Here are the seven candidates, in alphabetical order, that are running for the five open seats for the 2021 La Grange Board of Directors. You may scroll through the page to read the statements of each candidate or you can click on the name below to jump to that particular candidate.
Marco Fantone
Daniel Funk
Tina Grant
Thomas Larson
Marc Lewinstein
Katie Rollins
Ellen Shinogle
Marco Fantone
Most of you already know me as the guy who leads most of the morning rides and won’t hesitate to call someone out for erratic bike handling skills! I’ve been a club member since 1997 and was president of Velo Club La Grange from 2009-2012. I’m proud to have been able to contribute to the growth and success of this club over the years. When I first joined, La Grange was a club of just over 100 members with a small squad of racers. Back then, there was no Piuma Hillclimb, no La Grange Cup, no La Grange van and no La Grange Facebook page because………..Facebook didn’t exist! We are now a club of over 400 members with riders and racers competing in all types of cycling-related events.
This has obviously been a challenging year with our daily routines being disrupted on so many levels. After the pandemic hit, I participated in a virtual meeting with other bike club leaders to discuss outdoor riding during this period. This resulted in the video many of you saw that Rahsaan Bahati created that focused on riding responsibly and avoiding large group rides.
The pandemic has also brought changes to another popular spot for cycling, Mandeville Canyon. An increase in both cyclists and pedestrians unfortunately resulted in a collision and reignited the tension that has existed for years between canyon residents and the cycling community. In an effort to create a more harmonious environment for everyone using the canyon, I collaborated with canyon residents to craft a list of action items we can all follow. This partnership led to the recent blood drive a few weeks ago where canyon residents and La Grange club members came together to assist the UCLA blood and platelet center to help alleviate current shortages they are dealing with.
The success of La Grange is due to active collaboration whether it’s working on community outreach, planning for La Grange Cup or assisting on the design of the next La Grange kit. I place a great deal of importance on being out on club rides - interacting with riders and racers in all clubs, not just La Grange, being accessible by text and e-mail and having board meetings that are open for any club member to attend. The more we can bring people and ideas together, the better our club is. It’s that simple.
And that’s why I would like to retain my seat on the La Grange board; to continue motivating both current club members and those new to our sport and our club to get involved and help make La Grange a fun and rewarding experience for all club members.
Marco Fantone
Daniel Funk
I joined LaGrange in 2007 so I’d get timed on the Piuma Hill Climb. That has been an annual event to test my fitness, but along the way I’ve come to enjoy the fellowship of many a La Granger plus the joy of riding. In my mind the club and its many members are admirable advocates of cycling not only on the Westside but throughout SoCal and I’m proud to be a part of it. To assist and support the club in any way is a privilege.
Daniel Funk
Tina Grant
In 2017 while training for my first AIDS/Lifecycle Ride I met a group of cyclists who encouraged me to check out a bike race the next day. Moments after arriving I had somehow been convinced to put on a La Grange jersey and was lining up for my first race. I absolutely loved it and joined immediately!
La Grange provides a unique level of opportunity to its membership. Thanks to the support and encouragement our club provides, I’ve been able to represent the club as a race team captain, tried EVERY discipline of cycling, become a USAC Level 3 coach, and won the most coveted La Granger of the year award.
Refocusing my energy into the club as a board member feels like a great way to show my appreciation. My priorities would include creating new sponsorship opportunities, leading cycling adventures, cultivating community outreach, and producing our legendary club events. I’m incredibly grateful for everything La Grange has given me and can’t wait to get started!
Thank you for your consideration.
Tina Grant
Thomas Larson
Hi La Grange! Like many people in this club, I can recall the moment I became hooked on cycling. It was 2006 and my friends and I took a road trip to Indiana University to watch the Little 500 bike race. Shortly after that, I traded in my running shoes for a yellow Felt F100 bike. Cycling has been an obsession for me ever since.
Since that road trip, as a majority of the club now knows, my pursuit of group ride glory has encountered some minor health challenges—an organ transplant in 2012 and 7 weeks in the hospital in 2019 for related complications—but this pursuit was what motivated me to always bounce back. Through it all, my vision of a full recovery has always looked the same: full return to riding and a few percentage points added on to my FTP. For me, every interval session, Marina loop, and trip up Las Flores was something that was never promised and something I want everyone in the community to be able to access and appreciate.
I hope to help La Grange continue to foster this great community. I ask for your vote because of my commitment to maintain the club’s high standards as a leader in the sport. If elected, I promise to bring my energy and resilience to every function and to vote with integrity.
Thomas Larson
Marc Lewinstein
It has been my privilege to serve on the LG Board of Directors these last two years as your Secretary. In 2019, back when we were having group rides, I was able to lead an LG 50 ride, provide SAG for a couple of others, and help out in any way I could. 2020 has been difficult to say the least but I am proud to have been able to help LG stay relevant. During the start of the pandemic, I was part of a group that organized and started a fund for LA Regional Food Bank. Your generosity raised over $8,000. I was also part of a group composed of board and non-board members working to draft a club statement against racism and affirming unequivocally that All Black Lives Matter. In 2021, I truly hope we can go back to group rides, laughing, sweating, and suffering together, and truly appreciate the freedom we feel while riding. If you’ll have me, I would love to continue to serve members with a role on the board.
Marc Lewinstein
Katie Rollins
I am the youngest member of the current board of directors and seek to represent my age group and their interests on the La Grange Board. I love bikes - road, mountain, gravel, cross, and for transportation. I believe our bike club should be a place for camaraderie, and competition for all ages, races, genders and types of people who love bikes. I wish to contribute to the vitality and longevity of the club, ensuring that we make decisions to maintain the membership base now and for years to come.
Katie Rollins
Ellen Shinogle
When I reflect on my experiences as a member of Velo Club La Grange, what comes to mind is a supportive community of cycling enthusiasts that encourage each other to be better every day.
I joined the women’s road race team in 2016 and I was greeted with open arms. The club offers many opportunities and my teammates have encouraged me to try new things, such as: track certification and racing, mountain biking, and cyclocross racing. My teammates have also supported me through difficult climbs up mountains and very long days in the saddle. I’ve reaped the many benefits from the hard work of club leaders organizing skill clinics, picnics, happy hours, and races. I want to be a member of the La Grange Board of Directors to give back by contributing my time and talents in organizing these club and race team events, to encourage and collaborate on new ideas, and to help carry on the legacy of Velo Club La Grange.
Thank you.
Ellen Shinogle
