Alison’s next big adventure
Dear Friends,
Today I am writing to announce that after seven incredible years as a Community Cycling Center staff member — three years as Executive Director — I am embarking on a new adventure.
I’m leaving because I have an opportunity of a lifetime. As you may know, my husband, Jay Graves, recently retired after 39 years at Bike Gallery, a business that he and his family started when he was 15 years old. During a recent family visit we reflected on what we had accomplished and decided that we want to take some time traveling and visiting with friends and family and imagining our next chapter together.
My experience at the Community Cycling Center has been filled with rich life lessons, exciting new initiatives, and inspiring and creative people. Thank you to everyone who made this the ride of my life.
Some of the highlights during my tenure at the Community Cycling Center:
* We advanced the topic of equity in Portland and beyond by performing the Understanding Barriers to Bicycling Project in 2009, a groundbreaking community needs assessment.
* We developed community collaborations in 2010 by launching bike committees at Hacienda and New Columbia, which led to the implementation in 2012 of community-based initiatives such as training Community Bike Educators at Hacienda and building the Bike Repair Hub at New Columbia.
* We improved working conditions for staff, students and volunteers by remodeling and expanding the bike shop in 2011.
* We increased organizational cultural competence starting in 2011 by participating in a Center for Diversity and the Environment process, performing an organizational equity audit, launching an equity team, and including equity as a board strategic goal.
* We created a new strategic plan for 2013-2015 that will broaden access to bicycling, develop community capacity, advocate for equity and increase organizational capacity.
We have worked very hard and I am proud of these accomplishments, which, of course, would not have been possible without our amazing staff, committed partners, dedicated volunteers, and generous supporters.
The organization is in very capable hands – Anne Lee, our Deputy Director since 2009, will act as interim Executive Director while staff and board members complete an executive search.
I have complete confidence in the Community Cycling Center’s staff, board, volunteers, partners and supporters to foster a healthy, connected Portland. We have come such a long way since I began volunteering here in 2005. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this incredible organization.
Thank you for the learning and memories,
Alison