Leadership and Operations Team
John Leitzel
Position: League Director
john@indianamtb.org
John has loved riding his bike for as long as he can remember—despite knocking out his baby teeth as a child, he’s never lost his love for riding. That love affair got serious during graduate school, especially once he and his wife, Karen, got their first tandem in 1994. A former track and road racer, John would commute through the streets of Chicago in the mid-nineties. John & Karen still connect by riding tandem together (preferably daily!), and John still commutes to the office by bike—now enjoying the calmer rail-trails and streets of northwest Indiana. John enjoys riding just about anything with pedals, and will happily ride just about anywhere.
John holds an earned doctorate in synthetic bio-organic chemistry and is a former university professor. He currently serves as pastor at Mercy Hill Church in Munster, Indiana, and assists in indigenous leadership development for church partnerships around the world. John is the head coach for The Region Composite NICA team in northwest Indiana, and the happy father of former and current NICA athletes.
Lynn Elliott
Position: Founding Committee, League Treasurer
lynn@indianamtb.org
Lynn remembers the fun and freedom her bike provided when she was a kid. She has enjoyed biking throughout the years with friends and family. The past two years have been especially fun as she watched biking become her son’s passion as he raced with his Midwest Devo Cycling Team. It’s now a regular weekend thing to travel throughout Indiana for a mountain bike or cyclocross race.
Lynn put her Marketing and Promotion career on hold after starting her family. To maintain her professional skills since then she has managed her neighborhood homeowners’ association for over ten years, managed a condo association, been the treasurer of a not-for-profit organization, and is active on the school PTO. Lynn earned undergraduate degree in Telecommunications at Michigan State University and her Master’s Degree at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. She is married with two children.
One of Lynn’s goals is to get kids off of electronics and onto a bike. She is very excited to get more kids outside and biking with the help of local developmental teams, school groups and NICA.
Mindy Carter
Position: Race Director
Bio Coming SOON!!!
Sean Carroll
Position: Operations Director
Bio Coming SOON!!!
Maureen Carroll
Position: Volunteer Director
Bio Coming SOON!!!
Melissa Davies
Position: Race Director
Melissa is a strong believer in the power of positive transformation that happens when you play bikes. Her journey began with an outdoor experiential program taking eighth grade students from her hometown Marshall, MI camping, hiking, and exploring in Alaska. She went on to get her B.S. in Biology and Outdoor Education with a Secondary Education Teaching Certificate from Central Michigan University. Combining all her interests, she found work as a high school biology teacher and adventure educator in Seattle WA, where she was also a successful cross country and track coach. During her time in Seattle she worked throughout the summer months as an outdoor instructor for a women run non-profit dedicated to the positive development of girls.
To fuel her soul Melissa loves mountain biking, trail running, triathlons, adventure racing, hiking, rock climbing, and road riding…as her husband says, “she’s a fun hawg”. She currently rides bikes with her husband Josh in Michigan, and spends as much time as possible adventuring with her two children Miles and Althea.
Mike Schaefer & Cyndi Schaefer
Position: Chief Course Marshal & Registration Director and Merch Czar
Photo & Bios Coming SOON!!!
Sean Meehan
Position: Chief Course Setter
Sean Meehan is a long-time resident of Cedar Lake, Indiana. He found joy in mountain biking about 5 years ago, but, he’s been building bike trails and obstacles since he took off his training wheels. Sean is an active leader with the Boy Scouts of America and practices a culture of respect and a kid-first approach to activities and leader training. He spends time lovingly attending to the needs of a very old farmhouse and can often be found in his workshop. Sean is a water well technician at Sheehy Well & Pump Co.He loves adventures and the outdoors in all ways.Sean rides with the Region Composite team, where, with his wife Brienne, he coaches several of his children. He enjoys his work as chief course setter because a well marked course ensures he won’t get lost on his second lap.
If you’d like to make fast friends with Sean, offer him a cookie 🙂
Caleb Carter
Position: Chief of Timing
Bio Coming SOON!!!
Mike Almert
Position: Founding Committee, League Communications/Media/Photographer
mike@indianamtb.org
Currently a Strategic Pricing Manager at Roche, Mike has experience in Marketing, Finance, Strategic Planning, and Sales. Mike has held several positions with increasing responsibility during the past 18 years with Roche in several divisions. Mike earned a BS degree in Business indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and an MBA from Butler University. Mike has assisted the Indy Criterium, Indiana’s largest cycling event, since 2011, and is a founding member of the group’s Board of Directors. Indy Criterium events raise funds for Freewheelin’ Community Bikes and other local charities. Over the past 20 years Mike has served as an active volunteer for numerous charitable organizations and events in the Indianapolis area including the annual American Diabetes Association “Tour de Cure”, helping to raise over $2 million and serving as Event Chairman from 2013 – 2016.
Mike has been a member and volunteer with the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association since discovering mountain biking about 10 years ago. In 2016-2017, Mike helped build the IMPD mountain bike skills park which is now a great inner-city resource to promote cycling and a healthy lifestyle for Indianapolis youth. Mike has completed IMBA “Train the Trainer” sessions to help train MTB beginners of all ages.
Coach Supporters
Sean Carroll – Northwest
Mindy Carter – South & Central
Rush Carter – South & Central
Jill Costa – North Central
Melissa Davies – North Central
Peter Hru – North Central
Doug Koenig – Central
Steve LaVoy – Central
John Leitzel – Northwest