in New England and beyond. Paul joined the BWANH Board after a career at NH Department of Environmental Services promoting environmental health and land conservation. He is looking forward to advocating for safer bike-ped infrastructure and promoting the health and economic benefits of improved bike-ped facilities and programs.
GREG BAKOS, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT
Greg is part of the Community Development Services group of VHB in Bedford, NH. He manages projects across NE and has extensive experience in bike/pedestrian design. He is a League of American Bicyclists Master Certified Instructor (LCI). Greg lives in Concord, NH and serves on Concord’s Bike/Ped subcommittee of the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee as well as the NH Complete Streets Advisory Committee.
DAVE TOPHAM, BOARD TREASURER
Dave is the founder of BWANH (2006) and co-founder of the Granite State Wheelmen bicycling club. Dave has been actively involved in group cycling and bicycling education since 1971. He lives in Salem, NH and is currently a volunteer Board member for seven NH bike-ped/rail trail organizations. Dave uses his background in computer systems to help keep the wheels rolling and the feet walking all over NH! He is one of the first League of American Bicyclists Master Certified Instructors in the country.
JOHNATHAN VAIL, BOARD SECRETARY
Johnathan is a life long bicyclist commuter and rail trail enthusiast. He is part of the Gate City Bicycle Coop and helped found the Nashua Strong Towns chapter in addition to organizing grassroots Critical Mass and other fun rides around Nashua. His goal is to bring back strong communities based on walking and biking.
PAULA BEDARD, BOARD MEMBER
Paula is an avid bike commuter, League of American Bicyclists Safe Cycling instructor, and bike advocate. Her advocacy efforts include participation in local community rail trail activities, Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail, Bike Manchester, Manchester Moves, and She Rides Seacoast. Paula is committed to promoting safe cycling education throughout NH at both the community and state level.
BRUCE CAPLAIN, BOARD MEMBER
Bruce is a Selectman in Bethlehem, a long-time rider and avid cycling supporter. He’s been cycling for most of his life, commuting to work by bike, and being an activist in his community. He looks for ways to make commuting and cycling more inclusive, accessible and safe for everyone. His goal is to have as many people as possible cycle more miles than they drive each year thus increasing health and reducing emissions. He is spearheading a project to make Bethlehem and surrounding towns the first Bike Friendly Communities in the North Country.
JEN DODGE, BOARD MEMBER
Jen lives in Littleton & has been biking since 2010. In 2014, Jen was hit by a driver while on a group ride and left with traumatic brain injury (TBI). A former Special Ed teacher (pre-TBI), Jen now works at Littleton Bike & Fitness and hosts all of the shop road rides. Jen is passionate about bike safety and about informing others how to stay safe.
LARRY KENISTON, BOARD MEMBER
Larry worked for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation for over 35 years and maintains a professional engineering license in the State of New Hampshire. With a broad range of highway experience in Final Design, Utility Design, Preliminary Design, Consultant Design, pedestrian and bicycle design as well as highway safety, Larry has experience with many of the processes that have wrought a highway network that is “dangerous by design" and advocates for a safe systems approach to transportation. Larry is an avid recreational and transportational biker, riding his bike to work for decades, and using it for transportation whenever he can.
DON WALDRON, BOARD MEMBER
Don is a resident of Manchester and enjoys serving the community as a Manchester Commissioner on the Southern NH Planning Commission, the Manchester Conservation Commission, and a member of the Manchester Environmental Justice Advisory Group. Don also enjoys a long career in public safety and is a career Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic as well as a fire instructor for the State of NH. Throughout his career he has also been a volunteer EMT, firefighter and part-time police officer. While Don began cycling to help recover from a major health issue, he continues to do so for recreation. However, Don recognizes the important role that cycling has for all the members of our community. Don works to utilize his experiences to advocate for the advancement of cycling as a means of equitable transportation and economic development in Manchester and also in New Hampshire as a whole. By making cycling safer and more accessible we can connect our communities in ways never thought possible. Don often tells people “give me any social issue we are facing and I can tell you how cycling can help the problem.”
CHRISTIE DOYLE PENNELL, OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Christie is a lifelong lover of the outdoors who is currently biking the rail trails and hiking the mountains of New England with her family. Passionate about getting children outside, Christie is active with various nature-based education and family adventure groups and activities. Christie brings many years of nonprofit fundraising and operations experience with New Hampshire-based organizations to her role at BWANH.
