Meet Our Staff - Community Cycling Center

Learn more about the people that help make this place special!

Ruben Alvarado, Executive Director

(He/Him)

With a passion for nonprofit leadership and community development, Ruben Alvarado brings extensive experience to the role of Executive Director at the Community Cycling Center. Ruben has successfully led various organizations through significant growth and transformation.
Before joining the Community Cycling Center, Ruben served as an executive leader, elected official, and in various roles providing direct services to communities. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University and a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Ruben is excited to enhance program effectiveness and broaden access to bicycling and its benefits for all Portland residents. Outside of work, he enjoys creating music and exploring the city by bike.

Bob Bartholomew, Instructor Mechanic

(he/him)

Bob started working at bike shops in ‘89 in Southern California. He’s worked on everything from beach cruisers to pro race bikes. From local bike shops, he went on to work at REI. There he was sent to Barnett’s bike school where he was trained in bike mechanic education. For the next 35yrs, Bob used that education to open REI service departments across the country and train mechanics.

Jennifer, Strategic Partnerships Coordinator

(She/Her)

Jennifer’s career has long centered around the cycling and nonprofit worlds, first as a cartographer making maps for bicycle travel then as a program manager and director for two national cycling networks. She believes bicycles grant us the opportunity to experience a place at a slower pace and take it in with all our senses. She also sees bikes as everyday tools that everyone should have access to and works to tell that story while lowering the barriers to this tool. Introverted by nature, she values her relationships highly. She understands life as a series of relationships and choices with no wrong answer, just the next right step. Jennifer eats a plant-based diet, loves to cook and rarely prepares a recipe the same way twice. When not working or cooking, she likes to knit and draw a bit, binge detective/crime dramas, as well as the occasional HGTV or reality tv drama.

Cole, Communications & Marketing Coordinator
(He/Him)

Pax, Interim Bike Shop Manager

Brittany Morris, Director of Strategic Partnerships

(She/Her/Dia)

Brittany is a seasoned fundraising professional with over ten years of experience, with a special interest in individual giving, corporate partnerships, and storytelling. She chooses to work at the Community Cycling Center because she believes bikes should, and can, be for everyone. Past missions she raised funds for, all of which are experiences she continues to draw on today, include homelessness prevention, energizing youth to vote, active transportation infrastructure advocacy, city-level political campaigns, the arts, and other bicycle nonprofits that center gender and race equity. What she loves most about fundraising is being a witness to people stepping into their own power to influence positive change in their small slice of the world. We do what we can, and what we can do counts. In her free time, she likes to explore the world with her bicycle, eat Indonesian food, watch obscure films and find creative ways to integrate play into her everyday life.

Amelia, Instructor Mechanic

(She/Her)

Bella, Coordinadora Cully

(Ella/She/Her)

Will, Mechanic

(He/Him)

Natty, Community Engagement Coordinator

(She/Her)

Natty is the Community Engagement Coordinator at the Community Cycling Center and a longtime New Columbia resident. She loves bridging my community with the Community Cycling Center’s bike culture, bringing people together through free repairs, bike education, community rides, and giveaways at the New Columbia Repair Hub. She works alongside our mechanics, volunteers, youth interns, and partners like Rosa Parks Elementary, Home Forward, Charles Jordan Community Center and Voices of New Columbia to connect families with resources and opportunities. For Natty, it’s about more than bikes—it’s about building relationships, showing up for her neighbors, and keeping our community connected.

Nat Sheffler
(She/They)

Sea
(They/Them)

Sea, who you might have seen around the shop, has been working in the bike industry since 2019. They are originally from Wisconsin, and have lived and traveled throughout much of the country with their bike in tow. In their work, Sea is most fulfilled when engaging directly with their community to overcome barriers to bicycling. In Portland, this has looked like volunteering at local schools, operating free repairs and distro by bike, and working at CCC–whether this be assisting at the shop, teaching classes, out in the field for events, community networking, or helping coordinate our free bike giveaways.

In their own time, you can find Sea behind a book, under a tree, or deep in a textile project.

Carl Wilson, Bicycle Mechanic, Salvage Sunday
(He/Him)
Carl Wilson has a very long history with the Community Cycling Center, having worked as a mechanic here since 2003. He does all kinds of mechanic work, like refurbishing bicycles for sale, booking repairs, and taking in donations, and he does a fantastic job at it. He enjoys getting paid to do what he loves – fixing bikes. Prior to joining our team, he worked in construction, telemarketing, and landscaping. Outside of work, he enjoys building bikes, fixing clocks, and watching movies. His favorite ride in Portland is Zoobomb, because it is fast, fun, and goes through beautiful Forest Park.

Lilly, Youth Programs Manager
(She/Her)

Lilly’s passion for transportation justice and sustainable community development work started while studying Sociology and Economics at Dickinson College. She has enjoyed incorporating these themes into her work as an educator in outdoor, farm, and school settings. In her recent role as a SUN Community School Manager, Lilly provided students with access to alternative education opportunities through programs related to movement, outdoor exploration, and creativity and loved seeing the way students light up when they find something they’re passionate about. Lilly joined CCC in 2025 and is excited about helping kids feel free and safe to explore their community by bike. In her free time, Lilly enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, trying new recipes with seasonal veggies, and exploring the city’s parks and neighborhoods by foot and bike!

Marco, Programs Specialist
(He/Him)