Profile

BikeWalk NC is very pleased to introduce Trish Farnham as its first Programs Manager.  Trish joined the staff in November of 2021, and will manage BikeWalk NC’s new Bicycle Friendly Driver Safety program and its other educational programs.  

Trish is a lifelong pedestrian and self-described, unapologetic “basket bike” cyclist. She first became interested in the work of BikeWalk NC after attending the 2019 Summit in Winston-Salem. As a long-time disability rights advocate, Trish was drawn to BikeWalk NC’s inclusive mission. After twelve years of working on healthcare and long-term care policy at the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Trish is excited to bring her program management experience to BikeWalkNC.  Throughout her life, Trish has directly witnessed the transformative impact physical activity and accessibility can have on the collective health and well-being of a community.    

Trish has an MPA from Georgia State University and a BA in Geography and American Studies from Miami University.

Please join us in welcoming her to our community!

Say hello at: programs(at)bikewalknc.org

Evan Brigham joined the BikeWalk NC team two years ago as a replacement for his roommate Dylan Horne, a former BWNC member who left for a cross-country bicycle trip. Evan’s passion for bicycling originally came from an environmental standpoint, but it grew as he became involved with more bicycling organizations.

Outside of BWNC, Evan served as president of Oaks and Spokes, a Raleigh-based nonprofit, and was commissioner for Raleigh’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). His interests in transportation extended into his day job as a traffic engineer, but he also enjoys hobbies like gardening in his spare time.

Originally hailing from Denver, Colorado, Evan realized that as long as he was close to his destination, he didn’t need a car. “By the time I was 16 or 17, I realized that I had a bike this whole time, and I could get around just fine with a bike.” Evan hopes to never need an automobile.

Earlier this year, Evan left Raleigh to travel for three months in Central America, after which he plans on returning to Denver to be close to his family. “Evan provided a youthful perspective as the millennial member on the BWNC board, and it was a pleasure working with him the last few years,” said Lisa Riegel, BWNC executive director. “We hope he returns to North Carolina in the future.”

During his time with BWNC, Evan became most passionate about the organization’s legislative work. “I didn’t know there was so much going on at the state level,” said Evan. “All of these attacks on bike laws have amazed me. To find out that, with the right push or with the right pressure from a group of people, you can make a change, is really cool.”

One of our most active board members, Don Kostelec, is moving to Boise, Idaho, to work for Alta Planning & Design.  A big loss for BWNC and North Carolina.   For the past four or so years, we have valued and benefited from his technical expertise, creative ideas and extensive network of contacts. He is amazing at identify issues and provide examples to illustrate change needed – he sees things that most of us overlook. We will miss his voice advocating for the underserved, under-represented populations in our state. We will also miss his sharp wit that always brightened our day when he shared with us. The state of North Carolina and BikeWalk NC in particular will be losing an important and knowledgeable advocate for walkable, bicyclist-friendly development. Idaho is winning big with his move!  We will miss you Don!