Today is my last day as Bikemore’s Executive Director.
Feeling nostalgic, I went through my old files and found my original offer letter dated March 29, 2015. Completely unplanned and immensely poetic, I’m leaving on the exact date I accepted the position six years ago.
The recognition Bikemore has received over the past six years has been humbling and something I take deep pride in. From our influence on policy, opportunities to travel, and national awards, these experiences were wild and always felt outsized for what was supposed to be a small local bike advocacy organization, one where I began as the sole employee.
My story at Bikemore turned out to be much bigger. There was tragedy. In the past six years I have mourned the loss of six people killed while riding their bike. There was joy. Celebrating the completion of the Maryland Avenue Cycletrack and the Big Jump--both award winning infrastructure projects. There were major wins. The drama that ensued in the fight to keep the Potomac Street bike lane is the stuff of legends. Complete Streets becoming law will transform Baltimore’s streets far into the future.
I’m grateful for all of the support these past six years. I’m awestruck and indebted to Bikemore’s talented staff. I am especially grateful for Jed Weeks, who has been more like a compatriot than a coworker and who will be taking on the important role of Interim Executive Director while Bikemore launches a national search for my replacement.
Bikemore’s future success depends on all of us chipping in, so this is my final ask to you: help me shore up my legacy and sign up for a monthly donation right now.
This forms makes a donation to our 501(c)(4), our greatest need. To donate to our 501(c)(3), donate on this page.
Over 100 people already give monthly. If we were to get just 400 more, a third of Bikemore’s operations would be fully funded. So $5, $10, or $20 a month is all it takes.
We even made a cool animation to demonstrate how these donations add up:
Thank you for giving. Thank you for a wonderful six years. Bike people are the best people.
Liz Cornish