Our History
The WBC...How It Happened Past Officers
by Brenda Kreutz
Reprinted from the April 1992 Pedal Pusher
When Gary and I moved to Westerville in 1977, we were already active
bicyclists. We started riding here with the Columbus AYH. Gary also found out about the Westerville Bicycle Commission which was set up as an advisory committee to the Westerville City Council. He volunteered both of us and we met with the other committee members to try to encourage bicycling in Westerville. This was in 1980-81.
Members of the committee were John & Mary Beth Lohse, Jean Champoux, Russ Roeder, Gary and myself.
This was the Kreutz's first experience with city government and we found it most frustrating. One of the things city council was debating was the possible use of the Conrail right-of-way as a bikepath. That was more than 10 years ago and they are still just talking about it! This did get discouraging. I think that the only positive thing the committee
accomplished was in fighting the proposed establishment of a bikeway on Main Street. They were going to allow bicycles to travel in both directions on one side of Main St. In this one area we did succeed in convincing City Council that they would be asking for an accident.
Anyway, by the summer of 1981 we had gotten completely discouraged. I suggested at one of our meetings that we should start a Westerville Bicycle Club so we didn't have to drive all over town to ride with AYH and to get a more cohesive group. Since it was my idea, I got appointed President. Also as there had been money donated to the City Commission and we didn't know what to do with it, we took it with us into the WBC. I think it was about $500. That was certainly a help in getting started.
We had an organizational meeting and Jim & Sue Smith came. I think that they were acquainted with Russ Roeder and heard about the club from him. So eight people originally set up the club. We ran some notices in the Public Opinion and had about 14 or 15 people come out to the first meeting at the State Savings building. We had some good luck there...Scott mason volunteered to do publicity and a Newsletter - he did a great job! It has always been the Newsletter that has kept us together and it is a tough job.
The WBC grew quite rapidly. I was surprised when I looked over some old minutes to see that we had a DRY RUN the first year, in the fall of 1982. Jim Smith organized that and we had 201 riders - not bad for a first try!
1981-1982
President Brenda Kreutz
VP John Lohse
Secretary Jean Champoux
Treasurer Mary Beth Lohse
Ride Dir. Jim Smith
Newsletter Scott Mason
Membership Sue Smith
Dry Run Scott Mason
1982-1983
President Scott Mason
VP Russ Roeder
Secretary Gail Emrick
Treasurer Mary Beth Lohse
Ride Dir. Jim Smith, Jim Brod
Newsletter Jim & Connie Brod
Membership Sue Smith
Dry Run Steve Wagner, Gary Long
1983-1984
President Jim Pitt
VP Tom Hardin
Secretary Gail Emrick
Treasurer Rich Gehring
Ride Dir. Jim Brod
Newsletter Mary Ellen Dean, Moyer Harris
Membership Mark Jennings
Dry Run Gary & Brenda Kreutz
1984-1985
President Gary Kreutz
VP Mark Jennings
Secretary Brenda Kreutz
Treasurer Jim Lake
Ride Dir. Chuck Perry
Newsletter Meg Lake
Membership Mary Ellen Dean
Dry Run Gary & Brenda Kreutz
1985-1986
President Jim Lake
VP Bill Fast
Secretary Carol Pitt
Treasurer Dan Ryback
Ride Dir. Mark Jennings
Newsletter Mary Ellen Dean, Meg Lake, Vicki Tieche
Membership Vicki Tieche
Dry Run Phil Turner
1986-1987
President Jim Lake
VP Carol Pitt
Secretary Gail Emrick
Treasurer Dave Kleshinski
Ride Dir. Phil Turner
Newsletter Shirley Smith, Meg Lake
Membership Art Siegesmund
Dry Run Phil Turner
1987-1988
President Kaye Iftner
VP Dave Cottle
Secretary Doug Goolsby
Treasurer Dave Kleshinski
Ride Dir. Meg Lake, Doug Goolsby, Chuck Moulton, Frank O'Hare
Newsletter Chuck Perry
Membership Stephan Horlak
Dry Run Phil Turner
1988-1989
President Phil Turner
VP Dave Cottle
Secretary Chris Schmenk
Treasurer Mike Schmenk
Ride Dir. Doug Goolsby
Newsletter Meg Lake
Membership Chuck Perry
Dry Run Frank O'Hare
1989-1990
President Mike Schmenk
VP Doug Payne
Secretary Chris Schmenk
Treasurer Doug Goolsby
Ride Dir. Ray Yorizzo
Newsletter John McAlister
Membership Chuck Perry
Dry Run Frank O'Hare
1990-1991
President Chris Schmenk
VP Jeff Stokes
Secretary Sally McAlister
Treasurer Doug Goolsby
Ride Dir. Ray Yorizzo
Newsletter John McAlister, Gene Clay
Membership Chuck Perry
Dry Run Frank O'Hare
1991-1992
President Fred Davis
VP Brenda Kreutz
Secretary Jim Curtiss
Treasurer Stephan Horlak
Ride Dir. Jim Lyons, Jeff Stokes, Stephan Horlak, Beth Higdon, Tom
Kelleher
Newsletter John McAlister, Scott Holmes
Distribution Libby Neal
Membership Kim Scranton/Kovacs
Dry Run Frank O'Hare
Social Sally McAlister, Julie Yorizzo
1992-1993
President Frank O'Hare
VP Jim Lyons
Secretary Mary Hartshorn
Treasurer John McAlister
Ride Dir. Fred Davis
Newsletter Scott Holmes
Distribution Libby Neal
Membership Kim Kovacs
Dry Run Chris Schmenk, Jeff Stokes
Social Mark Euler
1993-1994
President Jeff Stokes
VP Larry Heisler
Secretary Tom Kelleher
Treasurer John McAlister
Ride Dir. Ned Williams
Newsletter Scott Holmes, Larry Heisler
Distribution Jane Nickerson
Membership Kim Kovacs, Barb Cornell
Dry Run Ron Knight, Steve Nickerson
Social Libby Neal
1994-1995
President Scott Holmes
VP Chuck Moulton
Secretary Connie Groves
Treasurer John McAlister
Ride Dir. John London, Don Grafmiller
Newsletter Larry Heisler, Phil Turner
Distribution Jane Nickerson
Membership Stephan Horlak, Barb Cornell
Dry Run Steve Overstreet
Social Jim Lyons
1995-1996
President Scott Holmes
VP Don Grafmiller
Secretary Debbie Grafmiller
Treasurer John McAlister
Ride Dir. Steve Overstreet
Newsletter Phil Turner
Distribution Jane Nickerson
Membership Stephan Horlak, Polly Koch
Dry Run Steve Overstreet
Social Jim Lyons
1996-1997
President Don Grafmiller
VP David Hoodin
Secretary Debbie Grafmiller
Treasurer Glen Robbins
Ride Dir. Chuck Perry, Ray Yorizzo
Newsletter Phil Turner
Distribution Jane & Steve Nickerson
Membership Jane & Steve Nickerson, Polly Koch
Dry Run Steve Overstreet, Richard Witt
Social Debbie Grafmiller, Nancy London
1997-1998
President Don Grafmiller
VP David Hoodin
Secretary JoMay Chow
Treasurer Glen Robbins
Ride Dir. John London, Mark Matson, Carl Morahan, Jim Curtiss
Newsletter Phil Turner
Distribution Jane & Steve Nickerson
Membership Jane & Steve Nickerson, Polly Koch
Dry Run Richard Witt
Social Debbie Grafmiller, Nancy London
1998-1999
President Larry Graham
VP Julie Snyder
Secretary JoMay Chow
Treasurer Jim Balthaser
Ride Dir. David Hoodin
Newsletter Phil Turner
Distribution Jane & Steve Nickerson, Stephan Horlak
Membership Jane & Steve Nickerson, Polly Koch
Dry Run Richard Witt
Social Bev Perfect, Marianne Shepard
1999-2000
President Larry Graham
VP Julie Snyder
Secretary Maureen Persinger
Treasurer Jim Balthaser
Ride Dir. JoMay Chow
Newsletter Phil Turner
Distribution Stephan Horlak
Membership Stephan Horlak, Polly Koch
Dry Run Larry & Christine Graham
Social Barb Jackson
2000-2001
President Alan Martin
VP Ken Urtel, Jim Lyons
Secretary Julie Safran
Treasurer Kathy Petrucci
Ride Dir. JoMay Chow
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Distribution Rob White, Julie Snyder
Membership Julie Safran, Polly Koch
Dry Run Larry & Christine Graham
Social Barb Jackson
2001-2002
President Alan Martin
VP Jim Lyons
Secretary Becki Guy
Treasurer Kathy Petrucci
Ride Dir. Karen Beshara
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Distribution Rob White, Julie Snyder
Membership Jim Lyons
Dry Run Larry & Christine Graham
Social Barb Jackson
2002-2003
President David Hoodin
VP Jim Lyons
Secretary Becki Guy
Treasurer Bob Stoll
Ride Dir. Karen Beshara
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Distribution Rob White, Julie Snyder
Membership Jim Lyons
Dry Run Larry Graham
Social Barb Jackson
2003-2004
President David Hoodin
VP John Orndoff
Secretary Shari Heinrich
Treasurer Bob Stoll
Ride Dir. Don Grafmiller
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Distribution Jim Lyons
Membership Jim Lyons
Dry Run Larry Graham
Social Barb Jackson
2004-2005
President Bill McMurray
VP John Orndoff
Secretary Shari Heinrich
Treasurer Jim Balthaser
Ride Dir. John Mechlin
Newsletter kathy Martin
Distribution Jim Lyons
Membership Jim Lyons
Dry Run Alan Martin
Social Barb Jackson
2005-2006
President Bill McMurray
VP John Orndoff
Secretary Tim Windholtz
Treasurer Jim Balthaser
Ride Dir. John Mechlin
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Distribution Jim Lyons
Membership Jim Lyons
Dry Run Alan Martin
Social Barb Jackson
2006-2007
President Shari Heinrich
VP Bill McMurray
Secretary Tim Windholtz
Treasurer Kathy Petrucci
Ride Dir. Mike Perakis
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Distribution Jim Lyons
Membership Jim Lyons
Dry Run Alan Martin
Social John Orndoff
2007-2008
President Shari Heinrich
VP Rick Jeffrey
Secretary Richard DeBrosse
Treasurer Kathy Petrucci
Ride Dir. Mike Perakis
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Membership Chuck Perry
Dry Run Amy Rees
Social John Orndoff
2008-2009
President David Hoodin
VP Rick Jeffrey
Secretary Dick DeBrosse
Treasurer David Ditmers
Ride Dir. Mike Perakis
Newsletter Kathy Martin
Membership Chuck Perry
Dry Run Amy Rees
Social Shari Heinrich
