Speakers and Performers

I fell in love with bicycling in 1990 while attending graduate school in Washington DC. Having grown up in suburban Dallas, Texas, I was used to driving everywhere. Informed that there was no parking available near my school, I borrowed my brother's 10-speed Schwinn. Within a few weeks, I was in the best shape of my life, and a lifelong love affair had begun. Since then, I have been a dedicated bicyclist for recreation, touring, exercise, and daily utilitarian trips. I have two children and see bicycling as a win-win strategy for maintaining my family's health, safety, budget, and community connection.

My career has included:

• Advocacy work (1989-1993) at an international environmental think tank, during which time I worked with cities in developing countries on transportation energy conservation strategies.
• Government leadership as the City of Portland's Bicycle Program Manager, where I led Portland's transformation to the country's most bicycle-friendly city.
• Consulting with communities nationwide (1999 to present) as a Principal at Alta Planning + Design, the nation's leading firm specializing in bicycle, pedestrian, and trail planning, design, and implementation. I have worked on hundreds of bicycle and pedestrian planning projects around the nation, expanded Alta to a 60-person firm with 7 offices nationwide, and authored studies on such groundbreaking topics as shared lane markings and rails-with-trails.
• Teaching bicycle and pedestrian planning through my role as Adjunct Professor at Portland State University and founder of PSU's Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI).

Related Experience

• Founding Member, Initiative for Bicycle & Pedestrian Innovation, Portland State University
• Member, Portland's "Go Platinum" Bicycle Master Plan Steering Committee
• Fellowship Recipient, the German Marshall Fund Environmental Program, 1996. Visited 15 bicycle-friendly European cities to learn new ideas for making U.S. cities more bicycle-friendly. Subsequently implemented numerous innovative ideas in Portland.
• Advisory board member, Community Cycling Center, Portland, Oregon
• Member, Transportation Research Board, Bicycle Subcommittee
• Board Member, Cycle Oregon