Brel Hutton-Okpalaeke – Treasurer/Education Director
Brel currently works for the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) as their director of development services providing technical assistance to housing co-op startups in the US and Canada. Brel is an instructor, mechanic, and former general manager at Freewheel, he currently serves as the Treasurer on our Board of Directors. He has volunteered at Freewheel since 2012 teaching bicycle maintenance and restoration classes both in Spanish and English. Brel attended UW Madison and MIT Schools of Engineering. He is a co-founder of Santas Without Chimneys, which has provided over 1,500 homeless children with toys, clothing, and books. Brel has served on the board of Madison Community Cooperative, as well as The United People of Color Caucus, and served on staff as the maintenance coordinator where he supervised maintenance of 200 units of affordable housing as well as coordinated the $800,000 restoration and remodeling of a historic low-income housing cooperative. He is a former member of the National Society of Black Engineers, who is interested in getting support for other people of color on bikes.
Abby Davidson – Secretary
Abby is an engineer who holds degrees from UW-Madison and Madison College. She actively organizes on the boards of Madison Area Cooperative Housing Alliance and Sunny Side Development (non-profit affordable housing developer), and has previously served on the board of Madison Community Cooperative. She is an all-weather bike commuter and performs in local circus events.
Dr. Thomas Flagel – President
Dr. Thomas Flagel is an associate professor of History at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee, where he specializes in war and memory. With degrees from Loras College, Kansas State, Creighton, and Middle Tennessee State, he has worked with multiple historic preservation groups, including the American Battlefield Trust and the National Park Service. Since his very first visit in 2017, he has been a great admirer of Freewheel and is vision, productivity, and staff. Originally from Iowa, Flagel enjoys virtually every facet of cycling, especially the freedom it brings.
Kevin Meagher – Board Member