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!
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Recognition of Lauren Blackburn
BikeWalk NC recognizes Lauren Blackburn, the previous director of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, for her contributions to improving the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on public roadways. Lauren served as the Division’s director for four years, during which various regional infrastructure plans were developed with the intention of prioritizing access and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
Under Lauren’s leadership, the state revised the framework of North Carolina’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to improve various areas of bicycling and pedestrian transportation, including mobility, safety, and the environment. Lauren also promoted comprehensive planning of bicycling/pedestrian infrastructure by leading campaigns such as “Watch for Me” and partnered with the NC Department of Health and Human Services to launch the Active Routes to School program to encourage students to walk and bike to school.
“I learned an incredible amount working with the Department and other staff and leaders within the NCDOT,” said Lauren. “[There were plenty] of opportunities to grow and learn there as a transportation professional, and I have the upmost respect for the people that work there.”
Above all, BikeWalk NC is extremely grateful for Lauren’s willingness to collaborate and for her support of BWNC’s goals to increase transportation safety education in North Carolina. BWNC has had an effective and successful relationship with Lauren and the NCDOT’s Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, and it hopes that the NCDOT will select a new director that will advance Lauren’s goals and programs to improve bicycling, pedestrian, and motorist safety and education across the state.
BikeWalk Director Lisa Riegel drafted a letter to the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation expressing these sentiments and hopes for the Division’s new directorship, which can be read here. BWNC also drafted a resolution expressing gratitude and respect for Lauren Blackburn in her role as the Division’s director that can be read here.
Lauren is now working for the consulting firm VHB as a project manager at the company’s office in Raleigh.
Executive Director Appointed
BikeWalk North Carolina (BWNC) is most pleased to announce the selection of its first Executive Director, Lisa Diaz Riegel, a graduate of Duke University and resident of the Town of Cary. Ms. Riegel competed against stiff competition in a national search, but her track record in North Carolina was the decisive factor in her unanimous selection by the BWNC Board of Directors.
For nine years, Ms. Riegel served as Executive Director of the Natural Heritage Trust Fund, a grant program housed in the Secretary’s Office of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR). In that role she interfaced with four state agencies and numerous non-profit organizations as they worked to identify and conserve the state’s most important natural and cultural assets. As DENR’s Interagency Sustainability Coordinator, she served on many collaborative efforts such as the steering committee for NC Department of Transportation’s statewide pedestrian and bicycle plan. As an appointed member of NC’s Climate Action Plan Advisory Group (2006-2008) she led the Transportation and Land-Use Work Group’s transit-oriented development mitigation option. In 2011 she chaired the work group looking at how the built environment impacts health as part of the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative with participation from the private sector, academia, non-profit organizations and government. Relationships built as DENR’s representative on regional planning and economic development efforts such as Piedmont Together, will continue to be important in her new role as we work to make sure that infrastructure in North Carolina is built to meet the needs of today and in the future.
Ms. Riegel is a proven collaborator and fundraiser; she is expected to raise the visibility of BikeWalk North Carolina and its message that bicycling and walking are essential to the future prosperity and quality of life in the Tar Heel state.
In Ms. Riegel’s own words: “Young and old alike want the option to walk and bike to work, school, and many other destinations. A growing number cannot afford car ownership. I’m excited to work with BikeWalk NC to help communities provide for safe, low-cost, healthy travel options and put less stress on our already over-burdened roads.”
Media Contact: Roger Henderson, President of BikeWalk North Carolina, president@bikewalknc.org
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REMINDER ! The 4th annual NC Bike Summit takes place in Charlotte NC, Oct.15-17 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Center City campus. BikeWalk NC is a major sponsor for this event. Registration and other information will be available via the BikeWalk NC website (www.bikewalknc.org) very soon!