Organization chart

Gord Irish - President

Gord Irish has been an avid cyclist since the 1980s and was a TBN member in the early 1990s, After a hiatus, he rejoined TBN three years ago. He lives north of Toronto near the popular starting point at Victoria Square so he usually joins the rides starting in that area, primarily County Cruises and Freedom Fridays. He was a tour leader back in the 1990s and took on that role again in 2021. He is currently a member of the TBN Governance committee.

End-of-term - Nov 2025.

Martin Lansche – Technical Director

Martin Lansche is retired from IBM Canada, where he was a mainframe systems programmer and a consultant to Fortune 500 clients helping them with their websites. Martin has been on the TBN Board since 2019, as Technical Director and as Acting President  2020-2021. An avid cyclist since the age of 4, Martin was a TBN member in 1983-1984, and he rejoined TBN in 2018. Martin has been a Ride Leader, Sweep, Ambassador, CAN-BIKE teacher, and Program Coordinator.

End-of-term - Nov 2026.

Catherine Newhook – Secretary

Catherine Newhook is a CPA-CMA and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. She has enjoyed a 29-year career at CIBC where she works in a financial planning, reporting and analysis role. She currently works in technology project finance support. Her interest in cycling began 30 years ago when she moved to Etobicoke-Lakeshore (Mimico), where she especially enjoys riding on the Waterfront trail. For a while in the early 2000s she took an interest in mountain biking but is now back to road cycling.

End-of-term - Nov 2025.

Jean Dell’Agnese – Treasurer

Jean was elected to the board in 2019. She has been a professional accountant for 50 years. She is a CPA, CGA and has many years of experience in finance and auditing. She served as Treasurer of the Board of a United Way Agency for seven years and for the past 25 years has organized free Income Tax Clinics to help lower income people file their income tax returns. She is an avid long distance cyclist has done self supported trips to many countries and also across Canada and 2 supported rides to the Arctic. She loves travelling, camping and the Great Outdoors.

End-of-term - Nov 2026.

Italo Bravo – Communications Director

Italo is a technology professional and cyclist enthusiast who joined TBN in 2022. His professional career spreads across multiple large organizations such as IBM, Scotiabank, Hewlett Packard and the Bank of Montreal, where he has held progressive senior management positions. He also spent some years as a university professor forming new generations of Computer Science professionals. He lives in Lawrence Park, where he shares a very active lifestyle with his wife and kids.  He has volunteered for TBN at multiple activities, such as bike shows booths, and Bike for Brain Health rides. He is part of the Cyclon planning team supporting the route creation, and has led/swept a number of rides since joining the club. One of his priorities will be raising the social media profile for our club.

End-of-term - Nov 2026.

Dennis Szilvasy – Touring Director

Dennis has been in organized cycling in Ontario for over 40 years. He has worked with the Ontario Cycling Association, the Great Canadian Cycling Club and the Toronto Bicycling Network from its very first days. He has organized weekend trips; and organized and led Country Cruises. His goal is to promote a better group experience on the rides and to have more fun. He would welcome all new ride ideas.

End-of-term - Nov 2026.

Ken Lackman – Social Director

Ken Lackman has been in English language teaching for over 25 years, and has worn a variety of different hats, including language instructor, social director, academic director, teacher trainer, writer and consultant.  When teaching at the Caledonian School in Prague from 1996 to 2002, he took on the role of social director, which involved planning numerous trips, parties and concerts. He also helped organize conferences as a board member of TESL Toronto from 2005 to 2011.  As an active member of TBN since 2010, he has done well over a hundred rides with Urban Rollers and, more recently, some Tourist rides. In addition to doing at least one TBN weekend trip a year, he has done a number of cycling trips in Europe.

End-of-term - Nov 2025.

Overnight Trips Director

Currently Vacant

 Elena Balland - Member Experience Director 

Elena enjoyed a career in mechanical engineering and programming in Russia. Moving to Canada, she attended Queen's University to become a high school teacher. She loves to organize trips and has planned several for her friends in Canada as well as abroad. Elena feels it is important for every member to be welcomed and accepted, and every initiative to be heard and discussed. 

End-of-term - Nov 2026

Andrew Paterson - Education DirectOR

Andrew Paterson has been a lifelong cyclist and member of TBN for 10 years and has taken part in many TBN events, including Wednesday evening, Saturday and Sunday morning rides. He has repeatedly attended Cyclon, enjoyed numerous trips to Wolf Den and taken part in group camping trips. He has led and swept rides. He also enjoys kayaking, dragon boat paddling and x-country skiing. He is a scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children and Professor at Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. He has served on numerous boards, including the International Genetic Epidemiology Society and the American Diabetes Association.

End-of-term - Nov 2025

Marc Giles - Director-At-Large #1 

After 38 years of military service, Marc Giles retired in March 2021. He spent most of his military career on the East Coast and as an avid biker, camper/hiker and swimmer, and is a longtime member of TBN. During his time down East he belonged to several Halifax Meetup groups where he planned, organized and led a plethora of hikes and bike rides.

End-of-term - Nov 2025

 Ed Ravin - Director-at-Large #2

Ed Ravin has been volunteering for bicycling and bicycling-related organizations for many years - as a ride leader, livable streets activist, route planner and repair rider at large cycling events and occasionally teaching repair classes. You might also have seen him fixing a flat on a TBN ride or helping out as sweep, or at his other volunteer gigs at Bike Pirates and Bicycle Brigade. 

End-of-term - Nov 2026