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Please tell us how your qualifications and participation will relate to the requested board and/or commission's mission.
As an East Oakland native, East Bay Bike Party ride leader, board member of a bike co-op, and long time volunteer in the cycling community of the East Bay, I have a detailed knowledge of the infrastructure of the Bay Area and thorough understanding of how people get around in all the different areas of Oakland. As someone who has been hit by cars three times, I understand the challenges and frustrations of people who want to live car free lives but struggle with intersections, road designs, and road users that put their lives in peril. I have an acute knowledge of what kind of infrastructure works to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, and the kind of infrastructure that looks good on paper, but fails to be effective. I understand the drawbacks and challenges that local public transit agencies like AC Transit and BART face with trying to attract and keep riders on a limited budget. I also understand how nice it is to hop in a car and go somewhere quickly. I have been a BPAC committee member in Emeryville since 2023, and have been the BPAC chair since 2024. As a committee member, I have made an impact in shaping the 40th St Multimodal Project, the San Pablo redesign, and the Hollis St redesign, among other projects. I have also assisted with inventorying and mapping locations for new bike racks in Emeryville, and worked to improve wayfinding for pedestrians and cyclists. As Chair, I moderate monthly meetings in a way that help to make everyone feel welcome, and encourage people to provide their honest feedback, even if it means going against the prevailing narrative. As my parents and their friends get older, I'm learning more about what sort of designs need to be considered to create walkways that are accessible for people with limited mobility or disabilities. I hope to bring my experience as a multi-vehicle road user and community member to the committee to facilitate infrastructure improvements within Oakland and beyond. I want Oakland (and the Bay Area) to be a safe place to get around, whether you are walking, rolling, strolling, biking, riding, or driving. Oakland has a lot of work to do in creating complete streets to pursue this goal, and I want to be part of the discussion in order to contribute, as well as learn from the other interesting viewpoints on the committee. To me, the planning and design of road infrastructure needs to be inclusive and balanced. The planning and design process requires inputs from all user groups and transparent communications about the decisions that are made. An effective design may not completely satisfy all parties, but often exists in the middle of the desires of different user groups. Sometimes designs need to be a bit progressive or revolutionary to show people how much better things can be, but often progress needs to be slow and steady so as to not completely alienate groups or create divisions/blowback. Oakland is already a great place to live because of the many efforts of many prior committee members, and I would like to keep up the good work.
Please submit your resume or curriculum vitae. You may upload a document. (A Word format is preferred.) Alternatively, you may paste the text of your resume in the field provided below.
Please paste the text of your resume or curriculum vitae below.
Olsen_Jesse_Resume_Oakland_BPAC.docx
Jesse Olsen
Jesse Olsen
Key Experiences
Biketopia volunteer and board member
Chair of Emeryville BPAC
East Bay Bike Party ride leader and DJ (The Lamp Guy) Founder of Blacksburg Bike Party
East Oakland native
Selected Positions
Biketopia Volunteer 02/2017-present
Biketopia Board Member 07/2023-present Educated patrons on the maintenance and repair of their bikes Managed operations of two bike co-op facilities
Helped develop and refine the co-op’s strategic plan
Emeryville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commissioner 07/2023-present Emeryville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Chair 07/2024-present ● Evaluate proposed transportation projects and infrastructure changes to ensure they meet the needs of cyclists and pedestrians
● Provided recommendations on policies, plans, and projects related to cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in Emeryville
● Gathered public input, addressed concerns from residents, and communicated feedback to city council
Bike Mechanic 03/2017-05/20217
Bay Area Bike Mobile
● Hosted bike repair workshops at schools in the nine Bay Area counties ● Taught bike mechanics basics to K-12 students
● Fixed a lot of bikes!
Student Intern 01/2016-12/2016
Virginia Tech Hokie Bike Hub and Alternative Transportation Center ● Assisted students, faculty, and staff with the repair and maintenance of their bikes ● Educated visitors about the fundamental concepts of bike repair ● Promoted alternative transportation practices
Education
M.S., Fisheries Conservation 8/2014-12/2016
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, V A Graduate Research Assistant, M.S.
Thesis: Flood pulse influences on exploited fish populations of the Central Amazon B.S., Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Science, 8/2010-5/2014 State University of New York,
College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)
Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, Syracuse, NY Honors thesis: Synchronized breathing and sound production of juvenile arapaima Magna cum laude with Honors
Upload a Resume
Please tell us how your qualifications and participation will relate to the requested board and/or commission's mission.
My experience as a transportation planner supporting and leading a variety of pedestrian and bicycle projects over the last decade and my commitment to Oakland as a homeowner in District 2 directly relate to the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission's (BPAC) mission of improving safety and accessibility for all that walk or bike in and around Oakland. Since moving to the Bay Area without a car in 2012, my relationship to the City of Oakland evolved from frequent visitor, turned renter, turned homeowner. This relationship, combined with my perspective as a Middle Eastern woman navigating public transit, sidewalks, and bike routes in the Town can shine a light on how to foster modeshift through improved infrastructure that prioritizes visibility and wayfinding. Coupling my lived experience, with my professional planning background, allows for advocacy of practical solutions that reflect the real challenges faced by Oakland's diverse residents.The BPAC reviews proposed bicycle and pedestrian projects, advises on those funded by specific measures and identified in associated plans, and prioritizes future projects relevant to the Commission's purpose. Over the last decade, I worked as a transportation planner and project manager for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. I served as the lead transportation planner and led outreach and construction mitigation of two pedestrian capital projects (6th Street Pedestrian Safety and Safer Taylor projects), project manager for three bicycle quick-build projects (Golden Gate Quick-Build, Bayview Quick-Build, and Lake Merced Quick-Build projects), and drafted curb management plans that designated parking and loading mixes for four multimodal projects (K-Ingleside Rapid, Mid-Valencia Bikeway Improvements Folsom Streetscape, and Howard Streetscape projects). I understand project scopes, timelines, and costs and I know how those can get impacted. The BPAC's mission also requires that its commissioners be strong advocates for safety and push the City of Oakland to address street safety issues that reflect community needs. One of my most valuable skills as a transportation planner is my ability to lead a variety of public outreach strategies, which helped foster trust from formerly disenfranchised neighborhoods, engaged non-native speakers, and de-escalated frustrated community groups. I also served as the President of the Planners Chapter of IFPTE Local 21 for two years giving me skills in negotiation and inclusive leadership. My combination of technical expertise and diverse insight will enable BPAC to effectively advocate and provide guidance on practical, equitable solutions to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and enhance the quality of life for all Oakland residents and community members.
Please submit your resume or curriculum vitae. You may upload a document. (A Word format is preferred.) Alternatively, you may paste the text of your resume in the field provided below.
HaghgooShayda_Resume_08292025.pdf
Shayda Rager
SHAYDA H. RAGER
EXPERIENCE
Transportation Planner III –San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency–San Francisco, CA 7/2019-Present ○ Serving as Project Manager for the Venue Self-Post Program, enabling select entertainment venues in San Francisco to print, post, and re-post their own T emporary T ow-Away No Stopping Signs, resulting in time and cost savings. ○ Communicated, legislated, and implemented curb management plans and on-street parking changes associated with the following projects:
Mid-Valencia Bikeway Project, K-Ingleside Rapid Project, Folsom Streetscape Project, Howard Streetscape Project ○ Provided project management and geospatial analysis support for the On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging Station Feasibility Study, contributing to strategic planning and site selection.
○ Contributed to the development of the 2024 San Francisco Biking and Rolling Plan and updated the Citywide Bicycle Conditions Index. ○ Served as project manager overseeing scope, schedule, budget, and staff for multimodal transportation projects, including: Lake Merced Quick-Build Project, Golden Gate Quick-Build Project, Bayview Quick-Build Project, Stevenson String Lights Beautification Project, Divisadero Intersection Improvements, and Western Addition Transportation Plan Implementation. ○ Led stakeholder coordination and public engagement for the 6th Street Pedestrian Safety and Safer Taylor pedestrian capital projects that employed diverse outreach strategies (e.g., virtual meetings, open houses, one-on-one discussions, focus groups) and culminated into construction mitigation plans for both projects.
○ Created maps and visual materials and conducted geospatial analyses using ArcGIS and Adobe Creative Suite for high-priority initiatives, including the 2024 Bicycle Conditions Index, Transit Network Equity Analysis, Slow Streets rollout, Office of Innovation autonomous vehicle evaluation, and T enderloin COVID-19 Emergency Streets. ○ Served as Co-Chair of the SFMTA Streets Division Summer Intern Committee in 2019 and 2021 (2020 canceled), leading recruitment, programming, and mentorship efforts.
Transportation Planner II–San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency–San Francisco, CA 3/2017-7/2019 ○ Supported in the planning, legislation, and/or implementation of the Eddy Street T wo-Way Street Conversion, La Playa Pedestrian Improvements, 6th Street Pedestrian Safety Projects, Safer Taylor Street, Beale Street Improvements, 11th Street Improvements, Alemany Interchange Improvement projects, Motorized Scooter Share Permit Pilot Program, Transportation Planner Intern III–San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency–San Francisco, CA 6/2016-1/2017 ○ Gathered and analyzed land use, travel behavior, and parking behavior data used for SFpark citywide policy proposal.
Transportation Planner Intern II–San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency–San Francisco, CA 6/2015-8/2015 ○ Created and updated datasets, shapefiles, and geodatabases relating to San Francisco’s transportation network.
GIS Graduate T eaching Assistant–University of Pennsylvania–Philadelphia, PA 8/2014-1/2015 ○ Helped 50 students understand how to apply ArcGIS applications and tools in an urban planning context.
EDUCATION
University of Pennsylvania May 2016
Master’s Degree, City and Regional Planning
Sustainable Transportation and Infrastructure
Certificate, Geographical Information Systems and Spatial Analysis University of California-Los Angeles December 2010
Bachelor’s Degree, Geography and Environmental Studies
LEADERSHIP
IFPTE Local 21 Planners/Environmental Specialist Chapter President 2020-2022
Women in Transportation Seminar 2017-2019
Women’s Leadership Program & Mentorship Program
Y oung Professionals in Transportation – San Francisco Bay Area Chapter - Chair 2017-2018
T onya Denise Love
Work Experience
Principle Government and Community Relations - SF Bay Area Rapid Transit - December 2024 - Present ● Work with diverse community stakeholders to identify, resolve complex transportation issues ● Create and deliver presentations for senior public officials, community groups and local leaders. ● Work directly with elected officials to gain support for District plans, policies and projects. ● Plan and organize community projects and events.
Chief of Staff – Carroll Fife, Oakland City Council. City of Oakland. January 2021 - December 2024 ● Manage team of four individuals
● Oversee internal office budget
● Draft and implement city public policy and budget directives ● Provide high level constituent and organizational services ● Manage schedule for the councilmember and act as surrogate to the member for events/meetings Campaign Coordinator – Carroll Fife for City Council 2020, Oakland City Council, District 3. September 15 – November 15. Managed campaign for city council for Carroll Fife who ran a successful campaign against at 2-term incumbent with around 50 percent of the vote to the incumbents 30 percent (RCV results pending). ●
Scheduling meetings and events for candidate
● Campaign event planning
● Strategic coordination
● Assist with policy platform development and talking points ● Manage campaign purchasing and expenditures
● Coordinate messaging with communications team
● Coordinate campaign closure and transition to office
California State Assembly. District Office, Assemblymember Rob Bonta. 1515 Clay Street, Suite 2204.
Oakland 94619
District Director: March 2019 – August 2020. Manage district level relationship between Assemblymember Bonta and government representatives in Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro.
Field Representative: Oct. 2016 – Nov. 2018. Represent the Assemblymember at events and meetings. Develop and staff legislative proposals. Implement state level programing in the district. ●
Specializing in policy areas, helped facilitate local support for legislation in areas including housing, education, government relations, labor and faith communities. Researched and drafted Housing and a Human Right Constitutional Amendment, ACA 10 – 2020.
● Answer constituent inquiries and conduct casework activities on critical matters involving state agencies such as the Employment Development Department, California Department of Transportation, and California Department of Insurance.
● Draft Assemblymember’s high-profile speeches, talking points, and meeting dossiers for public events, private meetings, and on-site visits.
● Manage donations, sponsorship and contributions to local political and non-profit organizations
Tonya Denise Love pg. 2
● Manage local office which includes 5 full-time staff members and oversee programming and activities for summer interns for 3 years.
● Assist with managing social media and constituent communications. Administrator for personal and state Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
● Assist the member with political fundraising helping to raise over $100,000 per year. ● Served as his political surrogate and assisted in his re-election campaign for the 2017-18 and 2019-2020 campaign season.
Healthy & Active Before 5(HAB45). Concord, CA. Program Associate. 2012 – October 2016. Project Assistant 2009-2012 http://www.HAB45.org Provide administrative and technical assistance for Executive Committee and Program Director. Successful execution of programs for a Contra Costa Collaborative of over 80 partner agencies.
Implementation of community pediatric obesity interventions and community based organizational policy development. Experience in grant writing and reporting. Member of specialized best practice planning committees on breastfeeding, social marketing to reduce sugar sweetened beverage consumption and community engagement to support education and achievement. Highlights include:
● Through technical assistance and organizational coaching, motivated 55 community agencies to create healthy environments for low-income families with young children through organizational policy change.
Developed in 2010, Pledge the Practice, Pass the Policy has reached nearly 50,000 young children and families throughout Contra Costa.
● Developed expertise in physical activity for young children to create policies that encourage movement and play adopted by 14 partner agencies and 18 child care providers. ● Managed HAB45 activities in an on-going community based participatory initiative between with HAB45, First 5 Contra Costa and Contra Costa County Regional Groups to identify and advocate for fun and safe play spaces for young children. The Parks Project mapped 75 parks and play spaces in 5 cities across Contra Costa. As a result of our work over $1.6 Million has been allocated toward improvements of parks in low-income neighborhoods. Provided research and data analysis support, co-facilitated community workshops, elevated the voice of young children and families at city government through presentations and building relationships with local partners.
●
Developed an innovative “Deepening Healthy Policy Implementation” workshop and program, which trained partner organizations that passed healthy policies to increase healthy eating and physical activity practices.
● Coordinated 12 biannual Leadership Council meetings and one countywide summit designed to provide education and training on best practices in childhood obesity reduction and opportunities for networking.
HAB45 Leadership Council meetings have an average attendance of 55 participants for our bi-annual meetings and 125 attendees to the 2010 community summit.
Memorial Tabernacle Church- USCF Abundant Life Ministries. Oakland, CA. Health Ministry Coordinator. Jan 2009- present. Regional Technical Assistant Coordinator, October 2015 – January 2017. Coordinate health education and screening programs for African American faith-based membership. Responsible for grant writing and reporting. Evaluating programs and intervention strategies. ● Organized 12 community workshops and 4 health fairs that provided opportunities education and screening around heart disease, diabetes, cancer and infectious disease and to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.
● Developed an innovative and fun summer physical activity program and fundraiser for families and church staff. Changed the food practices and eating habits of church community. Increased activity levels of 80 percent of program participants.
Tonya Denise Love pg. 3
● Generate online and written materials and fact sheets pamphlets and health information, best practices and recommendations.
● Regularly apply for funding and donations for the program and manage program budget ● Provide consulting services to 8 Alameda County health ministries to build and maintain health ministry programs.
California Prevention and Education Project (Cal-PEP). Oakland, CA. Intern. May 2008- May 2009 Assisted program staff with health education and recruitment in order to reduce the prevalence of HIV infection in the African American Community, Certified HIV Prevention Counselor Level 1 for education and HIV screening of low and high risk populations.
● Managed on-line education and recruitment for HIV study involving African American men ● Coordinated Black HIV Awareness Day, Feb. 2009 at UC Berkeley attended by 200 students, which included a health fair, HIV Screening and panel discussion on STI prevention.
American Cancer Society. Oakland, CA. Event Outreach Specialist. June 2008- November 2008.
Outreach and recruitment of participants for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, for San Francisco and San Jose, which raised over $1.3 million from 25,000 participants. Specialized in Faith Based outreach and education. ● Management of over 90 teams, corporate and faith based organizations. Participated in direct cause- marketing campaigns using grassroots approaches.
● Participated in several health fair and community events educating participants in breast cancer prevalence and prevention.
Committees/Organizations
Alameda County Democratic Party Central Committee (ACDCC), District 18 elect. 2021-2025. Elected Vice- Chair.
A local body of the California Democratic party, ACDCC educates and registers voters, support Democratic candidates for office, endorses state and local policies that promote democratic values.
California Democratic Party. 2018-2020 Elected Delegate for District 18, Alameda County.
Track, support and
promote statewide policies of concern to Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro residents.
Oakland Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Advisory Board – Vice Chair Served on the Oakland Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax Initiative in 2016 Appointed to the Community Advisory Board in 2017 to coordinate distribution of the SSB Tax funds to support public health interventions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and improve the health of low- income communities of color.
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights – Soul of the City Campaign Community Engagement 2012-2013 – mobilize residents of color to get involved in local elections and policies American Diabetes Association – National Diversity and Inclusion Committee Member 2012-2014 Provide expert guidance in the area of diversity and inclusion best practices. The Committee oversees the development and enhancement the Association’s strategies and initiatives to ensure that staff and volunteers are reflective of the communities served and that diversity is incorporated in all that the Association does.
Alameda County Public Health Commission – Oral Health Committee. Member 2013-2014 Joined committee to explore reducing sugar- sweetened beverage consumption in Alameda County. Currently part of the Oakland Tonya Denise Love pg. 4
Healthy Families Coalition to promote passage of the Oakland Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax on the November 2016 Ballot.
Urban Habitat- Boards and Commission Leadership Institute (BCLI) 2013-2014 Fellow, 2014-present Alumni Board. BCLI is a leadership program training resident to join local boards and commissions with a lens towards social justice.
Oakland Justice Coalition – At large member 2015 to 2017. As part of the Oakland Post Salon coalition, advocated for Oakland Housing Moratorium April 5 – July 5, 2016 and the Oakland Police Commission Measure for the November 2016 Ballot.
Community Events
#Oakmtg Mayoral Candidate Forums – Project Coordinator, January – August 2014 Lead 10 volunteer residents to plan Oakland Mayoral Candidate Forum, which includes social media to increase resident access to the campaign season. Contacted and registered Oakland Mayoral Candidates for forum. Conducted grass-roots outreach to community about forum. Coordinated logistics for the live forum event. Organized and encouraged the public to submit and vote on over 180 questions online. Facilitated summer twitter discussions with 15 Mayoral Candidates. Live Forum had 212 attendees. Live forum was filmed live on KTOP Ch. 10/Uverse Ch. 99
For more information visit: http://oaklandwiki.org/%23Oakmtg 2014 Mayoral Candidate Forum
Other Campaigns:
Census 2020 – staffed Rob Bonta, dropped literature, made phone calls and made social media posts encouraging participation in the census.
Prop 16 – 2020 (repeal prop 209) – text banked over 4,000 residents and recruited 4 volunteers.
Molecular Biology Research
Molecular Sciences Institute. Berkeley, CA. Research Technician. 2005- 2007 Detection and Quantification of cellular growth pathway DNA and proteins via genetic engineering of yeast models and quantitative immunoblotting. Mentor and educator of summer high school interns.
University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, CA. Staff Research Associate. 2001- 2005 Purification and detection of protein markers found in human and mouse model brain tumors, using immunohistochemical and immunoblotting methods. Basic laboratory maintenance and management.
Kaiser Permanente Department of Research. Oakland, CA. Research Assistant. Summer 2000.
Interview Kaiser Members about their experiences with newly introduced chicken pox vaccine.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Public Health. University of California, Berkeley. 2009 Relevant Courses: Community Health, Public Policy, General Economics, Health Economics and Public Policy, Health Administration and Public Policy, Marketing and Marketing Communications, Special Training:
Grass Roots Advocacy. California Black Women’s Health Project, 2009 First 5 Contra Costa, Regional Parent Groups, 2011- present Policylink Equity Summit, legislative advocacy, Bay Area Caucus member 2011 Building Blocks for Kids - Richmond, Community Engagement member, 2011 Tonya Denise Love pg. 5
HIV Prevention Counselor 1. Department of Health, San Francisco California, 2009 Social Media. UC Berkeley Center for Health Leadership, Feb. 2010 The California Endowment, July 2010
Kaiser Permanente HEAL, Media Training, Spring 2011
Computer and Media Skills
Computer:
MAC and PC computer systems
Microsoft Software
Adobe Photoshop
Filemaker Pro
Publisher
Access
Excel
Web:
WordPress
iWeb
Webhost administration
HTML/CSS
Social Media:
Facebook
Reddit
LinkedIn
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram
Outreach and Media Consulting Experience
● Social Media Consultant- Abundant Life Health Ministries. Oversee and provide assistance to 12 churches implementing social media programs for their health ministries. 2013 ● Social Media and Web Developer- Memorial Tabernacle Church, mtchurch.org 2010-2011 ● Technical Media Consultant- Bay Area Play Coalition, 2011 ● Technical Media Consultant – Global Play Memories, 2011 ● Outreach Coordinator District 2 Town hall, Oakland CA. May- April 2011 ● Member, Outreach Workgroup- Oakland Food Policy Advocates, Spring 2011 Blog: Love, Health and Advocacy. Averages 500 page views/post Twitter: ( blogger of Oakland city council meetings, forums and debates to #oakmtg hashtag and various professional conferences.
Administrator for the following Social Media Accounts: Assemblymember Bonta, Love For the Community, OpenOakland, Memorial Tabernacle Church, Oakmtg, Healthy & Active Before 5.
Publications
McKnight TR, Lamborn KR, Love TD, Berger MS, Chang S, Dillon WP, Bollen A, Nelson SJ. Correlation of magnetic resonance spectroscopic and growth characteristics within Grades II and III gliomas, J Neurosurg. 2007 Apr;106(4):660-6.
MANUSCRIPT: K. R. Benjamin, T. M. Thomson, T. Love, R. C. Yu, A. Gordon, A. Colman-Lerner, D. Endy and R. Brent. Low Abundance of Yeast MAPK Scaffold Suggests Tradeoff between System Output and Dynamic Range. (Submitted to PLoS Biology, 2007.)
ABSTRACT: T. McKnight, R. Henry, T. Love, D. Vigneron, M. Berger, M. McDermott and S. Nelson.
Correlation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy with histopathologic features of Grades II and Grades III glioma. (Proceedings of AACR Molecular Imaging in Cancer: Linking Biology, Function, and Clinical Applications in vivo, Naples FL Jan. 23-27, 2002.)
ABSTRACT: T. McKnight, D. Vigneron, T. Love, K. Lamborn, K. Chiu, M. Berger, M. McDermott, and S. Nelson.
Comparison of a Cho-NAA Index with the MIB-1 proliferative index and cell density of tissue samples from Grades II and III glioma. (Proceedings from the 10th Scientific meeting of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Honolulu, HI, May 18-23, 2002.)
Upload a Resume
Please tell us how your qualifications and participation will relate to the requested board and/or commission's mission.
I have been an Oakland resident since 1999, and have been a walker of the residential and downtown neighborhoods since then. Four years ago, I decided to buy an electric bicycle in order to get some exercise and ultimately get rid of my car. I became a weekday walker and a weekend bicycle rider and I believe that I have empathy with the challenges that meet non-car travelers in Oakland. Much of my bike riding happens up in the hills in Montclair and Broadway Terrace, where I bike for fun, but mostly to run my daily errands. I do also like to ride up on Skyline and just enjoy the beauty of the views and the winding road, which is pretty quiet in the middle of the day in the middle of the week--biking Skyline on the weekends is a bit scary for me. I ride down to Alameda weekly and usually take the bike ferry between Jack London Square and Bohol Park. Alameda is a good place to look for inspiration as they are moving ahead with making a large number of slow streets, blocking off car traffic from some streets, and building great protected bikeways on Clement Street as well as a flat and safe bikeway in Jean Sweeney Park. Alameda is having their "Week without Driving" in late September, and I plan to go over there to see what I can learn. I have been an active member of Bike East Bay for two years, and I table events as well as participate in the annual Bike to Wherever events in Oakland and Alameda. As an older resident with an accumulation of injuries, I recognize the additional challenges that come when you are not fast moving, don't have the greatest balance, but still want to ride and walk around safely in Oakland. As I am biking in Oakland, I notice obstacles that make biking feel a lot more dangerous for those of us who are not the most talented bicycle riders and I would like to add my observations and suggestions to make biking less discouraging for the people who don't do competitive bike racing and can't jump a curb in order to get to safety. Since most of my career has been spent in government work, I also understand the speed of bureaucracy and the importance of having connections with related agencies so that we can work together to push projects along and not get too disheartened when projects are delayed or lose their funding. You cannot expect immediate results when working within the many rules that govern public services and patience is obligatory when you work with government. My 25 years of experience working for San Francisco Public Library taught me to push for the long-term goals and not give up when obstacles and pitfalls get in my way. As a public librarian, I found that I am a person who likes to hear what the public thinks and I like to work to find solutions after we have figured out the problems. I understand that pointing out the problem is easy, creating the solutions is where the actual work takes place.
I attended the BPAC Open House on August 13 and I enjoyed meeting staff and the commissioners. I think that I would enjoy working with others to move Oakland beyond a car-centric transportation network to one that truly includes people who walk and ride their bicycles.
Please submit your resume or curriculum vitae. You may upload a document. (A Word format is preferred.) Alternatively, you may paste the text of your resume in the field provided below.
Please paste the text of your resume or curriculum vitae below. schmidt_resume_2025.docx
denise schmidt