The guest presentations and contact information from the member party can be found below:
- Barbara Godwin, City of Raleigh Micromobility Coordinator presented the Oaks and Spokes Annual Meeting 2023 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
- Sean Driskill, City of Raleigh Vision Zero Coordinator, and James Sudano City of Raleigh Traffic Safety Engineer presented on the City of Raleigh’s Vision Zero Program.
- John Young, one of the co-founders of Raleigh Community Kickstand (RCK) gave a presentation on their work over the past year; Raleigh Community Kickstand Year in Review.
- Mary-Jo Gellenbeck, the Oaks & Spokes Safe Routes to School Program Manager presented on her work over the past year; Safe Routes to School Presentation.
- Michael Ballen, Community Policing Coordinator did not have a presentation. But wanted to share he is here to liaise with the bike community and the Raleigh Police Department.
A total of 88 of the 220 Oaks and Spokes members voted in this election
2023 Board Candidate Election Results
- If anyone was at the “threshold” to win in first choice votes, they are a winner. The threshold was 23 [ (total votes / (total positions + 1)) + 1 ]. If they have more than the threshold, randomly select ballots to redistribute
- If we have not elected all positions, eliminate all candidate(s) with the least remaining first choice votes
- For all eliminated candidates, for each ballot that had them as first choice, make there next highest rated candidate their first choice
Oaks & Spokes had 14 community members apply for six open board seats.
2023 Board Candidate Demographics
Oaks and Spokes collects optional demographic data from board applicants to understand if we are engaging with a diverse cross section of our Raleigh Community. The charts below show the demographics of the 14 candidates, and 2020 Census Data for the City of Raleigh to put them in context.
According to the 2020 Census the City of Raleigh’s population is approximately 469,124 people. The majority of whom, or 51.4% identify as women.
The City of Raleigh’s 2020 Census Data shows Raleigh’s population identifies as:
- 0.4% American Indian or Alaskan Native
- 4.7% Asian
- 28.6% Black or African American
- 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
- 56.1% White
According to the 2020 Census, about 11% of the City of Raleigh’s population identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Oaks and Spokes mission is to advocate for an all ages and abilities road network. That means ensuring that we have leadership who use different modes of transportation and can represent that experience.
Each election Board Candidates fill out a short questionnaire describing why they are interested in joining.
2023 - 2025 Board Candidate Applications
Candidate for President
The president, serves as the chair of the Board of Directors. The President shall be responsible for setting and facilitating board meetings, representing the Corporation at external events, and otherwise furthering the mission of the Corporation as directed by the Board.
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m a long time Greater Raleigh resident (16+ years), bike commuter, Neuse River Greenway enthusiast, and first year Oaks and Spokes Board member. I enjoy what the city, and Oaks and Spokes, have to offer and plan to give back in service in-kind.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- I am a current Oaks and Spokes Board member; I have the experience and knowledge of how Oaks and Spokes currently work.
- Throughout my first year of service on the Board I am in touch with some of the entities that Oaks and Spokes have connections, such as Raleigh City Councils, BPAC members, other non-profit in the Greater Triangle area.
- Continuing the sentiment from point 2 above, I’d work on strengthen existing relationship, and expanding new connections in the Greater Triangle area.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
The monthly Advocacy meeting was a great start in the year of 2022; I would continue that tradition into the next terms. Another novel idea I have is perhaps creating a Oaks and Spokes member-volunteers “CAC-like” committee, to expand not just “the reach” but the “hearing range” to listen for more diverse voices and opinions that a centralized organization may not always hear.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I’m usually the first one to arrive and last one to leave at an event, and I make a *mean* chili bean dip that’s always popular at dinner parties.
Candidate for Vice-President
Vice-President. The Vice-President shall serve as President in the event the President is unable or unwilling to carry out their Duties as Chair, and shall become President if the President is removed by the Board as allowed by the Bylaws.
Tell us a little about yourself
I live in Raleigh with my wife and two young boys and we use bikes to get just about anywhere we need to go! I’ve been involved with Oaks and Spokes for about 8 years and I’ve been on the board for the last two as treasurer – during which we increased our revenue by about 200% from the prior two years! It’s a time of big change for our organization and I’m excited to help us continue to grow and succeed. Raleigh also has a huge opportunity over the next few years to greatly expand biking as a viable transportation option for people of all background and abilities – and it’s imperative that we do so to tackle the significant affordability, environmental, and equity challenges facing our City.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- I want to continue to work on building our organization in a sustainable manner by a) increasing membership and sustaining membership from the Raleigh bike community, and b) partnering with other nonprofits to share organizational and administrative resources.
- I’d like to build on our current SRTS efforts by partnering with Wake County Schools to create “bike buses” that will allow more kids and families to avoid carpool lines and get to school by bike.
- I’d like to explore a stronger partnership with Community Kickstand, including potentially starting a bike recyclery to help support our two organizations.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
With a lot of time and effort! There’s no magic wand for community engagement and it will require dedication and resources (aka staff). It also requires being intentional and identifying the real needs of community members first (to the extent we can help address them). To the extent they exist, I think partnering with other organizations that work to address the needs of transit-dependent households and individuals in Raleigh would be a good first step – but I think we first have to get a solid organizational footing under our feet so that we can keep any promises or commitments we make and demonstrate that we can be a viable long-term partner.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I’m an attorney by training and serve as the organization’s de facto general counsel. In my day job I work on clean energy projects like solar and wind farms as well as land use and zoning issues around North Carolina, local governments, and economic development.
Candidate for Treasurer
As the key liaison to any internal or external accounting support, the Treasurer is responsible for reviewing financial statements and marrying them up with the plans for the organization. They keep the rest of the board apprised on the financial health of the nonprofit during board meetings.
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Seth Markovich. I have been in Raleigh for about 4 and a half years. For about 10 years I have been an avid cyclist. This started with commuting back in high school. Eventually, I started going to social rides. After a bit of that I started to go to faster “training” rides, and eventually racing during college. Post college I came to Raleigh for a software job. Now you can find me cycling in the triangle area for fun. In the spring I might start racing again.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
Over the past few years I have been getting more involved in the cycling communities in the triangle area such as Crank Arm, Raleigh Cycling Club, Gyros, CCC, and other groups in Wake Forest, Cary, Apex, Chapel Hill, and Durham. With this network I can assist with outreach to various cycling communities in the area. I have experience working at bike shops. With this experience I can help out with bike and bike maintenance related questions from the board and from members. I’ll show up to meetings and actively participate in them.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
To listen to someone you need to open up a dialogue with them, or listen to someone openly / publicly talk. Seems like there are two main ways to be able to interact with people who may not have access to a car. One, go out and interact with them via some kind of survey / canvassing. Two, market Oaks and Spokes to those people and hope they come to us. After that we would need to actually consider what they talk about, and not let their points go in one ear and out the other.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I’ve been interested in ways to make city infrastructure work better for people. Not just from the cycling commuting / safety perspective, but to lessen people’s dependence on personal vehicle travel. Making this area better for cyclists ultimately needs more than just adding bike lanes and bike specific changes. We need better transportation via walking, public transit, bicycling, and other. Currently I have eight bikes and want to get more. My main cycling discipline is road cycling. Next is playing bike polo then mountain biking. Also, repping the fixie on social rides. Soon I’ll have a gravel bike ready to ride. For fun I’ll watch urban design content creators like Not Just Bikes, City Beautiful, Strong Towns, CityNerd, and more.
Candidates for At-Large
At-Large members shall undertake and perform any such duties as directed by the Board, including chairing appropriate committees and coordinating Membership, Communications, and Advocacy activities.
Tell us a little about yourself
Well, I don’t know much about bike maintenance or in depth details, but I love riding my bike. A few years ago I saved my pennies and picked up a single speed that I ride all over the place. (I like to ride fast and I hate climbing hills but can’t really avoid them). I ride the greenways for fun and exercise, and I ride the streets to commute to my business, go out with friends, and sometimes run errands. I’m lucky enough to have a close friend as a roommate who co-owns a car with me – I don’t enjoy the costs or struggles of car ownership (repairs, annual tax, gas, insurance, etc.) so I’d love to be involved in making this place easier and friendlier for bikes, scooters, skates, and other mobility options besides + public transit.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
I have experience in event planning, & running events, & social media management.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
Actively work to hear from people who fully rely on transit that doesn’t involve car ownership. Maybe a no-car week challenge or something similar, to look at things from a new perspective. Or a monthly/quarterly Critical Mass type event to bring out more people who operate on less than 4 wheels & let’s get to know our community more in a block party style event?
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I don’t have tons of free time regularly, but I’m happy to help with specific events whenever possible with enough notice, and can make monthly meetings happen.
Tell us a little about yourself
- I am a Marketing Technology Strategy Consultant for Merkle/Dentsu and I have worked with clients such as Cracker Barrel & Cisco providing current state tech assessments, recommendations, point of views, and roadmaps.
- I am a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., where I fell in love with giving back to the community, especially to groups who had more disadvantages.
- I have 7 years of professional experience with the bulk of that being in digital marketing, SEO, PPC, content creation and strategy, email marketing, etc.
- My mother was born and raised in North Carolina, and it inspired me to move here from Denver, Colorado.
- I grew up biking with my Dad throughout the Illinois Prairie Path and it is some of my mot treasured memories as a child.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- I will commit to volunteering 10 hours week +/- variations of schedule.
- I will bring a digital marketers perspective to growing members and promoting events for the organization.
- I will also assist with selecting the best tech partner for the organizations needs as the opportunity presents itself.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
Providing access to surveys at bus stations, train stations, RDU, etc. -Joining public hearings around town to ensure new development project are thinking about cyclists and other modes of transportation.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I just bought a house in Knightdale, NC with my wife of three years! I own two bikes, one built by my Dad, and I enjoy both road cycling and mountain biking.
Tell us a little about yourself
I am a dedicated Transportation Planner that has worked on various innovative projects throughout the State of Colorado and State of North Carolina. I hold a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands and currently work at Stewart, a multi-disciplinary planning and engineering firm in Raleigh. In my current position, I manage projects including but not limited to ADA Transition Plans projects to increase pedestrian infrastructure for all ages and abilities, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans to identify long-range bicycle and pedestrian projects, greenway design, and NCDOT projects with clients throughout the state. Prior to relocating to the Raleigh area, I worked at Boulder Transportation Connections, Boulder’s Transportation Management Organization, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Boulder and managed the nation’s second largest Bike to Work Day. I am an avid volunteer in my industry to advance sustainable transportation choice. Outside of my professional experience, I am a bike commuter and ride to Raleigh from Cary.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- Understanding of local, regional, state, and national funding opportunities to advance Oaks and Spokes mission of getting people on bikes.
- Previous experience sitting on board and commissions to advance biking in communities.
- A willingness to help the Board in any way I can such as volunteering at events, getting the word out about the mission, or identifying new members!
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
As a professional planner, it is my job to elevate underrepresented and underserved communities. While I could talk about this for hours, it’s first and foremost important for Oaks and Spokes to identify where these communities exist in Raleigh. The Census does a good job of identifying Census Tracts and Block Groups to show where these communities might live (looking at disability data, minority populations, access to car ownership etc.).
However, most importantly, after establishing where these communities exist, it is important to have conversations with these communities in their communities themselves to reduce barriers. A person without a vehicle is less likely to attend meetings outside of the own community. Some ideas to better advance equity in programming and community engagement is hosting regular events in these areas of Raleigh, hiring individuals from the communities themselves to serve as community connectors, and creating a equity committee to focus specifically on advancing the needs of individuals Raleigh that don’t have access to a car.
Tell us a little about yourself
I like to walk or cycle everywhere I can. My bike has been my preferred vehicle since 2012, when I moved from rural Ocean, NC to slightly less rural Chapel Hill. Since then, I have had first-hand experience with the pedestrian, transit, and vehicle infrastructure of many cities around the US. I hope to work with Oaks & Spokes to bring more transformative cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to Raleigh.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
As a board member, I would draw on my experience in project management and event planning to further the mission of Oaks & Spokes. In my day job, I’m the Scrum Master for my software engineering team, where I work to identify incremental steps we can take to achieve a bigger goal with predictable timelines. Previously, I enjoyed serving as the head organizer for two iterations of an annual 24-hour programming competition at UNC with sponsors, prizes, and catered meals for around 300 attendees. I enjoy sorting out the big and small details necessary to have events run smoothly. I would like to help organize some of the Oaks & Spokes events and increase the organization’s capacity to host more events.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
Oaks & Spokes should continue to have people on the board, like me, who know the challenges of living without access to a car when much of our city has been built (and bulldozed) to prioritize cars. As much as possible, Oaks & Spokes events should be in transit-accessible and bikeable locations so that people can arrive safely without a car. Oaks & Spokes should leverage partnerships with transit agencies, citizen advisory councils, and other NGOs to connect with current and future car-free people, and find common ground where bikes are part of the solution.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
No, but since you asked… before moving to Raleigh, I lived in Austin, Texas, where I played in three bands and went for long walks in the park with my cat.
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m a long time bike rider and Raleighite. I live and work in the city of oaks. You can find me riding my bike around downtown or in the woods looking for wild mushrooms. I was previously involved with Oaks and Spokes as a board member and volunteer for over 6 years. During that time I worked with several projects ranging from volunteering at bike rodeos to working with city leaders to implement needed bike infrastructure. I would like to continue to make Raleigh a bike friendly city for all riders.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
I’m familiar with the community relationships and communication that it takes for the organization to be successful. During my previous time with the organization I became familiar with our Gmail suite and our WordPress site. I would like to offer that knowledge. I’m bilingual and have worked previously to communicate with Spanish speaking cyclists on behalf of Oaks and Spokes. I’m currently in a position that allows me time and resources to dedicate to Oaks and Spokes in any capacity.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
Oaks and Spokes should continue to build relationships with traditionally under represented communities.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I’m looking forward to seeing y’all at the members party.
Tell us a little about yourself
I have lived and worked in Raleigh since 2015. I am currently a civil engineer by trade and work in downtown Raleigh. As soon as I moved to the City I got involved with Crank Arm brewing and have been leading their Wednesday night rides and representing the brewery in charity events for several years. I have also spent a few years working in the cycling industry at Trek Holly Park. In between both of these avenues I have had the pleasure of introducing hundreds of people to the great sights and riding our city has to offer. I love riding our city streets and trails and sharing all of the good routes and areas with everyone.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
I have lived and worked in Raleigh since 2015. I am currently a civil engineer by trade and work in downtown Raleigh. As soon as I moved to the City I got involved with Crank Arm brewing and have been leading their Wednesday night rides and representing the brewery in charity events for several years. I have also spent a few years working in the cycling industry at Trek Holly Park. In between both of these avenues I have had the pleasure of introducing hundreds of people to the great sights and riding our city has to offer. I love riding our city streets and trails and sharing all of the good routes and areas with everyone.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
I have a unique perspective working closely with developers to advocate for more connectiveness through bike lane construction, I am a regular participant in city council and planning meetings and can represent Oaks and Spokes in those avenues, I have spent years developing relationships in the social and professional cycling community to be able to leverage support and excitement around new initiatives.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I currently serve in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, and I am deployed overseas. I have spent 13 years in the Coast Guard and even travel with my bike, but sometimes my service pulls me away from Raleigh. I still advocate for my city while I am gone and pay close attention to City Council decisions and tune in to the bike scene happenings. I really believe Raleigh is at a pivotal point for pedestrian infrastructure and we need organizations like oaks and spokes to lead the way in making smart decisions.
Tell us a little about yourself
I first became interested in bicycling during a semester abroad in Copenhagen as an undergraduate student where I, like the majority of people there, utilized a bicycle as my main form of transportation. When the semester ended, I brought this interest back to North Carolina with me, bicycling almost everywhere I went and switching my major to one that focused on transportation planning. Upon moving to Raleigh in 2011, I got involved in the variety of weeknight Social Rides (Benelux, Crank Arm, and OCCP) through which I met the majority of my friends and community. From 2012 to 2015 I became involved in the early days of Oaks & Spokes where I spent many hours planning bike month events, fundraisers, etc. I recently moved back to Raleigh (October, 2021) following a six year stint in the Northeast (New Haven, CT and New York, NY) during which I was involved with other local bicycling advocacy efforts and obtained my Masters of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University. At this point in my life I am a pretty low key bicyclist who is generally seen scooting around town on my longtail electric assist cargo bike with my two year old daughter.
Professionally, I am a multimodal transportation planner whose work focuses on creating less car dependent cities. Although my current professional focus is transit, I am a huge believer in the need for transportation to truly be a network and believe that bicycle and pedestrian connections are critical to the usability and success of an area’s transit system.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- Through my professional experience as a multimodal transportation planner I bring with me an in depth understanding of how planning works.
- I have a strong resume of bicycling advocacy work both in the early days of Oaks & Spokes (2012 – 2015) as well as as a board member / active volunteer of both Bike Walk Connecticut and New Haven Bike Month (2015 – 2017) and can bring with me ideas from this work.
- I am a transportation professional in Raleigh and through that I have a strong understanding of the local planning context.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
I spent a couple of years living in New Haven, Connecticut, where I was involved with New Haven Bike Month. One thing New Haven Bike Month did really well that I think Oaks & Spokes could emulate was to take a true bottom-up community approach to all events that they hosted. As part of bike month there was a neighborhood Open Streets Event every Saturday in a different neighborhood. Each event was run through a partnership between New Haven Bike Month and a neighborhood partner (be it a person or an organization). The neighborhood partner took the lead on organizing their own activities, vendors, etc. to truly represent their community.
Because of these partnerships New Haven Bike Month became better connected to a wider variety of people who rode bikes throughout the City. Many of these people did not identify themselves as a “cyclist” and without these neighborhood partnerships they would not have sought to be involved with an organization like New Haven Bike Month. I think by facilitating these types of neighborhood partnerships, and getting out of downtown to host events in a wider variety of Raleigh’s diverse neighborhood’s, Oaks & Spokes could become better connected not only to individuals who may not have access to a car, but to a wider variety of people who ride a bicycle for any number of reasons who would not seek out Oaks & Spokes on their own.
As an aside to all of that, I also work in transit and believe that working to ensure people understand that bicycling infrastructure, pedestrian infrastructure, and transit can work together as a holistic system to get people where they need to go without a car is critical. Transit is inherently multimodal (you need to walk or bike to get to/from your transit stop), and I think facilitating more conversations and events that show the value of pairing bicycling with transit could reach more current and potential bicycle riders who are frequent bus riders.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I am applying to be on the Oaks and Spokes Board because I love Raleigh and I aspire to use my professional skills to help make it easier to get around the City without a car (biking, walking, and transit). I am also a parent of a small child and with that has come a new interest in safe routes to school, and other such efforts that focus on giving Raleigh kids a more car-lite childhood (which, I believe, would lead itself to a car-lite adult lifestyle as well).
Tell us a little about yourself
I have more than 12 years of experience in commuter programming and Transportation Demand Management (TDM), beginning with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in Washington DC, eventually moving back to Raleigh, NC, where I was the administrator of Share the Ride NC (www.strnc.org), North Carolina’s statewide ridematching system. I’m a subject matter expert regarding ridematching, ridematching platforms, complementary programs, and services such as bike buddy programs, incentives, Emergency Ride Home/Guaranteed Ride Home, vanpooling, surveying, and other services designed to improve air quality and reduce congestion. In addition, as of January 2023, I now serve as Commuter TDM Specialist, supporting Commutifi’s (www.commutifi.com) customer success efforts.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- First, having been the Share the Ride NC (STRNC) System Administrator for ten years, I know it’s a system that cyclists (and all commute modes) can utilize to help find partners/buddies. Finding a partner can encourage cycling while making cyclists feel safer and more educated. STRNC is a free system and would be easy to leverage in future Oaks and Spokes efforts. I’m glad to spearhead that effort.
- Second, I have supported Oaks and Spokes’ efforts by volunteering and participating in past events. I love what Oaks and Spokes are doing, and I pledge to be a more active and engaged member by joining the Board and volunteering my time. I have two areas of interest that I would aim to develop with Oaks and Spokes:
a. I am interested in electric bikes, so I want to explore how best to encourage and promote electric bikes throughout Raleigh.
b. The BikeWalkNC Bicycle Friendly Driver Program is something every North Carolinian should know about (https://www.bikewalknc.org/safety-education/education-resources-for-motorists/). I aim to encourage and incorporate best practices from this program locally. - Third, I have worked with the City of Raleigh staff during my employment with GoTriangle. While I have established professional relationships with Council Members like Jonathan Melton and Mayor Baldwin, I plan to lean into those professional relationships for bike advocacy. However, I want to avoid ‘preaching to the choir’ and leveraging relationships with existing bike champions, so I aim to explore building professional relationships throughout the city.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
I’ve participated on boards and committees many times over the years, and one of the most critical elements to a successful team is simply showing up. Some people might join an organization with good intentions but don’t show up and don’t put in the work. Oaks and Spokes can better listen and represent people who need access to a car or reliable transportation by being present. We need to listen and hear from community members and their needs, then use our influence to serve those communities better.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
Bikeshare programs significantly impacted my wife and me, especially ebikes. We loved renting Citrix Cycle ebikes (now Cardinal), and several years ago, we decided to purchase our own ebikes. As a result, ebikes have become an essential component of our daily lives. I strongly encourage people to explore their communities on a bike, and it’s a beautiful way to learn and explore where you live or visit.
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m a current member of the Oaks and Spokes Board. I currently work for Toole Design Group who is proud to partner with Oaks and Spokes on various items and host the member party two years running. Toole Design Group is a Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Engineering firm that focuses solely on moving people through spaces safely. We only work on multimodal projects that help people move about outside of the car and never on widening or highway projects. In addition to my day to day job I serve on other community boards as well as run a blog containing ideas to help build better cities for people to live, work, and thrive safely for all modes of Transportation. My vision is to help make Raleigh the safest city for cycling in the South.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
I’m currently engaged in helping turn the RUS bus development into a bike hub. As an Engineer, I also have some ideas on how to turn some rough ideas into viable solution and can sometimes help bring a balance of realism and perspective.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
Getting into the community and seeing how marginalized communities get around on bike and not just choice riders.
Tell us a little about yourself
I have been working for the City of Raleigh for nearly nine years as part of the Commute Smart Raleigh program. I am passionate about working with the community and inciting behavior change to get people not only on bikes but also buses, carpool, walking, and more to create a thriving and vibrant city that serves all residents. I am transitioning out of my Transportation role and will continue to work for the City with a broader focus on community relations but would like to be part of Oaks and Spokes to continue to focus on my passion for getting people on bikes and advocate for safe cycling.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
- Knowledge of City practices
- Relationships with changemakers
- Communications background.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
In person outreach directly in communities and additional youth outreach in person with bike clinics etc (O&S already does an amazing job with those though).
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 20 when I moved to the US from Germany. I long for a world that doesn’t rely on cars again. A world where my daughter can safely bike to the store as I did to buy candy with my pocket money.
Tell us a little about yourself
Lifelong cycling advocate. Coach, athlete, and adaptive cycling expert. Seasoned cycling industry professional.
What are three ways that you would contribute to the Board of Directors? (unique skills and knowledge; relationships and resources; free time to volunteer, etc.)
Long relationships within the city and cycling industry. Decade of experience with cycling accessibility and marketing. Non-profit and 501c3 experience maximizing donor dollars.
How do you think Oaks & Spokes can better listen to and represent people who may not have access to a car?
Beat the streets with on the ground events and participation in target areas i.e. the places folks don’t usually want to go.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
Strong background in service and lasting partnerships and relationships.