AMES CITY MANAGER: Indefinite term

Steve is the City Manager for the City of Ames and has been on CyRide's board since its inception. Steve is responsible to the Ames City Council for the proper administration of all city business (18 departments and divisions) and for the annual budget.  Since CyRide is an agency of the City, CyRide's operating and capital budget is part of the overall City of Ames budget; therefore all finances are approved by the Ames City Council in addition to CyRide's board.  Steve comments, "I'm proud of CyRide's customer driven focus where over 6 million passengers are safely transported each year throughout the Ames community." 

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY'S GENERAL COUNSEL & CHIEF RISK OFFICER:  Indefinite term
CYRIDE VICE PRESIDENT

Michael Norton began serving on CyRide's Board of Trustee's in September 2022.  Mike serves as General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer for Iowa State University. In that role, Mike is part of the University’s executive leadership team and provides strategic legal advice and counsel to the President, University administrators, faculty, and staff. Mike’s practice areas include University and Strategic Leadership, First Amendment & Free Speech, Intercollegiate Athletics, Risk and Compliance, Threat Management, Public Records, Data Security, Trademarks and Licensing, as well as overseeing the provision of all legal services provided to the University. Mike leads a team of attorneys who provide legal counsel and representation on a wide range of matters affecting the university.  Additionally, Mike is responsible for the management of Environmental Health and Safety and the Department of Public Safety, which includes the ISU Police, Parking and Risk Management units.

Before joining the University in 2016, Mike was a partner in the Kansas City law firm Husch Blackwell where he served for 12 years as a leader in the firm’s higher education practice group. Before joining Husch Blackwell, he served six years as a senior associate with Jones Day, Dallas. Mike has more than twenty-five-years of experience representing clients regarding complex legal issues including labor and employment, risk management, litigation, regulatory compliance, and governance and has had a dedicated focus on advising and representing institutions of higher education.

Mike is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and is a frequent speaker at regional and national higher education and employment conferences. He has also served on the boards of various nonprofit organizations and is a certified volunteer advocate of the Iowa Court Appointed Special Advocate Program.

Mike received a bachelor's degree in political science (1992) from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City; and Doctor of Law degree (1995) from Drake University, Des Moines. He is admitted to practice law in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Texas and is also admitted to practice before various federal courts in those jurisdictions.

AMES CITY COUNCIL APPOINTEE: Term expires 12/31/2022

CYRIDE PRESIDENT

MAYORAL APPOINTEE:  Term expires 5/14/2025

Deb joined CyRide's Board in May 2023 and is originally from Corvallis, Oregon. She earned a B.S. in Agriculture from Oregon State University and M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Minnesota. She has been employed in data management at Pioneer Hi-Bred (now Corteva), as coordinator of the Ames Community Conversations on Diversity program, and as an instructor in the Iowa State University online Masters in Agronomy program. She has served in several volunteer roles, including Meeker Elementary School PTO President, City of Ames Planning and Zoning and Campus and Community Commission member, League of Women Voters board member, and as a neighborhood coordinator and advocate.

Deb feels fortunate to live in a neighborhood with great access to CyRide. She uses CyRide for most of her transportation needs, including to the I S U campus and Campustown, medical appointments in central, west, and north Ames, and to North Grand Mall. Deb values the peacefulness of watching the view from the bus, sharing the day with other community members, and the freedom from having to search for a parking space. She also appreciated the opportunity to serve as a community representative on the CyRide 2.0 committee. Deb enjoys using public transportation in other communities and observing aspects that might have potential applications in Ames.

Deb believes CyRide is an important community asset and is interested in encouraging efforts to continue providing quality public transportation options to area residents.

I S U STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTMENT: Term expires 5/14/2025. 

Emily joined CyRide's Board in May 2024 and is studying Political Science with an expected graduation date of Spring 2026. Her biography is in progress.

I S U STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATOR: Term expires 5/14/2025

Asray, the Student Government Senator appointment, became a CyRide Board Member in May 2024. Asray is currently a junior at Iowa State University majoring in Computer Science and has been involved with student government for two years.