Advisory Council
Barb Grueschow
Barb Grueschow’s addiction to motorcycling started as a mild case in 1973, commuting
to work and accomplishing light errands. After completing a long-distance trip and
experiencing the joys of touring, the hook was set and to date her wheels have rolled
over nearly a half a million miles. Grueschow joined Women On Wheels in 1992, and
has served on the Board of Trustees and also as President. She has also served as
a co-instructor for accident scene management classes, a co-presenter for strategic
riding strategies seminars, and has served as a judge for international drill team
competitions. As a dedicated member of the AMA’s International Women & Motorcycling
Conference planning committee, her addiction to the sport of motorcycling, and just
about everything connected to it, is being fulfilled.
Brenda Hickling-Thatcher
Brenda Thatcher was born in Toledo, Ohio. She started racing quarter midget race
cars at age three, and drove them until she was 16. Throughout this period she always
played on dirt bikes as well. Thatcher needed something to fill the void when she
retired from car racing, and she soon came to love motorcycling as much as she did
midget racing. Today, Thatcher is a 20-year member of the Motor Maids, and has been
their president for the last seven years. She has put approximately 300,000 miles
on her motorcycles. She is devoted to helping the motorcycling industry, especially
women in motorcycling, and offers seminars to help other motorcyclists on subjects
such as “Packing for a Long Trip” (small bike and large bike), “How to Maintain
Your Motorcycle and Yourself for a Long Trip,” “Roadside Quick
Fixes,” “Things You Should Always Carry On Your Motorcycle” and “Basic Maintenance.”
Myrrh Davis
Myrrh Davis discovered her first motorcycle underneath rolls of wool fabric in her
Dad’s outerwear factory. She was 9 years old at the time, and rode up and down the
family driveway well past sunset. Soon she was building trails and obstacles in
the woods for her dirt bike and in the years to come, a long list of street and
dirt motorcycle infatuations followed. Davis’s first motorcycling job came in 1996
as a ride leader with BMW’s motorcycle demo team. In 1998 she became manager of
consumer events for Triumph America, and later she moved on to Moto Guzzi as a sales
and marketing manager. She returned to BMW Motorcycles in 2000 as their event and
communications specialist. Davis holds a B.S. in Recreation Resource Management
and an M.S. in Direct Marketing.
Liz Jansen
Liz Jansen a director of the Motorcyclists Confederation
of Canada and Chair of the Steering Committee of the MCC Women Riders Council,
positions she has held since 2006. Jansen has had a long-term relationship with
motorcycles that began in her teens. Since then, she has travelled throughout North
America. In 2003 she left behind a corporate career and set out on an unforgettable
two-month solo odyssey across Canada and the U.S. Upon her return, she created Trillium Motorcycle Tours, an Ontario
based company offering motorcycle tours, workshops and events, with a focus for
women riders. Jansen is also a Canada Safety Council certified instructor, and she
teaches rider training and delivers workshops for Humber College in Toronto. In
addition, she has worked with several manufacturers including Harley-Davidson, BMW
and Yamaha on demo days and women’s events.
Jean Mishler
Jean Mishler is a certified motorcycle safety instructor who has been working at
an Austin, Texas Harley Davidson dealership for the past six years. She currently
manages their Riders Edge Learn To Ride and rental programs. In 2004, Jean
set up the dealership’s first women’s-only ride in the central Texas area. This
has developed into regularly sponsored dealership rides, averaging about 40 women
per ride and still gaining in popularity. She is also a significant contributor
of information about women and motorcycling in the Austin area, and was featured
in a documentary film about women riders in the Texas Hill Country. Mishler was
a participant in the AMA’s Women and Motorcycling Conference in Athens, Georgia
in 2006. As a direct result, she rode and contributed the motorcycle routes for
Mad Maps Motor Adventure Destinations “Get Out Of Town” series for the Austin, TX
area. Helping women get into motorcycling—and keeping them there— is one of Jean’s
passions, one that she loves to inspire in other female riders.
Sarah Schilke
Sarah Schilke is an avid street rider turned amateur offroad racer. She has worked
in the motorcycle industry for over a decade and currently does freelance writing
and marketing with her own consulting company, MotoNiche Marketing. Sarah is the
first woman elected to the Board of Directors of the Motorcycle Industry Council
and is the U.S. representative to the FIM Commission on Women in Motorcycling. She
is also a lifetime member of the AMA.
Genevieve Schmitt
Genevieve Schmitt has been a journalist working in the motorcycling industry since
1993, and she is recognized as an expert and leader in motorcycling journalism focusing
on the area of women. In 1994, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her
work as a news magazine producer. Schmitt has been riding a motorcycle since 1990.
The founder and publisher of WomenRidersNow.com, an online magazine about women
and motorcycling, Schmitt’s company also develops programs to help powersports companies
reach female customers. She is frequently quoted in newspapers and magazines, writes
a monthly column about women and motorcycling for American Iron magazine,
and has appeared in several TV documentaries about motorcycling.
Alice Sexton
Alice Sexton is President of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association, USA
(WIMA USA), a division of one of the largest women's motorcycle organizations in
the world. She is currently working with Mitch Boehm as Design Director for their
new magazine, Moto Retro Illustrated, which focuses on the 60’s, 70s and
80s moto-culture in the USA. Sexton has also served as Communications Director with
the American Historic Racing Association and as Brand Promotions Director with Advanstar
Communications, proprietor of the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows, Dealer
Expo, Off-Road.com, Dealernews and DirtSports magazines. She has
been a contributor to numerous publications, including Motorcyclist, Roadracing
World, Biker Ally, and Motorcycle.com. Sexton is an active vintage
roadracer who competes in Vintage Superbike Light Weight on a 500cc Moto Guzzi V50
and inVintage Superbike Middle Weight on a 650cc Ducati Pantah.
Sue Slate
Sue Slate is the National Programs Chair of the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation.
She has been riding since the age of 19 and averages about 20,000 miles a year.
Many of her miles are ridden in support of eradicating breast cancer, and she has
been instrumental in helping to raise over two million dollars for the Susan G.
Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. A Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Coach/Instructor
since 1992, Slate has been the recipient of national awards including the Hazel
Kolb Brighter Image Award and the Jill Ireland Award for Volunteerism. During the
2000 Women and Motorcycling Conference, she was named a Motorcycling Pioneer by
the American Motorcyclists Association’s Heritage Foundation.
Bonnie Strawser
Bonnie Strawser was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where she
attended the University of Toledo and University of Phoenix, earning a degree in
Management and Finance. Her first career was a 20-year term in management with a
global finance company. Her second career began in 2002 with the creation of
Sportbike Track Time, the largest trackday provider in the U.S. which also
caters to women. From Sportbike Track Time, she developed the all-women’s event
Femmoto,
Sportbike Tire Service, and Sportbike
Track Gear. Strawser is very active in the women’s motorcycling community
and has helped raise $53,000 for breast cancer research through “On Track for A
Cure.” In addition to motorcycling, Strawser loves animals and adopts greyhounds
and enjoys reading, mountain bicycling, snow skiing, travel, yoga and hiking. Her
goal is to continue to make a difference for women riders everywhere.
Tigra Tsujikawa
Tigra Tsujikawa learned how to ride on the street when she was 20, and the next
week rode from Seattle to Spokane. Cold weather, bad gear and no experience… she
was hooked! Since then, she has tried to improve her riding skills and knowledge,
logging in thousands of miles on the pavement and in the dirt. In hopes of working
within the powersports industry, Tsujikawa moved from Seattle to SoCal where she
felt fortunate to work with industry giants that included Kawasaki and Fox Racing.
Through her positions in marketing and product development, she has learned more
about the industry, something that continues to fuel her passion. In the past five
years, Tsujikawa has been obsessed with adventure touring. Riding off-road has taught
her confidence, frustration, mental and physical strength, and the beauty and diversity
of the outdoors. Today she credits her work, passion and personal development to
a cold day in Washington on an old street bike.
Betty Uhlman
An educator for over 30 years, Betty Uhlman has ridden motorcycles extensively in
the U.S. and abroad, including three trips to Hawaii and a 21-day tour in Alaska
that included 26 states. She participated in the 2002 AMA Maritimes Tour through
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, the 2004 AMA Rule the Rockies Tour and the 2006 Chasing
the Colors Tour. Uhlman also takes part in numerous charity rides, and has been
on the planning committee for the March of Dimes Ride for Babies for the last three
years. Her next goal after the conference is to ride New Zealand’ two islands.
