Our Team

Sharon Madison
Executive Director

John Genell
Director of Operations

Board of Directors

Todd Lancaster

Todd is a proud third-generation Colorado mountain pioneer, born and raised in Idaho Springs. As much as Todd loved his Idaho Springs digs, he knew he needed to leave the nest to go to college. He made a point to look for colleges close to skiing and were cheap. He attended Air Force Academy, and upon graduation, he was offered a pilot training slot. This training led him to fly jets as an instructor for 5 years. Always trying to find the next most unorthodox way forward, he transitioned to special forces helicopters. Todd explains that trying to keep skiing in the beautiful state of Colorado as the main criterion for his college search was the “best mistake” he’s ever made because he ended up in a 26 year Air Force career, retiring in 2011 as a colonel and with over 300 combat hours.

Always up for the next challenge, Todd found himself working in an even more demanding role than combat when he became a 2-time superintendent of public schools for Clear County. Todd was recognized in the education field within 2 years of service with Colorado’s Excellence in Education award and was invited to attend Harvard University’s course in public education.

Todd left public education and became an executive coach and leadership consultant. Initially, he focused on public education but soon expanded his work to include corporate, non-profit, government, and higher education.

Todd has two amazing daughters, one a nurse in Colorado Springs and another a newly minted Air Force officer training to become an Air Battle Manager and eventually an Air Force pilot. His family was always involved in cycling when he was growing up. A portion of the Clear Creek bike path is dedicated to his younger brother, Scott Lancaster, who was killed in Clear Creek County by a mountain lion. Todd and Scott rode together on the first Ride the Rockies, where Scott was the youngest rider.

Todd met Sharon when she was leading another non-profit cycling club. She captured his heart and soul. When Todd learned Sharon had started her own non-profit, he jumped on board to support her. He wants to help build We Ride 4 into a scalable model so she can realize her vision of taking WR4 nationally with individual chapters interconnected across the United States.

 

 

Shaun Gleason

Shaun's love of cycling began in 1986 when a boyfriend convinced her to get a road bike. While the boyfriend is gone, the bike (a 1986 purple Cannondale) still hangs from her garage ceiling! She found her way to We Ride 4 through an informal riding group that included We Ride 4's Chief Ambassador, John Genell. John later introduced her to the club's founder and director, Sharon Madison, whose kindness, enthusiasm, and unmatched leadership ability leaves Shaun in awe to this day! When Sharon started We Ride 4, Shaun knew she had found her cycling "home," not only for its great community, but also for its mission of giving back.

Shaun brings to We Ride 4 a professional background in Pharmacy, but with an uncommon path. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, but later earned her Masters of Global Studies (for the fun of it) and is four Spanish classes from a French degree (her real love). This background has taught her to think creatively. As an Assistant Dean of University of Colorado's Skaggs School of Pharmacy, she started the first online international Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. In her first professional role (National Jewish Health), she specialized in pharmacokinetics where she researched pushing the dosing limits (safely) of TB drugs. Seven years in medical affairs management with Johnson & Johnson opened her eyes to the importance (and fun!) of partnership and strategic thinking. Shaun's love of service has come through professionally, where she had served in leadership roles of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the International Pharmaceutical Federation.

Shaun's greatest joy comes from serving her community. She recently earned Platinum Volunteer status with National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) through her 15+ years as an adaptive sit-ski and stand-ski instructor (9 years in partnership with Children's Hospital Colorado) and was featured in NSCD's 2023 Annual Impact Report. Shaun spent 14 years as an usher at Augustana Lutheran Church, where she loved chatting with parishioners and never dropped an offering tray!

Shaun's husband, Richard, supports her in the professional and service activities (often joining her) ... and hangs her bikes on the ceiling!

Shaun looks forward to using her personal and professional skills, including love of service, to help WR4 advance its mission of giving back ... and having fun on bikes!

 

 

David Fine

David Fine is a fourth- generation Coloradan who is thrilled to be part of the We Ride 4 community. David has two adult children whom he is super proud of and lives in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver with his wife Stephanie and their somewhat annoying but lovable Sheepadoodle Oscar. While he's been a cyclist all his life, he didn't start riding seriously until he gave up competitive soccer when he realized he was a bit too old for a U-35 mens' league at age 53. It was hard to give up a sport he played in college at the D-1 level but he is thrilled to keep up an active life by cycling. When he is not cycling, skiing or hiking he spends his time at his day job as General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees of Metropolitan State University of Denver. Before taking this position, David had practiced law in Denver for over 30 years, including a stint as City Attorney under then-mayor John Hickenlooper. David remains active in Denver politics and civic life, including service on the boards of Florence Crittendon Services and the Center for Policy Studies.

 

 

Anne Allen

For Anne Allen, being active has always been a very important part of her life. From an early age,  Anne participated in many sports, including volleyball, basketball, soccer, and gymnastics. She even played for the USA volleyball team in high school and competed in Germany one summer! Anne grew up in a small town in Texas and was introduced to cycling through her father. She admired that through health difficulties, her father was still able to pursue his cycling. Anne pursued an exercise science degree in college and decided she wanted to go to PT school, but that was put on pause when she became pregnant! Anne did not start cycling herself until a friend reached out and wanted to raise money for juvenile type one diabetes. This cause hit close to home for Anne since her son has the same diagnosis. The two started a cycling team to raise money for the cause, and this is when Anne’s cycling training began. She became a spin instructor, and this quickly became her community. She was soon after introduced to the world of triathlons, half Iron Man’s, and full Iron Man’s. At the same time, she was a personal training coach at a private Christian school in Kerrville.

Always looking to push herself, she discovered her love for hiking, and through this new active avenue, she met her husband, Stan! Stan is from Colorado, so their relationship is what brought Anne to us here in Denver. Together they have hiked many 14ers. Anne has participated in quite a few notable rides, including a mountain biking tour through Iceland, cycling almost 300 miles. Anne also has cycled in Patagonia! Anne was introduced to We Ride 4 through member Todd Lancaster, who is friends with her husband from the Air Force Academy. After moving states, Anne left her cycling community back in Texas, so Todd thought We Ride 4 would be just the perfect fit for Anne to find her cycling community in her new home state! How beautifully synchronous that Anne was drawn to cycling for the same reason that We Ride 4 was created; cycling to give!  

 

 

Renelle Everett Darr

One of Renelle’s favorite things to do is to ride her mountain bike through wildflowers. It gives her a joy like no other to pedal through the spring and summer blooms. She grew up in the mountains of Colorado and thus adopted the love of nature at a young age.  She can be found alpine, telemark, and backcountry skiing, climbing mountains and trails, and traveling the world to meet amazing people and explore other natural wonders. 

For work, Renelle founded InSight Coaching & Consulting in 2009, where she combines her love of people, nature, strategy, transformation, and conscious leadership to help leaders, teams, and organizations bridge the head and heart and reimagine a new era of work. She previously worked with EY, Deloitte, United Way, and The North Highland Company, which helped shape her understanding and love of people, profit, and purpose. She has an MBA from the University of Colorado and is a Certified Executive Coach with specialties in Emotional Intelligence and Conscious Leadership.

Renelle has served on many nonprofit boards including The National MS Society where she rode and sometimes still rides BikeMS.  She joined the We Ride 4 Board due to its alignment with her values of fun on bikes/in nature, community, and giving back.  She has also known John Genell for over 20 years and would say yes to almost anything he asked her to do!  She lives in Golden, Colorado with her two children and doggy.

 

Greg Rodarte

Greg is a Colorado transplant; having grown up in Southern California, Greg spent the first ten years of his professional career on the East Coast. Greg is a Partner at Marlin Hawk, a global leadership advisory and talent solutions firm, where he leads the Healthcare Services practice as well as leading the Denver office. As a member of the global leadership team at Marlin Hawk, Greg focuses on driving strategic growth amongst clients and also leads the Global Learning and Development Committee. Educationally, Greg received his Bachelors in International Politics from Georgetown University and his Masters of Science in Leadership and Education from Johns Hopkins University.

While not an avid cyclist, Greg has a passion for making an impact in local communities, particularly amongst youth as evidenced by his experience as a Corps member in Teach For America earlier in his career. He looks forward to extending his expertise to the Board of We Ride 4 to collaboratively further the impact our organization makes in local communities.

 

Britt Chester

Britt Chester, born in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts, grew up in Banner Elk, North Carolina, where he developed a passion for mountain biking, snowboarding, and skateboarding. At 18, he relocated to Atlanta, and later on to Denver, Colorado, to study journalism and PR. His media career began in 2009 as a reporter for Denver Westworld, with his work featured in Village Voice, LA Weekly, and GQ. In 2013, he became the editor of YES! Weekly in North Carolina before moving to the real estate industry in 2015 as a reporter and video and podcast producer.

In 2023, Britt co-founded Send It, a mountain bike gear and accessories company, with his longtime friend Cole Kramer. Britt aims to empower outdoor athletes of all ages with the best gear and strongest community. He resides in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, spending weekends swimming, biking, hiking, or working on yard projects. He also thinks potatoes are the #1 superfood.

 

Cathleen Charlow

Cathleen Charlow is from the greater Charleston, South Carolina area, and has lived in Denver for 7 years. She loves how active the city is, especially how conducive it is for cycling! She moved to the beautiful state of Colorado in 2017, and lives with her husband and sweet rescue dog. Cathleen is a graduate of Clemson University, where she received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Since graduation in 2014, she has worked as a psychotherapist, specializing in trauma work with adults. In her free time, Cathleen loves anything that facilitates her being outside in nature. This includes hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and, of course, cycling! She also enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.

Cathleen's relationship with cycling began about 3 years ago, making her a relatively new member to the cycling world. She just completed her first road event this summer, participating in the Tour de Steamboat! Cathleen loves that cycling keeps her active, and is a way of movement that allows her to see much of this state's beauty. She is an avid road rider, preferring the pavement to gravel. Cathleen was introduced to We Ride 4 through board member Britt Chester. Once she heard about the organization, she felt aligned with the mission of We Ride 4; providing more opportunities for kids to get outdoors and explore movement on bikes. She feels especially passionate about the opportunities We Ride 4 provides to populations of children who otherwise may not have the access. She is passionate about serving others and connecting people so that everybody has access to a healthier lifestyle.

 

Nate Eisma

Nate Eisma hails from Prior Lake, Minnesota, where he spent his formative years. He ventured to Colorado for higher education, earning a finance degree from Colorado State University. Post-graduation, Nate made Denver his home and has been a resident there to this day. Currently, Nate provides valuation services within a public accounting firm.

From his earliest days, Nate has been passionate about cycling, having competed on the cross-country mountain biking team during his high school years. Nate has since said farewell to the competitive side of riding, and now enjoys riding for fun! Since calling Colorado home, he's explored many of the amazing trails across the front range and high country.

Nate's journey with We Ride 4 began when a colleague introduced him to John Genell. He was inspired by the organization's commitment to getting kids outdoors and pursuing a healthy lifestyle. He's excited to help bring the mission to more people in the community and wants to make sure everyone has the chance to experience the joy of riding a bike!