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Board Profile - Legislative Action: Ted Semegran
Two and a half years ago, I “volunteered” for the Legislative Action position as I wanted to
learn more about local government and help the club with a few political issues. Immediately I found myself
involved in getting backing and funding for a path from the George Washington Bridge bike path (Fort Lee) to
the entrance of the Palisades Interstate Park (Edgewater). The project was also an undertaking of Fred Kaimann,
the New Jersey representative of Transportation Alternatives, based in New York. Working on this project has
enabled me to interact with many Bergen County's politicians including Freeholders, State Senators, Park
Commissioners and top officials of the Port Authority and the Palisades Parkway. It's been a quick entry
into Bergen County, New Jersey and New York politics. I am also now the club's representative for the East
Coast Greenway, the New Jersey Bicycle Advisory Council and other political/biking advocacy groups.
What does a retired security analyst (brokerage industry) do? Along with biking two or three times a week
(which I took up after I retired three years ago), I am a volunteer tutor in chemistry and math at Hackensack
High school's Drop-In-Center, play tennis, softball, some golf and when time permits scuba dive in the
Caribbean. In addition, I am a student again, this time at Bergen Community College's Institute for Learning
in Retirement with courses in literature, history and genealogy. I also now have time for special biking
adventures such as my recent late April/May 9 day bike trip in Holland with another retired BTCNJ member
using our own generated cue sheets. Next year I am hoping to do a similar adventure in France.
On a more personal side, I have two grown children Adam (33), a surgeon, married, in Brewster, NY with 2
sons (yes I am a grandfather) and a daughter Aileen, a teacher in Brooklyn. My wife and I live in Haworth
(almost 20 years) after residing in Dumont and overseas (Germany and England).
Those of you who ride with me know I do a lot of rides in New York as well as New Jersey. I was born and
raised in the Bronx and just love learning about areas of the city I never knew as well as riding in areas
I remember as a kid (such as City Island and Orchard Beach as well as much of Manhattan).
Most of my professional career was spent in the brokerage industry as a security analyst specializing in
the chemical industry. I spent 20 years with Lehman Brothers and another 9 years with a few other brokerage
firms. Prior to that, I spent ten years as a chemical engineer with jobs in research, plant-start ups
(in Europe), marketing and business.
I've been having a great time bike riding and am now able to eat almost everything and not gain weight.
My wife and I love the weekend BTCNJ trips and are going again on the Madison, Connecticut weekend. I am
also looking forward to the Brand's upcoming 12-day Michigan adventure.
~Ted Semegran
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