The Steering Committee
Virginia Stapleton is the former Salem City Council President.
Ian Davidson is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Cherriots.
Dylan McDowell is the former Chair of the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
Chantal Barton co-owns a small business downtown (Resonance Yoga Collective) that is centered around accessibility, diversity, and connection. Salem is the city that has her heart and growing community is her biggest joy in life. She coaches for a local youth mountain biking team (Salem Descenders), is a substitute teacher for SKSD, and is passionate about making our city a safe place for everyone to commute on bikes. For starters, her yoga studio provides secure bike parking inside and she is thrilled to be playing a role on the committee for making our city walkable and bikeable.
Bob Cortright is a retired urban planner, avid road cyclist, lifelong Oregonian and 35-year resident of Salem. For 25 years, Bob served as lead staff on transportation planning issues for the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development and he continues to be active in advocating for local and state plans and policies to support smart transportation and land use planning. Through SBV, Bob hopes to help pursue remaking Salem's streets to make cycling safe and convenient for city residents that would like to cycle more for local trips but are concerned or deterred by gaps or inadequate bike lanes.
Ben Fryback is a lifelong Oregonian, roadway designer, and is working towards obtaining his professional engineering license. In 2023, he visited the Netherlands and experienced firsthand how prioritizing alternative modes of transportation benefits communities. He believes improving the safety and accessibility of our roadways for all users is key to a healthy future. Ben serves on Salem’s Planning Commission and leads several casual group bike rides every month. In his spare time, he enjoys camping, hiking, sightseeing, and watching Mariners baseball. He does not own a car and gets around primarily by walking, biking, using Cherriots, or riding Amtrak.
Evan Manvel is a Senior Climate Policy Advisor at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. He previously worked to help cities become more walkable and bikeable at the Department of Land Conservation and Development, and at some of the Northwest's leading nonprofit organizations, including the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Cascade Bicycle Club, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, and 1000 Friends of Oregon. He serves on the Salem Budget Committee, the board of the Parking Reform Network, and the Oregon AFSCME PAC board. Evan loves to walk and bike around our city, but would love it to be more welcoming for his whole family, and all families.
Brooke Schelar has been a proud Salemander since 2016, when she and her husband moved from the Midwest, in search of living somewhere with more access to outdoor adventures. She is an avid road and gravel cyclist, and is passionate about connecting with her community and finding ways to uplift those around her. As a graphic designer, Brooke is excited to be able to support SBV's mission with her skills. Her client list consists mostly of local small businesses and nonprofits, including Family Building Blocks, The Bike Peddler, and Resonance Yoga Collective.
Marissa Theve hails from rural Eastern Connecticut where she grew without access to safe bike infrastructure. While finishing grad school at UCONN, Marissa mapped soils before moving to Salem in 2016 to accept a forestry-focused position. In 2023 she pivoted to agricultural soil science. In her spare time, Marissa serves on Salem’s Planning Commission, helps lead Quiet Clean Salem’s effort to phase out gas powered leaf blowers, and works to combat light pollution. She enjoys gardening, working out at Catalyst, hiking, cross country skiing, visiting hot springs, and biking and walking downtown and to parks.