The Presidents.....”When,”......”Who,”..... and “Where Now?”

The following have led the Lompoc Valley Bicycle Club since inception:

1993: Steve Pelky 2000: Eric Erland
1994: Rich Gracyk 2001: Tim O’Hara
1995: Bob Grant 2002: Bob Grant
1996: Bob Grant 2003: Ray Harris
1997: Rich Gracyk 2004: Scott Shaw
1998: Bob Grant 2005: Lieven Peirtsegaele
1999: Gene Pritchett 2006: Gene Pritchett

All but one of our past presidents remain Valley residents. See below:

Steve Pelky (93): Our founder continues to ride both on and off-road and “wrenches” at Bicycles Unlimited in Lompoc.

Rich Gracyk (94/97): Employed by the City of Lompoc, Gracyk and his family are heavily involved with community youth sports.

Bob Grant (95/96/98/02): Works at Lightning Cycles, Lompoc, and remains a “go-to” Valley reference for all aspects of cycling.

Gene Pritchett (99/06): The current president, Pritchett owns and operates the Chiropractic Health Center in Lompoc. A strong and motivational rider, he is preparing for a “fast ride” across America in 2006.

Eric Erland (00): A City of Lompoc water expert, Erland is presently occupied with a major home restoration in the Mesa Oaks area of the Valley.

Tim O’Hara (01): The single non-Valley resident, O’Hara now lives in Montana where he remains an active off-road cyclist.

Ray Harris (03): A strong recreational rider, Harris has participated in numerous multi-day tour events across the country. A retired Air Force officer and aerospace specialist, he “splits” time between homes in Lompoc and South Carolina.

Scott Shaw (04): A veterinarian, Shaw owns Animal Care Hospital in Lompoc. One of the strongest club riders, he has participated in 24 hour events as well as club out-of-state tours.

Lieven Peirtsegaele (05): A physical therapist serving the Valley, Peirtsegaele is active in a variety of challenging sports. He and his family all maintain a notably high level of fitness.

HISTORIAN NOTE: This is the second of a monthly series to be published in 2006 dealing with the heritage, activities, and members of the Lompoc Valley Bicycle Club.