NBDA welcomes 3 new board members
The National Bike Dealers Association (NBDA) has announced 3 new members have been elected to the Board of Directors, along with 2 re-elects, following the results of the March 2022 Board of Directors officer elections.
The Board of Directors, which currently comprises of 10 retailers, will, with the newly elected additions, sit at 13 members, working alongside President Heather Mason.
The North America focused retail association welcomes Jake Capistrant, owner of Jake’s Bikes in Alexandria, MN, Gillian Forsyth, owner of BFF Bikes in Chicago, IL, and Whit Ellerman, owner of Cardinal Bicycle with two locations in Roanoke, VA, all of whom will accept new positions within the NBDA board. Tim Krone, owner of PEDAL with two locations in Kalamazoo, MI and Chad Pickard, owner of Spoke-N-Sport with three locations in Sioux Falls, SD have both been re-elected to serve additional terms.
New elect Whit Ellerman commented, “As a relative newcomer to the bicycle industry, I rely heavily on the NBDA, its resources, and its members to give me guidance on how to be the best bicycle shop owner I can be. The support I get from the NBDA and my fellow P2 members is invaluable to me, and I hope that as a board member I can pay back some of what I’ve gained by helping the organization and other retailers like myself.”
Gillian Forsyth spent most of her career in accounting and finance. After leaving her corporate position in 2020 her love and passion for cycling led her to bike shop ownership. She hopes to lend her vision and resource to the NBDA around important issues such as human resources, improved POS reporting, and better inventory reporting and management from vendors.
When asked his “why”, newly elected Jake Capistrant mentioned, “My passion for cycling began when I was 13 and started working after school at our local bike shop. After eight years I moved to the Twin Cities and for three years worked at Penn Cycle, one of the largest bike dealers in the country. I returned to Alexandria to manage the shop there. When my boss left the bike industry, I knew it was the right time to follow my dream of owning my own shop. This has resulted in the significant growth of the area’s cycling community.”
For North America based retailers NBDA membership brings with it access to exclusive resources and support. Retailers can join the NBDA or renew your membership online. Visit NBDA.com to take advantage of the many free resources available to all retailers, including the educational podcast, Bicycle Retail Radio.
NDBA members are also able to access the CyclingIndustry.News’ annual market study, which will be made available at a U.S. exclusive rate of $750 (down from $1,100).
