President

Colin Taber

I strive to continue to represent the interests of the club as a whole.  We will continue current initiatives and come up with more to make the club the best it can be.  My “door” (via email or Discord box) is always open to all.  Thank you for your trust in my leadership.

VP of Rides

Steve Vaccaro

The VP-Rides role has two main areas of responsibility: supporting and coordinating the work of the A-, B- and C- Ride Coordinators; and leading the development of club policies governing ride conduct for review and approval by the Board.  My work in these areas over the last year (my first in the VP-Rides role) has included (a) organizing an end-of-season dinner meetings for ride leaders to discuss how the season went, and plans for next season; (b) a targeted ride leader recruitment and development program for a critical pace-and-style point, B16, called “Best of NYCC”(c) helping the Ride Coordinators resolve issues that have come up with disputes among members and compliance with club ride policy; and beginning a review and reorganization of the club’s ride-related policy documents, which presently exist as ad hoc policy statements issued by the Board over the last ten or more years. If reelected, I plan to continue this and other work that helps us expand and keep our ride programming running smoothly.   I consider my NYCC volunteer work as a ride leader and board member my most impactful work in the bike space, but there is more I do in that space that bears mention. I'm an 11-year board member, general counsel, and founder of StreetsPAC, the cyclist’s political action committee; a 7-year board member of Bike New York, a leader in bike education and advocacy; and a 20-year activist and Advisory Council member of Transportation Alternatives, the grassroots cyclist’s activist organization that has worked for 50 years to reclaim NYC's streets from cars. I'm also a lawyer representing cyclists injured in crashes, and I use social media like Strava, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Reddit to talk about bike advocacy.    My work with these organizations, in the legal system, and on social media all inform how I ride with and serve as a board member for our club.  Please re-elect me as NYCC Vice President of Rides so together we can share and bring to others the joys of club cycling!

A-Rides Coordinator

Natan Elman

Member since 2014, Board member since 2018 (Webmaster). Rider Leader since 2017.  300+ rides led to date.  As an A-ride coordinate I can be more effective in recruiting and encouraging new and existing leaders to host A-level rides for the club.

B-Rides Coordinator

YJ Chen

I have been honored to be B-rides coordinator for 2025 and delighted that during my tenure (based on YTD August data) there have been a 7% YoY increase in B ride listings. In 2025, I helped organize the B-STS, serving 146 unique members with the help of 19 leaders (with a total of 316 non-leader sign-ups) across 9 weeks. I was also a co-organizer of the summer West Point ride, the B-level all-class ride, the Yummy Knot, ABC fall ride series and many weekend rides, encouraging and connecting B-level members and leaders throughout. 

Aside from rides, I helped develop the presence of B-level groups within Central Park Leveled Laps, worked with Denise (events coordinator) and Michael (programs) to revamp the New Leader Program (fka Ride Angels) to help develop new ride leaders for the club, and organized socials for the leaders.    

For 2026, I aim to work on removing barriers for ride leaders to post and organize rides and continue to encourage and develop new leaders/organizers for the B-level through ride series and social events.

C-Rides Coordinator

Jim Zisfein

I am running for re-election as NYCC C-rides Coordinator, a position I have held for the past 3 years. My ongoing goals are to increase the number, size, and quality of C rides and thereby provide a welcoming space for club members who prefer to ride at a moderate pace and distance. I encourage current leaders to lead more rides, recruit and mentor new leaders, and work together with leaders when I identify room for improvement. Thus far, I believe I have been successful in achieving these goals. In the past 6 months, we have had 148 C rides, more than in any recent year. Not only are there more rides, there is also increased participation. We set a new record this year of 29 participants on a single ride. Feedback has been good about the high quality of C rides.  With your support I hope to continue for the upcoming year my leadership of the C-rides program.

Content Editor

Sheila O’Connor

I have served as Content Editor for NYCC since April 2021 and have been a member of NYCC since 2014. It will be an honor to serve in that role again in 2026. I came to the position with professional experience managing websites, social media and email communications and I enjoy using my knowledge and skills to support my passion. As content editor, I have developed a content calendar for the NYCC monthly newsletter, provided timely additions and updates to the website, including promoting special events and monthly membership mixers, while providing seamless maintenance, ensuring it is functioning as it should. I serve on the marketing committee and have helped support Escape New York, the volunteer incentive program and many of the Club events. 

We are very close to launching the new website through the work of a fantastic team. Once launched, work to improve the site will be ongoing and I look forward to being part of that. 

I do this because of my passion for cycling and my commitment to NYCC. I enjoy riding my bike with other club members.

Escape New York Director

Larry Ubell

Marketing Director

Kym Blanchard

Public Affairs Director

Geoff Pomerantz

Public relations professional with more than 20 years of media relations and public affairs experience within numerous sectors, including professional sports, broadcast media, politics & technology.

Expanding on the above, my professional background spans decades of high-level PR and Public Affairs work across sports, corporate, legal, and nonprofit sectors. Highlights include:

Sports PR / Public Affairs

ESPN Europe, Major League Baseball, and the NFL Draft, eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, Manchester United hostile takeover, Formula 1 Spygate scandal, Beijing and London Olympics: bid processes, stadium builds, and security strategy

Non-Sports PR / Public Affairs

First Amendment litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, CEO transitions, mergers & acquisitions, Political media relations and crisis communications, event management in New York, San Francisco, London, and Paris

Cycling-Focused Advocacy

In 2025, I collaborated with a New York Times reporter to address a hazardous pothole at the bottom of Lasker in Central Park. The area was subsequently repaired and repaved.

I also corresponded with Elizabeth “Betsy” Smith, President of the Central Park Conservancy, advocating for the end of horse-drawn carriages. My language emphasizing cyclist and pedestrian quality-of-life concerns was included in the official announcement.

I took a review role in the Club’s website redevelopment, drawing on my experience managing FedEx’s EMEA website overhaul.

Volunteer PR/Public Affairs support for NYC-based 501(c) charities CycleKids and The City Tutors.

Across all these efforts, I’ve worked closely with leadership to:

• Define goals
• Develop strategy
• Implement tactics
• Effect accountability

Why I’m Running

NYCC, one of the oldest and largest cycling clubs in the US, is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the metro NYC cycling community. My goal is to elevate NYCC as a recognized voice in NYC cycling advocacy. When civic leaders, journalists, and other organizations seek insight, NYCC should be top of mind.

I propose a strategic shift from reactive to proactive communications, broadening our visibility and influence. This does not mean abandoning partnerships with groups like Transportation Alternatives. Rather, NYCC should stand alongside them as a coequal leader.

My Plan

I aim to implement a PR / PA program supported by impactful tactics, including:

Leadership Visibility: Facilitate regular meet-and-greets between Club leadership, e.g. President, and local journalists, elected officials, and civic stakeholders.

Member Engagement: Hold focus groups to secure a diversity of opinion when formulating club policy positions. Town Hall / Q&As like the one NYCCs own VP of Rides held at Rapha (!!) on 16 Oct

LinkedIn Activation: Relaunch the Club’s dormant LinkedIn page to spotlight leadership on issues such as NYPD criminal summonses and infrastructure challenges across metro NYC.

Media Outreach: Issue press releases, draft op-eds, and develop social media content as needed.

Internal Communications: Create feedback channels to inform membership of Club policy positions on issues like the Central Park redesign, as well as ensure members are informed about Board meetings, ongoing policy debate, and responses to RFIs.

Website Leverage: Use the new site to showcase Club positions & policy papers, press releases, reels and relevant news links.

I believe in inclusive, transparent governance that supports accountability, and therefore propose forming committees open to all members:

Advocacy Committee

Monitor issues, host focus groups, shape policy, and attend civic meetings

Internal Communications Committee

Keep members informed on Club PR / PA activities, interviews, and policy positions

Social Media Committee

Manage content across platforms - website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.

The above plan represents a new, more professional approach versus the one-dimensional attitude of one or a select few individuals.  It is a more inclusive method where one person’s agenda does not dictate PR / PA policy.

This structure also replaces an outdated model where one individual can unilaterally decide who may volunteer and sometimes even contradicting the Club President’s wishes.

It’s time for a more professional, inclusive approach.

About Me

I’ve lived in Chicago, Miami, and London. Before moving to NYC’s Washington Heights neighborhood in 2016, I declined an offer to become PR Manager for Bicycling Magazine in Emmaus, PA. By 2021, I had settled in Astoria and was a member of NYCC.

I’m a multi-discipline cyclist – I’ve raced Road, Cyclocross, Gravel - and am an all-season rider. I regularly lead 16- and 15:30-minute morning laps in Central Park and participate in weekend A-Rides, leading as needed. I’m on track to exceed my 2025 goal of 9,000 miles.

With Board support, I’m organizing safety and skills clinics for spring 2026. I also serve on the Marketing Committee, where I’ve focused on designing bold, eye-catching Club kits.

I’m running to help NYCC become a more visible, respected, and effective voice in NYC cycling. Let’s build a Club that not only rides together but leads together.

Neile Weissman

If re-elected, I will safeguard and seek to expand access to facilities the Club needs to provide activities for the membership. 

In partnership with cycling organizations across the region, I will advocate for legislation that enhances cyclist access and safety.

I will continue to build visibility of the Club within the cycling community and the public-at-large. 

I will continue the Club’s support of, and alliances with, organizations whose work furthers our mission to expand and diversify the cycling community.   Examples below.

Central Park

In 2014, following the cycling-related deaths of two pedestrians, I campaigned to defeat legislation that would have speed-limited cycling along Park drives to 15 mph and built support for the Central Park Protocol in order to maintain member access early mornings while prioritizing pedestrian safety.

In 2025, I drafted the Club’s letter to the Central Park Conservancy protesting installation of 6-inch-high speedbumps at pedestrian crossings, citing federal guidelines that they likely cause cyclists to crash.  

Prospect Park

I participate in the Prospect Park Drive Task Force and, in collaboration with Kissena Cycling, expanded the Central Park Safety Protocol to include Prospect Park.

Bikes-on-Trains

I negotiated and maintain the Club’s current group travel arrangements with Metro North, Long Island Railroad and NJ Transit which make possible the SIG/STS, Club Weekends and hundreds of member-led rides each year.

Legislation

I attracted a coalition of two hundred organizations and elected officials to support of Stop as Yield legislation which enable cyclists to treat stop lights as stop signs and stop signs as yields. 

Infrastructure

I assembled a bi-state coalition in support of modern bikeways across the George Washington Bridge writing op-eds in StreetsBlog and NJ Spotlight and appearing as a guest on the Brian Lehrer Show.

I was a leader in the campaign to connect the Nort-South County Trailway through Van Cortlandt Park.

Roll it Forward!

I designed and administrate the Club’s Roll it Forward! program which distributes ENY funds to local organizations whose work furthers the Club’s mission to grow and diversify the cycling community.

Press Relations

Got NYCC featured in national publications including NY Times, Times of London and Bicycling and as part of product reviews in NBC and New York Magazine.

NYCC Club Weekends

In addition to organizing some hundred and fifty rides per year, I designed and run the New Paltz and Southampton Weekends.  In each instance, leveraging support from local elected officials to create  working relationships with SUNY administrators.

Other

I organize over a hundred Club rides per year and am a NYCC Lifetime Member. 

Past careers include running a not-for-profit theater in Manhattan and developing a computer sales department that would become the model for the Apple Store.

Secretary

Anna Taruschio

I am a long-time member of the Club, having joined in 2011. I completed the A-SIG Classic that year and was honored to be asked to return as a Leader. Today I am a current A Classic Leader and ardent Central Park laps-rider, where I have started and maintained a laps series of my own, as well as - in my role as A-Rides Coordinator - helping other folks to organize and facilitate laps in Central Park.

I've served as A-Coordinator for the last 2 years where I've overseen the birth of a new and revamped A-STS, a D-STS, and a number of new laps series, in both Central Park and Prospect Park. As A-Coordinator and SIG Leader I also helped to liaise between the A-SIG and the Board in updating the program. I've worked hard to develop new leaders as well as run the day-to-day administration of the A Rides for the Club. I hope I've fostered a spirit of mentorship, camaraderie and inclusivity at the A Level and I view these as some of our greatest assets.

In a pivot to a role as Secretary I would promote efficiency and transparency at the Board level and put my talents as lawyer, cyclist, administrator, facilitator and to use for the betterment of the Club and the Board. In terms of professional qualifications, I have ample experience with Board governance work, both for-profit and not-for-profit:

-as an Associate General Counsel at New York University I created minutes and board packets for the Finance and Real Estate Committee of the University's Board;

-as Chief of Staff and Counsel at a large (8,000 employee) NYC/DOE-funded not-for-profit, I organized and ran the Company's Board meetings;

-finally, for a number of years I also served as Secretary of my law school journal's alumni Board.

I hope you'll consider my candidacy as I am very excited about the opportunity to continue serving this amazing Club and its members.

Special Events Director

Diana Palacios

Since joining NYCC in 2024, I’ve participated in the C-SIG program, gained valuable knowledge and skills, explored many beautiful places, and made wonderful friends. Serving on the board will allow me to give back to our club in a tangible way, while leveraging my existing community connections and knack for creating fun social activities that all members can enjoy.

My experience in my work as an attorney will also be useful for the Events Director position. I bring skills in strategic planning, negotiation, communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving to this role, skills that are useful when organizing events, managing budgets, securing venues, and negotiating with vendors.

I am committed to supporting the NYCC membership as a board member because I believe in the power of community and the positive impact of shared experiences. Serving on the board will allow me to advocate for initiatives that resonate with members, promote growth, and uphold our organization’s mission and member’s interests.

I look forward to bringing my dedication, creativity, and leadership to the board as Events Director. It will be an honor and pleasure to serve the NYCC community in this capacity.

Technology Director

Michael Diener

Upgrading the NYCC website will bring the club into the modern digital era. NYCC members will be able to find and join NYCC rides and events on both their laptop and their mobile device. Once the new platform is launched in 2025, I'll be focusing the team to deploy improvements to better support the club's mission to provide outstanding bicycling activities for the enjoyment and education of members and guests.

Treasurer

Denise Alvarez-Heller

Volunteer Coordinator

Jenna Korotkin

Webmaster

Scott Weinstein

Why This Matters

NYCC is a vital part of NYC's cycling community. As cycling grows for both recreation and transportation, our digital presence becomes increasingly important for attracting and serving members. A modern, mobile-friendly platform isn't just about convenience, it's about NYCC's continued relevance and growth.

I've been a NYCC member for four years, I care about this club's future and want to contribute my professional skills to help us succeed.

The path forward requires technical expertise, collaborative leadership, and commitment to delivering results. I bring all three and am excited to work with the board and community to build NYCC's digital future together.