President
Juan B. Botero
Juan was born in Washington DC. He enjoyed his first ride on a BMW in Colombia when a family friend riding from California to Chile decided to give him a lift to school. His grandfather was an inventor and mechanical engineer from MIT who also enjoyed motorcycles and German engineering. He grew up enjoying bicycling, motocross and trial motorcycles and sailed competitively in Cape Cod and various parts of Colombia. He studied broadcasting with minors in Political Science and Business Administration and works as a communication consultant for commercial, government, and non-profit clients with a focus on business development, humanitarian causes, social responsibility, fundraising, brand repositioning, and taking organizations to the next level . When he lived in Colorado, he explored the Rockies on his first BMW R1150GS. He is currently based in Baja California conducting research on several topics related to the immigration humanitarian crisis along the US-Mexico border. He now owns an R1250GS to film sequences in remote areas of the border for a documentary series on this topic. He has traveled to Wisconsin, Florida, Cape Cod, and many of the surrounding areas of Washington DC where he is currently working promoting his project on the US-Mexico Border and national security.
Vice President
Tom Crafford
Tom has been riding BMW boxers (airheads & oilheads) since 1975 and is a 25-year member of the BMW MOA. In 1976 he made a cross-country trip from New England to Seattle and then, to Guatemala on a 1971 R75/5. Subsequently, his work as a minerals exploration geologist during his 38 years living in Alaska put a crimp on his motorcycling for many years. Finally, during a break in employment in the summer of 1998, he had the opportunity to go on another long motorcycle trip and departed Alaska aboard a modified 1978 R100S for a trip around the lower-48. While in Reno, NV, he met his wife-to-be, Liz, who to this day remains tolerant, even supportive, of Tom’s BMW affliction. In 2014, Liz, Tom and their daughter, Alice, moved to Washington where Tom initially worked in the Alaska Governor’s DC Office. He sold his R100S and an R1100R before leaving Alaska, but had made arrangements to buy a 2008 R1200R, his current ride, in Olney, MD. Alas, it began to snow on his way to pick up the bike on his first day in the DMV, and it soon became apparent that he would remain motorcycle-free for at least one more day. Fortunately, the snow quickly melted, and the deal was completed the next day.
After retiring from the U.S. Geological Survey in September 2021, Tom has been ‘working’ to combine his loves of motorcycling, geology and woodworking with a newer interest, ferries.
Treasurer
Marty DeConcilis
Marty DeConcilis is the CEO of Fidelis Security, LLC, a company that provides Cyber Software solutions to commercial, international and government markets. He is a highly accomplished sales and engineering leader with proven success in enterprise and government industries. With over 36 years of experience, Marty has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and strategic partner for commercial enterprises and government agencies, consistently delivering results that meet or exceed expectations. Marty is also a native Washingtonian who grew up and now lives in Northern Virginia. During his free time he enjoys riding his 2022 R1250GS Rallye. He started riding seriously in 2020 and averages about 12,000 miles a year on all the great roads and trails in the region. He was recently elected Treasurer for the BMW Motorrad Club Washington DC for FY 2024, and looks forward to working with the Board and leadership to build a community around our hobby and make BMW Motorrad Club Washington DC one of the premier motorcycle clubs in the area and nation.
Secretary
Lynn Howard
Lynn started riding in her 40s and has been exploring on 2 wheels since. Her love of travel fits perfectly with motorcycling as a way to be more immersed in the world. Being “mostly” retired from the television broadcast industry now allows her more time to explore, camp, hike, enjoy music and photography and hang out on the water. Besides exploring roads throughout the U.S., she has also been able to experience Canada (Nova Scotia & Newfoundland being favorites), Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Vietnam on 2 wheels. This list will certainly grow as Lynn is always looking for the next path to explore. Along those lines, she is currently organizing a 2-week trip to Peru with Rally for Rangers to deliver 15 motorcycles to park rangers working throughout Peru. Her F650GS carries her on most of her trips, but she also has a few other bikes in reserve. She loves to read, chat, exchange tales of travel, get inspiration for excursions and learn about the very interesting folks that make up the motorcycling community both here and around the world. According to Lynn, a fun day is all about enjoying the ride and getting outside your comfort zone!
Square Route Rally & Events Chair
Mike Seay
Mike was born in Austin, Texas and is an avid Dallas Cowboys’ fan. He grew up as an Army brat with fond memories of Germany, Panama, and Canada. He went to The Citadel on a USMC scholarship and pursued a career as an Artillery and Logistics officer, with a long final tour at Quantico as an Acquisition Professional. His active-duty time included a 3-year tour in Okinawa, Japan, and multiple sea-based deployments with operations in Norway, Tunisia, Lebanon and the Gulf of Oman, among others. He supported multiple Navy and Marine Corps acquisition programs (from ships to ammo) as a Defense Contractor for 21 years. He currently works as a Navy employee supporting USMC GPS modernization efforts. He is married to a Charleston girl (Cindy) and they live in Stafford, VA. Mike and Cindy joined BMWBMW in 2003 after buying their first BMW from Morton’s. Their hobbies include cycling, kite flying, pheasant hunting, spoiling their grandkids, and naturally, motorcycling. Mike has ridden dirt and street bikes off and on since elementary school. He and Cindy travel to rallies on their 2006 K1200LT with a Bushtec trailer that hauls the comforts of home.
Membership Committee Chair & Resident Historian
Gene Freund
Gene is a Civil Service doctor at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where he helps the clinician community interact with CMS. He is uniformed service retiree after joining the United States Public Health Service in 1988 as a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and retired in 2018 with the rank of Captain after a thirty-year career. He worked at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and at CMS and taking care of patients in rural Ohio, Indian Health Service facilities and Fort Meade. He had the honor of being a First Responder during Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Irma. He also worked for 2 months at an Ebola Treatment Unit in Monrovia, Liberia.
Gene began riding motorcycles as a young family practice resident when he bought his first Kawasaki KZ-400. He went on to purchase a beat-up BMW R60/6 with a Luftmeister fairing that carried him around mid-Missouri, and then to Cincinnati. Life kept him off bikes from about 1990 - 2007 when he resumed riding on a BMW R1100RT. Gene loves to work on his motorcycles and is an active participant in Tech Forums and BMW Aficionado groups. He and his wife Debbie love to ride and they are the proud owners of a BMW S1000XR, a lowered BMW F650GS and a BMW R1200GS in roadworthy shape. In 2018 Gene and Debbie participated in a Stayin' Safe weekend before continuing to Mississippi and then followed the Natchez Trace to Cincinnati and then back to Maryland.
Rides Committee and Meetup Chair
Henry Friedman
Henry is an optometrist who specializes in behavioral and rehabilitative vision care. He recently stepped back from private practice and now provides, through two agencies in his Silver Spring community, low vision care to sight impaired patients and primary eye/vision care to individuals who are experiencing homelessness, mental illness or financial difficulty. This new ‘semi-retired’ status comes with plenty of challenges, but allows more time for family, home, travel, photography … and motorbikes.
Drawn to two wheeled vehicles since he was a kid, Henry got his first taste of motorcycling on a friend’s Honda CB175. Lacking a motorcycle endorsement, he (mostly) kept off public roads, but put in plenty of hours on the University of Rochester campus and the trails of nearby Genessee Valley Park. He owned various bikes in his early professional years, but became hooked on the BMW brand in 2004 with the acquisition of a gorgeous R1150RS and has barely looked elsewhere since.
Whether riding solo or with others, Henry tries to avoid the highways in favor of scenic and challenging backroads. He promotes smaller group riding, which allows easier matching of riders’ skill levels, closer on-the-road connection between riders and can be more spirited yet safer. His goal, as part of the BMW2 Rides Committee, is to expand the club’s ride offerings by enabling other members to become ride organizers and group leaders.
Media Chair
Angelette Aviles
Angelette Aviles, aka @Moto.Shorty, is a branding & marketing professional whose clients have been in the sports/NFL, entertainment, political, commercial, and, currently, motorcycle industries where she has generated approximately $1 million in earned media. Aviles is also a respected source for commentary as a speaker, panelist, in the media, or as a paid columnist, and has appeared on FNC's Fox & Friends, Univision, the Associated Press, Fox-13, The Times, and for a couple years was a regular guest on the weekly political talk show, Florida this Week. Aviles is a current business partner & co-host of the crowd-sourced website called Motorcycle Destinations & corresponding YouTube channel that features daily content with other well known motorcycle influencers. She grew up in Silver Spring, MD & left for Florida for college, returning 14 years later in 2009 before going overseas in 2016. After returning to the DC area from the 2 year expat & scooter life in Japan, she decided to upgrade to riding motorcycles, first a Harley. Unfazed by skeptics & inspired by Ewan McGregor’s “Long Way” series, she upgraded to a brand new 2021 BMW F750GS, inspiring fellow short 5’0” riders with her fearlessness. From thrilling off-road adventures to epic falls, Angelette’s incredible journeys throughout the country continue to captivate others on social media, hence the nickname MotoShorty!
Ambassador
Lester Gebski
Lester never knew what he was missing until he married into a motorcycle family. His wife Dani taught him how to ride a motorcycle and he began riding dirt bikes across the Mojave Desert. He has enjoyed riding in the mountains of Colorado and the back roads of Alabama and being on two wheels has now become a big part of his life. His father-in-law got him hooked on BMWs, his first Beemer purchase was a 1997 K75S. He then purchased a 1974 BMW R90, and a 1996 BMW R1200 and he presently rides a 2007 R1200 GSA. Lester greatly enjoys the unique looks and distinct sound! He currently enjoys rides with other members of the club, solo trips as well as riding with his wife. He loves adventures and exploring the Shenandoah area of Virginia and West Virginia. He also enjoys welding, tinkering on his motorcycles and just getting out in nature.
Ambassador
Phoebe Bennett
Phoebe learned to ride motorcycles 5 years ago when she joined a motorcycle certification class with her son. Although she grew up in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia, she never knew how much she would enjoy motorcycling and camping until her kids introduced her to this unique combination. She is grateful to the BMWBMW club for helping her get started safely and make lifelong friendships. She has gone from white-knuckled driving around parking lot cones to riding confidently on and off-road all over the Eastern United States and Europe. Born into a mechanical family, she appreciates the Tech Days and service advice from the Club and has advanced from a BMW 650 Scarver to a BMW 700GS. She has participated in many rides throughout the mid-Atlantic region including Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. She has also travelled to Spain and is currently planning a ride to Sardinia, Corsica, France, and the Pyrenees Mountains. She relocated to Washington DC to do work as a government tax attorney. Phoebe is an avid skier, and also loves playing tennis, boating and water skiing. She plays the guitar and is currently serving as Treasurer
Technology Advisor
Mark Pledger
Mark is a computer science expert who enjoys on-road adventuring. He likes to lead rides in which he can enjoy something new, whether it’s exploring countryside roads or going to unique events. When he rides in a group, he prefers to help group members who need help if their bike breaks down. He is a very safe rider and currently plays a central role in upgrading and streamlining all the technology platforms of the club to make club membership more enjoyable. As our webmaster and IT guru, Mark is an essential part of our team who is constantly looking for other bikers interested in adventures or who are seeking to join a vibrant and exciting community.
Website & Social Media Content Developer
Rick Miller
Rick hails originally from the Tarheel state but knew he’d one day make Virginia his home when, as a young boy crossing the Virginia state line, he first saw the sign that reads, “Virginia is for Lovers!” Never happy with having “just a job” he joined the United States Navy when he was 17 years old to see the world and live a life of swashbuckling adventure. He’s a former enlisted submarine electronics technician (SS) and retired as a Lieutenant (Surface Warfare Officer). A few years ago he decided to take a motorcycle safety course. He then happened to watch the show Long Way Round and decided to buy a brand-new BMW R1200GS Adventure sight unseen from District BMW. Before taking delivery of the bike, he attended the BMW Adventure Off-Road course at the BMW Motorrad Performance Center in Greenville, South Carolina and has been hooked ever since. Rick is currently a software engineering consultant and solutions architect developing custom applications and integrations for the energy sector. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in computer science and programming at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. He writes and publishes textbooks on various computer programming languages through his company Pulp Free Press. For these and many other reasons, Rick supports BMW Motorrad Club Washington DC with photography, videography, web content, social media, and the publication of the Between The Spokes e-newsletter and various e-marketing tools.
Rides Committee Advisor
Jose Abiles
LTC Jose Abiles (Ret.) served in the US Army as a Tank Battalion Executive Officer during Desert Shield / Desert Storm. He also worked as a management consultant supporting both DOD and Federal Government IT projects focusing on Quality Assurance and Process Improvement. He’s passionate about education and served his community by driving a bus for K-12 students, and as a Scoutmaster by leveraging his battlefield experience to teach land navigation to Scouts going on extended wilderness treks. Jose enjoys supporting youth programs because he strongly believes in preparing young men and women for adulthood. The motorcycle bug hit him when he was a Senior in High School, starting him on a lifelong journey that eventually led him to a BMW R1150 RT-P. He has found kindred spirits in the local BMWBMW club and has participated in many rides and meetings. The 2017 BMW R1200GS he owns has been a real lifesaver for Jose, it’s hard for him to describe how riding with the wind flowing over his body has a healing effect. He enjoys solo and group rides with friends discovering new roads with twisty curves, sweeping vistas and restaurants serving excellent food. As the Adventures XO of BMW Motorrad Club Washington DC, Jose merges his love of riding with his military experience managing operations and land navigation. He has led numerous rides throughout the mid-Atlantic and applies his customer service skills to network people with similar interests to build new and lasting friendships.
Training & Advisory Committee Chair
Bruce Dimon
Bruce’s mom told him that a Honda Mini Trail 70 would be a bad influence on a 12-year-boy, and boy, was she right! Bruce got his first motorcycle license at age 13 and has been riding continuously for the past five decades. He loves tight twisties and narrow country lanes best and has ridden in the 48 contiguous states as well as several Canadian provinces. He has moto-camped across the USA several times. Even when it rains, Bruce rides the bike to work and on errands because Express Lanes are wonderful. He is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Coach and a Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic Level 1 instructor. He loves to sign up for training and tries to participate in at least one course every year.
Bruce remembers when the BMW R90S was introduced, and Cycle magazine said it was a great bike but wondered if anybody would pay $3,400 for a motorcycle. The year he graduated from high school he saw the most beautiful motorcycle he had ever seen, the R100RS. Despite his admiration for the marque, his budget kept him riding Hondas. In 2012 he bought his first Beemer, an R 1200 RT. It was so much smaller and lighter than his Gold Wing while still being a comfortable touring machine. After attending a BMWBMW Tech Day, he joined the club to gain access to the technical expertise of its members. In 2020 Bruce purchased his F900XR and is enjoying its lightness and handling.
Global Alliances Chairman
Joerg Dronia
Colonel (GS) Joerg Dronia is the Commander of the German Armed Forces Command USA and Canada in Reston, Virginia. He has been in the German Air Force since 1979 and before assuming command in the US, he served for 9 years in various positions in the German Ministry of Defense at Bonn and Berlin. He started two lifelong commitments in1979: his military service and his passion for motorcycles. In the early 1990s he started riding a Yamaha XS400 and from there he moved on to a Yamaha XJ900, followed by a FJR1300. After a medical break that lasted about a year, Joerg bought his first BMW, a R1200 RT in 2018. He shipped the bike to the East Coast from Germany and now greatly enjoys riding the beautiful countryside roads in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and as far south as the Carolinas. Joerg has also served as one of the two Senior Road Captains of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Berlin-Spandau, the location where these gorgeous BMW motorcycles are born. He still maintains his membership with the club at Berlin and is currently helping our Club build a network of international alliances.
Community Chair
Ed Pfister
A member since 2001, Ed has served in various positions on the Board of Director including vice-president, rally chair and membership chair. He has been riding motorbikes since he was 17 and has lived and ridden bikes throughout the US as well as in Thailand and Central America. His first beemer was a 1981 R80GS and since then he has been a GS guy! Retired from the US Public Health Service he now rides a liquid cooled R1200GS. In addition to riding and club activities, Ed plays senior softball and volunteers as a Master Naturalist with Montgomery County Parks. He is also a long term member of the MOTO escort crew for the Face of America disabled athletes.
Safety & Outreach Committee
James Carlisle
James Carlisle retired honorably from the US Army in 2015 as a Lieutenant Colonel after 26 years of service. He is married to The Honorable Karen H. Carlisle, Director, Soldier and Family Legal Services Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) and together they have two adult children. James has traveled the world, jumped out of perfectly good airplanes, brokered peace agreements and run ultra-marathons. He grew up in South Florida, graduated from Spring Hill College in Mobile Alabama in the 1980s and earned his Master’s degree in Elementary Education in 2010. In 2016 he joined Teach For America and moved to Walterboro, SC to teach 5th Grade Math and Science. He now lives in Fairfax Virginia and teaches 4th Grade. He is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Coach, an Official for USA Cycling, and the Secretary of a National Motorcycle Club for First Responders and Military. James is also President of Young Scientists of South Carolina, a STEM program partially funded by our Tech Days and which emphasizes scientific education. He writes for various magazines, and loves to travel, read books, work on old cars and motorcycles, and learn new skills. James is responsible for identifying organizations and synergies with our club so that we can "ride and do something interesting" including Rally for Rangers and the DC Dirt Camp.