Chris DiStefano hired for new marketing and public affairs position at River City Bicycles

Bicycle industry veteran Chris DiStefano has accepted a position as marketing and public affairs director for River City Bicycles.

DiStefano’s career in the bike world spans over two decades and he has held high profile roles with Shimano, Chris King Precision Components, and most recently Rapha, where he was communications director for North America. River City Bicycles was founded by Dave Guettler in 1995 and is one of the most successful independently-owned bike shops in America. Put together, these two powerhouses of business and advocacy are very likely to make huge waves in Portland and beyond.

In past positions DiStefano has embraced his role as a lobbyist for bike product makers and has proven to be an effective advocate. He’s been a loud voice pushing for mountain bike trails, he helped ferry the data-sharing relationship, between Strava and the Oregon Department of Transportation, and was picked by ODOT to serve on their Bike and Pedestrian Plan update committee. While at Chris King he made several trips to the National Bike Summit and even accepted invitations to the White House where he forged a working relationship with Secretary of Commercie Penny Pritzker.

Check out the official press release below:

River City Bicycles Hires Chris DiStefano For Marketing & Public Affairs – Portland’s award-winning bicycle retailer to build on advocacy

River City Bicycles today announces the hiring of Chris DiStefano in the role of Marketing and Public Affairs. This new position reflects the growth of the business and its position in a city where bicycling plays an increasingly important role. Chris comes with 20-plus years of experience within the Industry, having most recently served as Communications Director for Rapha North America, also of Portland, Oregon. This hiring, announced just as National Bike Month kicks off, is a signal that 2016 will be a growth year for the business.

“River City Bicycles has long been the place I visit to tap into all that is happening with bicycles,” says Chris DiStefano. “I am a gear guy through and through and this is where I have gone to see the latest and greatest. That said, it’s been the people of River City for whom I care the most and why I’ve returned time after time. Dave Guettler, founder and owner of River City Bicycles, said this to commemorate his 20th anniversary in 1995, ‘It seems to me there is a lot of “us” in Portland and there is even more of Portland in River City.’ I really connected to this belief and the opportunity to join this organization is the perfect platform for what I enjoy doing. I look forward to connecting increasingly more Portlanders to the power of the bicycle through what Dave and his team have built. I am equally as excited, as this is an election year, to share what our organization knows with this city’s leadership as we all work to maintain Portland’s bicycling leadership position.”

“Everyone at River City Bicycles is familiar with Chris’s work within the bicycle business but also as an advocate for cycling and the City of Portland,” says Dave Guettler. “We see this appointment as further proof of our commitment to being the very best in the business and serving our customers beyond their expectations. I am confident with Chris here that River City Bicycles will continue to lead Portland, a city we all love dearly, both in the saddle and in City Hall.”

— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org

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