Board meetings

Our board meetings occur once a month and are posted on our forum. Apart from the first meeting after our AGM, all members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings. This is your chance to provide input, volunteer with our club, and get involved.

Meet our board members!

President: Bev Ranken.  It was a Dirty Girlz clinic four years ago that introduced Bev to the joy of wheels on trail, and she’s been rockin’ the mud-splattered look ever since. Having moved to Victoria from Alaska, Bev particularly appreciates being on a bike year-round. She also enjoys the diversity of riding styles and locations available to us lucky Island riders, and so far hasn’t found any variation on the mountain biking theme that she doesn’t absolutely love! In her third year on the Dirty Girlz Board, Bev is happy to be serving as President. Got ideas, concerns, questions? Bev wants to hear them!

Vice President: Tanya Bastian. Tanya first threw a leg over a mountain bike in the spring of 2010, and it instantly became her passion. On any given weekend, and many a weeknight, she can be found on the trails at Hartland or Tzouhalem. Tanya has yet to make up her mind on whether she loves all mountain or downhill riding the most, and indulges in frequent trips to Whistler during the summer in order to log some more air time off of jumps and drops! She joined the Dirty Girlz to meet others with the same enthusiasm for mountain biking, and is very happy to serve as a board member.

Treasurer: Michele Steele. Michele has been riding for more years that she would like to admit, starting off in the flatness that is Southern Ontario with a transition to Island riding 7 years ago.  Michele loves the challenge of a slower paced technical ride – bring on those rocks, roots and steps!  But her wheels always stay firmly on the ground as she is a prisoner of gravity.  She also loves riding with her husband and almost 5 year old, either together or separately.  She joined the Dirty Girlz to expand her riding network and to share the joy of riding with other women and is pleased to be a member of the Dirty Girlz Board of Directors.  As a Certified Bean Counter she is happy to help make the numbers a little less scary for the Board and membership.

Secretary: Tanya Gadsby.  Tanya spent many years as a road cyclist before making the switch to mountain biking in July 2011… and she hasn’t looked back! She can be found on many Hartland or Partridge Hills trails, though sometimes she heads “home” to the Yukon for the world’s best X-country riding. On the rare occasion when she’s not riding, you can find her painting, writing, or elbows deep in her veggie garden. She is thrilled to be a new Dirty Girlz board member!

Social Media Coordinator: Leigh Sifton. Leigh discovered the sport of mountain biking when she first moved to Vancouver Island as a way to make some new friends.  She’s been in love ever since and is constantly looking for new ways to learn and push her skill level.  Leigh joined the Dirty Girlz board so that she could help share her passion with others.  When not riding, tweeting or updating the Dirty Girlz Facebook or web pages, Leigh works as a Park Planner and is currently studying for her Landscape Architecture professional board exams.

Clinic Coordinator: Deanne Lazaruk. Deanne has been involved in all aspects of mountain biking since her introduction to the sport in the late 90′s. She’s been involved with developing and coaching kids and women’s programs, organizing bike races and festivals, officiating and racing. The first woman to graduate from Capilano University’s Mountain Bike Operations program, Deanne has a true passion for developing trails and now works for IMBA as a trail specialist.

Communications Coordinator: Penny Dunlop.

Member at Large: Genny Boice. Genny joined the Dirty Girlz when she decided she either had to sell the bike gathering dust in the corner or really learn how to ride.  She thinks she made the right decision!  She gets equal thrills from riding new rock faces and learning new skills and is grateful that Dirty Girlz introduced her to a group of awesome women who love biking as much as she does.  When not on the trails, Genny studies and researches her way towards a PhD in Chemistry.

Member at Large/Comic Relief: Megan Culham.

Member at Large/Official Photographer: Angela Abbey.

Events Coordinator: Sharon Parkes.

Member at Large/Secretary’s Assistant: Joanne Posthumus.