I am Julie Fugenschuh and being on this board is extremely personal and important to me.  My father,  Jim Green “Greenie” helped start this program.  Dream Team was a part of who he was as he believed so deeply in youth and the power of biking to create strong, courageous and determined individuals. And he loved RAGBRAI® and the state of Iowa.  Put it all together and you have a perfect mixture to create powerful outcomes.

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My love for biking came late in life as I trained for my first RAGBRAI in my 40’s and now you will see me riding whenever the temperature is above 40 degrees. One fun fact is that my husband and I rode from Copenhagen to Amsterdam in 2018 totally 650 miles with no transportation but our bikes.  Biking is freedom to see the world in new and fabulous ways.  Here at home we love the Great Western Trail and enjoy many of the other trails as often as possible.

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It is an honor to serve on this board and my goal is make sure my father’s dream lives on and is able to continue to impact as many people as possible.

I have been involved with the Dream Team since October of 2001. I started with the team as a mentor and instantly found a way to share a love for cycling with a new generation of cyclists. Since my introduction to the team I’ve served as a lead mentor for the team, as a member of the Leadership Group, and now have this opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors. I’m excited about the future, and happy to play a part in the continued growth of this program. It’s been a true joy year after year as I’ve watched team members dip their front tire in the Mississippi River to complete their journey.

I’ve recently relocated to Mesa Arizona and work as a Business Analyst for the Admissions Department for Arizona State University. Prior to that I was Assistant Ride Director for Iowa’s Ride and RAGBRAI. I participated in the ride 15 times prior to working for the event. My experience as a participant and as a ride organizer has given me an appreciation for the difference we are making in the lives of the youth as we teach them that anything is possible. 

For a good part of the last 30 years I have been involved in a variety of youth activities, mostly in coaching and youth games refereeing.  Though retired now, my career background in finance and operations and the opportunity to help in these areas at Dream Teams is why I enjoy being part of this organization.  For years past I’ve seen the Dream Team kids on the paths and roads of Iowa.  Now I have the opportunity to continue seeing this organization help kids reach for their, be it small or big, dreams.      

I have experienced first hand how Dream Team Des Moines impacts youth in the community.  I knew about the Dream Team from my many years riding RAGBRAI. I would see the kids and mentors in the towns and I had so many questions.  Where do they get the bikes? Who pays for their food? How did they motivate the kids to ride 80 miles today? 

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In 2020 a good friend passed away unexpectedly and to honor her love for cycling and children, I became a mentor for the 2021 season. I had no idea what I had just signed up for.  I spent two years mentoring. Those were some of the most rewarding and challenging times of my life.  But nothing compares to the challenges so many youth in our community face daily. I wanted to do more. 

​I have spent 26 years at Wells Fargo. And with my only child leaving for college in the summer of 2023 I felt the urge to use my professional skills to make an impact in our community.  So when the opportunity to be on the board of directors with Dream Team was presented to me, I was honored and humbled. I’m excited to be a part of an organization that I have seen change and develop so many young lives (and adults) in our community.  

I'm Bif Ridgway and it's an honor to serve on the board of directors for the Dream Team. Our family owns Bike World so we've been involved in the Iowa cycling community since our founding in 1979. It is very important to me personally as well as for the business to give back to the community that has blessed us over the years. 

We strive to grow the cycling community each and every day as we know how powerful of a tool the bicycle is and how it can change peoples lives. We have been involved with Dream Team since the beginning in some capacity and will continue to be a cog in the machine as kids and adults' lives are transformed through this program. Hearing the positive impact stories from people involved makes it all worthwhile!

I’ve been with Dream Team as a fundraiser since 1996.  I come from a retail background having worked for Frankel Clothing 6 years, Reichardt’s Men’s Clothing for 28 years, Badower’s Clothing for 2 years and Mr. B for almost 12 years.  I was working for Reichardt’s when Greenie and Frank Owens asked me to help because I knew so many people.  It has been a very rewarding experience watching the kids self-esteem grow and make friends as they participate in the program.

Curiosity was the impetus behind my involvement with the Dream Team. A life-long swimmer and cyclist and part-time triathlete, I rode my first RAGBRAI in 1988. I was curious about Dream Team since first hearing of it, a given due to my 32-year sports broadcasting job career. Having coached, officiated, and taught swimming and experienced six years of in-depth involvement with the Iowa Special Olympics’ development from its infancy, I knew serving as a Dream Team mentor was in my wheelhouse.  It was a home run! 

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My years as a mentor in 2022 and ‘23 were game-changers as far as my outlook on cycling and RAGBRAI. Rather than ride for myself and pound the pavement, Dream Team showed me it was so much more rewarding to ride WITH AND FOR others. It’s quite the kick to be able to give fun to those learning how to make effort AND reward vital and equal. 

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Serving as a member of the Dream Team’s Board of Directors will allow me to help ensure that this important, life-changing organization continues to roll along with gusto on it’s journey of success.

I initially encountered Dream Team the first time I did a day of RAGBRAI in 2016. I spoke with a few of the youth and a couple of mentors while out on the road and I was immediately interested. In 2018 I finally made the commitment to join the team as a riding mentor and continued that role through the 2023 season. 

In my professional life, I have been serving in the nonprofit field working with vulnerable families for the last 10+ years. In my free time I like to remain physically active through a variety of activities. Dream Team provided me with an opportunity to give back to my community by combining youth services with physical fitness. 

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I am excited to serve Dream Team in a new capacity as a board member, and I look forward to seeing the continued success and growth of the organization.

Unlike many of our Dream Team leaders, I am relatively new to the Cycling community. I started working for RAGBRAI as an Event Operations Manager in January 2025 and joined the Dream Team Board shortly thereafter. RAGBRAI LII was my first experience with RAGBRAI and albeit as an employee, it was a magical one. The sense of community, family and pride I felt throughout was palpable and I can’t wait to be back next year. My favorite part of the ride was seeing Dream Team ride into camp each night.

The courage, strength and perseverance Dream Team shows is extraordinary. It’s inspirational to watch them train for months to conquer a feat they may have never thought possible, especially at such a young age. It is an honor to serve on a Board that strives to provide such tremendous opportunities through Cycling. It truly is a lifechanging organization and I hope to play a small part in creating new opportunities for our Des Moines youth moving forward.

I'm Julie Trausch, the Senior Executive Director at the Wellmark YMCA. I've been with the YMCA movement for 15 years at 5 different associations across Nebraska and Iowa, working in customer service, marketing, membership, and operations. During my tenure in those roles, I became familiar with all facets of Y operations and grew dedicated to the YMCA and its mission. Additionally, I spent time in the corporate sector working in commercial account management, business development, inventory and profit analysis, and process improvement. I'm looking forward to continuing to make an impact on the Des Moines metro community with Dream Team! 

On a more personal note, I grew up as a farm kid in south central Nebraska. Outside of work, I enjoy time with family and friends, going to concerts, my dog Roscoe, and am an avid Husker volleyball and football fan.