About Us

BWAM is a non-profit, member-driven organization created to improve the safety, health and enjoyment of the Five Valley area by promoting and enhancing bicycling and walking for everyday transportation and recreation.

Board of Directors

JIM SAYER President
Jim is a volunteer Board member of the Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula, which he co-founded with many other Missoulians in 2007.  Professionally, Jim serves as the Executive Director of Adventure Cycling Association, the largest bicycling non-profit in the U.S. (with more than 42,000 members) which focuses on bike travel nationally and even globally. Jim also serves on the board of America Bikes, a national coalition devoted to securing more federal resources for biking (and walking).

Jim has directed other non-profits involved in smart growth and transportation, including Greenbelt Alliance (in the Bay Area, dedicated to community development and open space preservation) and the Sierra Business Council (based near Lake Tahoe, a unique business leadership group working for a “triple bottom line” of economic, social and environmental prosperity in the Sierra Nevada mountain region).  He also served as senior legislative assistant to Senator Tim Wirth (D-Colo.), focusing on foreign policy and defense issues.  Jim did his undergraduate work at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), and his graduate work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Harvard University.  In his spare time, he has served as a Board member of Amnesty International USA and the Ginetta Sagan Fund for Womens and Childrens Rights.  Most of his time he devotes to his family -- his wife, Wendy, and their three rambunctious daughters, Samantha, Keilan and Lucy.

RYAN NEWHOUSE Vice President
Ryan's cycling days began over twenty years ago with a BMX bike and dozens of improvised neighborhood ramps. In college, he upgraded to a mountain bike and lugged it across the country, from Tennessee to New Mexico, and Utah to Kansas. After settling in Missoula for grad school, Ryan worked as a City of Missoula Bicycling Ambassador. Today, he works for Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) as an outreach specialist and oversees the store's commuting program. He lives with his wife, infant daughter and some cats.

ERIN KAUTZ Secretary
Since moving to Missoula 12 years ago, bicycling and walking has been Erin’s favorite way of getting around town (it was a new concept for this Iowa farm girl). During her Missoula stint, she has gotten a BA in English Lit with a Minor in Wilderness Studies, followed by a MS in Environmental Studies, both from the University of Montana. She has worked as a volunteer coordinator for a feminist organization, a barista, a bartender in Potomac, a rafting guide, babysat, teaching assistant, and for 7 years did almost every job imaginable at Planned Parenthood, short of being a nurse practitioner. She currently works for the Missoula City-County Health Department as a Senior Community Health Specialist, working on promotion of healthy worksites and active living, namely by walking and cycling.

In addition, Erin works part-time for local musician/activist, Amy Martin, as her administrative coordinator. She also volunteers as the Budget Manager and newsletter goddess for the national Sierra Club’s Environmental Justice Committee and serves on the Outreach Committee for the Missoula Community Co-op. She is also a big supporter of the Western Montana Humane Society (please spay and neuter your pets!) and Women’s Voices for the Earth. In her off time, she likes to garden, read good books, canoe, cross-country ski, travel y practica su espanol, drink beer with friends, and spend time with her much-loved dog, Otis, and 3 wonderful cats.

BOB WACHTEL Treasurer
Robert L. Wachtel (Bob) retired from the professional staff of The University of Montana at the end of 2005 after 32 ½ years working audiovisual support for instruction and special events. Bob was a regular bike commuter during his employment at U of Mt, cycling 2 miles each way year round. Retirement has allowed him to join the Missoula Bike/Ped Advisory Board, and participate in the formation and development of BWAM. Bob continues to avoid driving locally as much as possible. His wife is an avid walker and enjoys the ability to walk for many of her errands.

Bob continues to brew his own beer and process his own fruit wines from available local fruit. Other interests include flat water canoeing, playing classical and religious guitar, and independent consulting on computer systems and home entertainment systems as Wachtel Consulting, LLC.

KEVIN DOHR Director
Kevin Dohr, Ph.D., has been a psychotherapist, mediator, professor of psychology, student of philosophy and meditation, and wanderer of mountain ranges and wilderness areas around the world. Over the years he has provided numerous trainings and workshops, and most recently has been promoting ideas on how we can create more sustainable communties and develop collaborative networks that unite people from different cultural backgrounds and value systems. Recently, Kevin sold his car and has committed himself to walking and biking as his primary means of transportation. He takes great joy in hiking with his dogs and friends and in spending time with his family, especially being part of the rich and imaginative fantasy play of his beloved daughter.

KEVIN HYDE Director
Kevin commutes by bicycle year-round, trading off between a "rock bike" for the winter, a commuter bike for the other seasons, and a road bike when the short commute just is not enough! He is most interested in working on bike safety issues, improving communication between bike folks in Missoula, and building a digital map as a working tool for our efforts. He works under contract with the a local Forest Service Research unit building wildfire decision support systems and studying erosion and water resources issues following wildland fires.

MONICA LABARGE Director
Monica was born in Ottawa, Ontario and earned a B.Comm. (1998) and a M.Sc. in Marketing (2002) at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and a Ph.D. in Marketing at the University of Oregon (2007). She is currently Assistant Professor at the University of Montana, Missoula in the Dept. of Management and Marketing.

Her research interests center in general around marketing communications and specifically on persuasion-related variables in the areas of health, social marketing and recreation.

When she is not at work, Monica enjoys running, biking, hiking, swimming, camping, skiing, and snowshoeing her way across the Montana countryside and all around the northwest.

ETHEL MACDONALD Director
Ethel MacDonald has been fanatic about not driving unnecessarily for over 30 years, and in the ten years since she retired from teaching in Arlee (where she carpooled every day) has averaged less than 3000 miles/year on her car (which includes at least one annual trip to Seattle). While she loves biking for everyday transportation everywhere she goes in Missoula, including up Pattee Canyon with her little dog in the basket ready to go run the Sam Braxton trail, France is her favorite place to tour (solo) by bike because of its great bike paths, quiet roads between interesting small towns, roundabouts, well-marked lanes and special bike routes.  

MARTA MEENGS Director
I live on North Avenue West, close to Higgins Avenue, with my husband, Tim Skufca and his son, Emerson. My daughter, Annalee, lives in the dorms at the UM. All four of us are avid walkers and bikers.

Walking all over Missoula has been one of my favorite past times since my arrival in 1999. I had truly never experienced a place that made it so inviting to walk and ride bikes. In the past I have worked as a nurse at Red Cross Blood Donor Services and Partnership Clinic's Healthcare for the Homeless Program. Presently I am working part time at St. Patrick's Hospital on the Oncology/Medical unit. I have been able to walk to all work locations and am very pleased to be able to join BWAM in their mission to increase the safety and ease of walking and biking in this great town!