Our Team
Melissa Balmer - Editor/Women on Bikes SoCal Program Director
A proud native of Long Beach California, Melissa gave up her car in 2007 for the same reasons as many Americans - both health and financial. Adding a bike and subtracting a car has aided in increasing her energy and stamina. Melissa is a writer, speaker, and media specialist. Melissa was a creative team member for the “Share Our Streets” multi-media bike safety marketing campaign for Bike Long Beach, and serves on the advisory board of the Women Bike initiative of the League of American Bicyclists.
Dr. Suja Lowenthal - Spokeswoman on Politics & Policy
Long Beach's Second District Council Member, Suja combines her experience in the community and on the school board with her education in business and urban planning to address issues such as parking, public safety, air & water quality and commercial development through sustainable, long-term policies. She has provided the political will and leadership to advance the City’s award-winning bicycle-friendly agenda, progressive strategies in animal care services and green policies involving plastic bags, recycling, storm-water runoff and alternative forms of energy.
Kellie Morris - We All Ride Bikes Columnist
Kellie did her first multiday, fund-raising bike ride in 2002 after a co-worker dared her to take up the challenge - the seven-day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. In 2010 Kellie was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease: Mixed Connective Tissue disease that left her so weak she could barely dress herself. Through medication, dietary changes and exercise she was able to recover much of her strength. Kellie does most of her local trips on her trike including shopping, running errands, attending fitness classes, visiting friends and even riding to church.
Janaé Noble - Health by Bike Columnist
A leading Californian wellness advocate, Janaé is known for her creativity in bringing non athletes into a successful fitness mindset. Her inspiring fitness events the Princess Promenade, Beach Babe Bicycling Classic and the Senorita Century are three of the most popular female themed bike rides in the country. Janaé and Noble Pursuit have been featured on Discovery Channel Travel Daily, CBS Good Day Sacramento, NBC-NY, and as a reacurring guest for ABC Sacramento & Company and more.
Maria Sipin - License to Ride Columnist
Maria Sipin an advocate for walking, biking, and transit. She is a longtime resident of San Gabriel Valley and Cal Poly Pomona alum. As a League Cycling Instructor and health communications specialist, she promotes active living and is dedicated to educating youth in underserved communities.
Maria collaborates with the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital Los Angeles to develop life skills workshops supporting youth interests. In her spare time, she works as a transit tour guide in Downtown Los Angeles.
Machiko Yasuda - Critical Sass Columnist
Machiko Yasuda is a web journalist born and raised in Los Angeles. When she is not bicycling, climbing boulders or reading library books, she likes making maps and charts for news websites.
A graduate of UCLA, she has worked at L.A. Youth, Washington Post, Ventura County Star and California Apparel News. She currently commutes by bike, sometimes bus or Metro rail, to 89.3 KPCC in Pasadena.
Shelby Sanchez - Visionary Cargo Bike Mom
Shelby Sanchez is a single mom on a visionary mission to find a cargo bike that would be a perfect for her two young daughters and herself. She is a long time resident of Long Beach and is a UW-Madison alum. Go Badgers! She is making daily changes to embody new ways of being in support of a more harmonious earth for future generations. One of her many passions is seeing more mom's riding cargo bikes with their children instead of being couped up in oil guzzling, polluting cars.
Shelby loves working with creatives, visionaries and green and globally concious businesses and individuals at Dream Inspired Design. She also blogs at Living The Beauty Way, shining a light on those pioneering the way to a more harmonious earth.
Allan Crawford - Lead Photographer/Videographer
Allan's background is in geology and he holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin. Crawford's work experience includes the energy industry, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, city government and Veteran’s hospitals. He is currently the Bicycle Coordinator for the City of Long Beach and an active volunteer for the bicycle advocacy organization Bikeable Communities. Crawford is an accomplished videographer and professional photographer with his work appearing in a wide variety of publications.
Advisory Team
Jim Brown – Sacramento CA/Executive Director Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
Allan Crawford – Long Beach CA/Bicycle Coordinator Bike Long Beach/City of Long Beach
Elayne Fowler – San Diego CA/Former Director of Marketing Electra Bikes
Charlie Gandy – Long Beach CA/President Livable Communities Inc.
Pat Hines – San Fernando Valley CA/Executive Director Safe Moves
Jane Nakagawa – Palos Verdes CA/VP of Strategy Intertrend Communications
Frank Peters – Newport Beach CA/The Frank Peters Show & Bike Newport