About The Common Wheel Meet Our Team
MacKenzie Hand (he/him)
Executive Director
MacKenzie Hand (Mac) has been a part of The Common Wheel since 2020, joining the team as a part-time mechanic while teaching English at SDoL. MacKenzie stepped into the Director of Operations role at the start of 2023, and he helped with the expansion to our new Columbia location as well as developing our wonderful team! In the Fall of 2024, MacKenzie stepped up to become our Executive Director.
MacKenzie first got into bikes when he helped build SUNY Plattsburgh’s community cycling program, Biketopia. He served as the group’s president in his undergraduate years. After finishing his postgraduate studies, MacKenzie managed and worked at various bike shops in Philadelphia before beginning his career in the classroom.
Mac is excited to combine his passions for teaching and cycling to The Common Wheel, and to ensure we continue our mission to empower people through the love of bikes. He strives to ensure a person-centered ethos is central to the work we do here at The Common Wheel.
He lives in Lancaster with his spouse Juliya and their two dogs, Piper and Grover. He loves trivia, music, cooking, board games, and bikes (duh).
Steve Johnson (he/him)
Director of Sales and Service
Steve has been working professionally with bikes for the past 11 years. Steve’s interest in bikes started at age 12 when he began racing BMX in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. He picked up his first job delivering newspapers by bicycle to upgrade parts for his BMX bike.
After graduating from Antonelli Institute with a Specialized Technology degree in Photography, Steve moved to Philadelphia where he began working full-time at Via Bicycle, one of Philly’s longest-running and best-rated bike shops. At Via, Steve worked with vintage bicycles and developed his passion for classic lightweight racing bikes. Looking to ride more Steve began working as a legal bike courier for One Hour and Timecycle delivering everything from subpoenas to medical samples and even diamonds! While living in Philadelphia Steve also worked with Bicycle Revolutions and Cycles PHL. In 2021 he began working at The Common Wheel.
Outside of bikes Steve has been working as a professional club DJ since 2016 and has held a long-standing residency at Philly’s premier vinyl nightclub, The Trestle Inn. You can also catch him playing at Tellus 360, the Upside, and other spots in Lancaster on the weekends.
Steve has a passion for classic bicycles, high fidelity audio and record collecting. He also loves spending time with his husky Zora and enjoys dancing to good music with his friends!
Kayla Layng (she/her)
Director of Programming
Kayla’s love for bikes started riding a fully rigid steel mountain bike on one of the rockiest, rootiest trails in North Carolina. Since then, she’s lived and ridden all over—Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Oregon—working in the bike industry and exploring local trails. She’s raced downhill (definitely still hates climbing) and now focuses more on getting other people stoked to ride.
At The Common Wheel, she started Central PA’s first Gear Library, making it easier for people to try new outdoor adventures. She loves teaching people how to work on bicycles as she has 6 professional years of mechanic experience. She also runs Hellbenders Adventure Collective, a gender-inclusive bikepacking group focused on getting women and other underrepresented riders out exploring. She volunteers as Director of Communications for the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association, helping build trails and community.
Before all this, she worked in engineering and corporate management but realized she’d rather be doing something that actually matters to her. When she’s not riding, she’s writing comedy, reading about history, hiking with her dog Quill, or figuring out how to live off-grid. The only language other than English she knows is Latin—so if you ever need any ancient texts deciphered to stop an impending apocalypse she’s your girl.
Job Openings
We are a nonprofit community center and shop run by a small team of hard-working folks.
Here is what we stand for:
- We’re for getting as many people riding as possible
- We’re for making a positive impact on our community and culture
- We’re for building a bike community in our special little home
- We’re for the bike-curious and seasoned veterans alike
- We’re for helping people realize their dreams on two wheels (or three!)
- We’re for providing training and job opportunities to youth in our community
- We’re for building awesome bikes, providing impeccable (and friendly) service, and selling great products that improve people’s experiences
- We’re for facilitating all of those small, revolutionary moments that bikes can create
- We’re for providing a safe and affirming space for EVERYONE
*there are currently no openings for The Common Wheel. Interested candidates can still send their resume/CV to Mac: mac@thecommonwheel.com
Click here to view our Non-Discrimination Policy
Our Board of Directors
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Catherine Cox - President
Catherine Cox is the creator of A Labour of Love Designs located in Columbia. As a photographer and designer, she emphasizes the beauty in the world by capturing moments that occur naturally, focusing on details that often get missed in the busyness of life. Her vision is to transform a piece of furniture, wall covering, or piece of art into a statement for clients. Before her entrepreneurial debut, she was a project manager for an interior design firm in Lancaster.
Catherine spent much of her childhood riding a bike for entertainment and as a reliable mode of transportation. As an adult, she rediscovered her love of experiencing the world on a bike when visiting towns and cities to see as much as possible. She does this when working and for personal exploration in places like Watkins Glen, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Quebec City, Wilkes-Barre, Block Island, and Acadia National Park. “There is something special that happens when you pedal through a town or major city; you see more, you smell more, you experience more. You get immersed in the community. Everyone should be able to experience that”.
Catherine is excited and proud to serve on The Common Wheel board. Her son had an impactful experience with the Earn-a-Bike program which reminded Catherine of organizations that help support the community and provide empowering, social improvements to enhance the lives of its citizens. She is particularly interested in the contribution that TCW and its inclusive approach will have on Columbia and other urban areas. Catherine lives in Landisville with her husband John and four children. In addition to photography, she loves hiking, camping, skiing, riding her motorcycle, and of course, bicycling!
Jonathan Bowman - Vice President
Bio coming soon!
Josh Weaver - Treasurer
Josh Weaver is a long-time Lancaster resident who had a childhood entirely filled with bike riding for utility, whether that was school, practice, or anywhere the crew wanted to travel. After a long absence from riding, Josh returned to it as an adult due to chronic knee pain. Even though he was convinced he would have otherwise been the first 40-year-old draft pick in NBA history, Josh found so much joy in riding it has caused him to end the pursuit of his NBA career. You can now find him spending his time on the bike all over Lancaster County.
Josh is currently a tax director at Clark associates but don’t let that fool you, he’s not that exciting outside of work. In his spare time, Josh loves to spend time with his incredible wife and children, and he bravely attempts to drag them out to ride with him when they have better things to do. After that, any remaining moments are spent on a SUP or just relaxing. Also, go Browns!
Josh absolutely loves the message of inclusivity and bikes for all that The Common Wheel represents. He is hopeful that he can in some small way help to spread that message across Lancaster.
Caleb Bornman - Secretary
Caleb lives in Lancaster with his partner, Megan, along with two orange tabbies and a goofy English setter. He loves bikes for their utility and how they knit communities together. Through serving on TCW’s board and as a member of Global Shapers Lancaster Hub, he seeks opportunities to shift public norms and promote common good through investment in sustainable public infrastructure. Learning about the effects of climate change leads Caleb to push for ideas that whole communities can take on. Caleb operates Lancaster Film Co, offering digitization and restoration services for slide collections. Professionally, he works at CNH Industrial as an embedded software engineer. Recently, he has enjoyed reading, restoring old cameras, and training his dog for therapy work.
Juan Montes
Juan is an experienced Community Health Worker who has received “Care to Share” Awards through Penn Medicine and Lancaster General Health (LGH). Juan has over a decade of experience in community/behavioral/health education. He is a Health Officer with the City of Lancaster
Juan attended West Chester University and has also achieved the Eagle Scout Award through Lancaster Cities, Troop 4. He served with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and received the “Honor Graduate Award” from Air Force Basic Training.
Juan has volunteered his time with The Common Wheel as an Earn-a-Bike mentor and is excited to continue to make an impact as a board member. Passionate about cycling advocacy, Juan has been instrumental in championing cycling infrastructure and fostering a thriving cycling community in Lancaster. Juan continues to work towards creating a healthier, more equitable environment for all residents.
Joe Kirkenir
Bio coming soon!
Matt Johnson
Bio coming soon!
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Chrissy Leslie
Chrissy Leslie is a Lancaster City resident who grew up in Gettysburg and enjoyed riding bikes with her friends on the Battlefield roads as a kid. She is the Senior Director of Corporate Sustainability at Eurofins (formerly Lancaster Laboratories) where she has been employed for over 20 years. She is also a member of the Lancaster City Shade Tree Commission. When she’s not hugging trees, she is an advocate for improving bike infrastructure in the City in order to ensure safer travel for bikers. She also loves hiking, camping, and traveling with her wife and dog, Henry. Chrissy is proud to serve as a Board member because she loves the mission of The Common Wheel to make bikes accessible for all which also helps to reduce our carbon footprint in Lancaster!
Jen Fields
A native to Pennsylvania, Jen moved to Lancaster County from her hometown of Collegeville after attending Lebanon Valley College. With degrees in Elementary and Special Education, Jen brings her attention to detail and love of learning to her current role as Realtor with The Claire Chivington Team and Realty ONE Group Unlimited.
Jen loves living in Lancaster City with her two kids. You can usually find her in a local coffee shop, reading a book or exploring downtown.
A favorite bike memory is riding Lancaster County trails with her kids or “the Wildlings” as she often calls them. As a member of TCW Board, Jen looks forward to joining bike advocacy efforts and making riding a safe space in the city.
Laura Pauls-Thomas
Arjun Sanyal
Arjun is a Central PA native who as a kid loved nothing more than jumping curbs and going on adventures on his sweet Redline BMX with mushroom grips. He stopped riding after college while living in the bike-unfriendly cities of the time.
His love of bikes was rekindled a few years ago after getting his daughter her first “real” bike, and cycling in all its diversity has become a major part of his life. Arjun advocates for improvements in bike policy and infrastructure and believes The Common Wheel’s mission is a force for positive change across Lancaster’s many communities. He believes everyone deserves to have the same feeling of freedom, enjoyment, and safety on two wheels as he did growing up.
When not riding his bike, Arjun works to make healthcare smarter with technology as a veteran of the Harvard Medical School and several Silicon Valley startups.
Charlie Schroeder
Charlie Schroeder is a seasoned expert in communication skills with nearly three decades of experience coaching leaders across six continents. Since 1997, Charlie has worked in a wide range of industries—including financial services, technology, aviation and non-profits. His unique approach integrates his background as an actor and journalist, focusing not just on content but also on delivery to ensure lasting impact and clarity in every communication.
As a former actor with experience on stage, in film, and on TV, including a role in the hit HBO show Sex and the City, Charlie brings a compelling storytelling perspective to his work. He has also had a prolific career as a journalist, with his work appearing in leading publications like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and various National Public Radio programs.
Raised in Lancaster, PA, and having lived in New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, Charlie and his wife, Wendy, returned to Lancaster in 2020, where they enjoy tending to their half-acre garden. When he’s not working or gardening, Charlie enjoys riding his Kona Rove for recreation, commuting and shopping at his local farm stand.
Charlie graduated from Bates College and brings a wealth of experience and an innovative mindset to his role on the board of The Common Wheel, where he focuses on leadership development and communication strategies.
In Memoriam: Larry Keating (1945-2024)
Our Friend and founding board member Larry spent much of his work life as a lawyer for Armstrong World Industries. As a community volunteer over the years for numerous community organizations, including SCORE Lancaster Lebanon, The Janus School, and Leadership Lancaster, and The Common Wheel. Larry was an avid rider and bike mechanic for decades, whose crowning achievement was the ascension of Mt. Ventoux. In 2023, Larry became The Common Wheel’s first Emeritus Board member because of his many loyal years of service and invaluable wisdom bestowed upon the organization. For his instrumental work in our organization’s founding and growth over our ten years, we are forever grateful.