Marin County Bicycle Coalition Staff Members Shift Gears
March 1, 2005
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition announced today that staff members Deb Hubsmith and Kim Baenisch will be shifting gears within the organization.
Hubsmith, the MCBC's founding Executive Director since the organization's inception in 1998, initiated the change so that she could "focus more on regional, state and national bicycle issues." As she steps down as Executive Director, Hubsmith has simultaneously accepted a contract working half time as the MCBC's Advocacy Director. In this position, she will continue to manage the MCBC's infrastructure projects and public policy work. Hubsmith has also been appointed to MCBC's Advisory Board, and has kicked off her new consulting business by accepting a contract with the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition to help produce Bike to Work Day.
Baensich, the current Associate Director of MCBC, has been selected by MCBC's Board of Directors to move into the role of Executive Director. Baenisch's involvement with MCBC began in 1999 when she offered to be the group's first volunteer Membership Coordinator. Prior to serving in her staff role as Associate Director, Baenisch served on the MCBC Board of Directors from 2000-2003, and is a past Board President of the organization. As the MCBC's new Executive Director, Baenisch will manage the organization's financial, fundraising, membership, marketing, outreach and educational programs.
Hubsmith says, "It's a win-win for everyone. I'm pleased to continue in a leading role with MCBC as our Advocacy Director, working on projects like the North-South Greenway. I'm also excited to have more time to work on bicycle issues that will impact the whole nation."
Baenisch says, "This is a wonderful way for MCBC to fully utilize my many professional skills and allows me to continue advocating for my favorite form of transportation!"
Vince O'Brien, current President of the Board of Directors for the MCBC says, "The Board expects great things to be happening for MCBC in the future. We are grateful to be able to continue working with both Deb Hubsmith and Kim Baenisch. They are two significant assets to the organization."
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1998 to promote safe bicycling for everyday transportation and recreation. For more biographical information about Deb Hubsmith and Kim Baenisch is included below.
Deb Hubsmith "spreads her wings"
Joins MCBC Advisory Board and accepts new Advocacy Director position with the organization
Over the past seven years, Deb Hubsmith, the MCBC's founding Executive Director, has led the organization's growth from an all volunteer group to a nationally recognized non-profit which now employees eight staff members and has an annual budget of nearly $500,000. The MCBC announced on March 1 that Hubsmith will be stepping down as Executive Director, but is simultaneously moving into a new role as the organization's Advocacy Director. She initiated the change to "spread her wings" to start a consulting business and to have time to allow her to apply her talents more fully at the regional, state and national levels. She has also been appointed to MCBC's Advisory Board.
Through the MCBC, Hubsmith has worked with elected officials and public works directors to secure over $30 million in government grants for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects in Marin County, including bike lanes, bike racks, sidewalks and large projects such as the planned opening of the Cal Park Hill Tunnel. She played a critical role in shaping and campaigning for Measure A, Marin's transportation sales tax which was approved by voters in November 2004.
In the year 2000, Hubsmith lobbied the federal government to select the MCBC to lead a federal demonstration project for Safe Routes to Schools. Now in its fifth year, this wildly successful local program is serving 40 schools in Marin and 15,000 school children. One of Hubsmith's many dreams is to spread "the Marin model" for Safe Routes to Schools to the national level. She has been working for years with Congressional leaders to create a funding mechanism to launch a national program. Last month the House of Representatives introduced language for the federal transportation bill and it included $850 million for a national Safe Routes to School program. Next week Hubsmith heads back to Washington DC to speak at a Congressional Briefing in the Capitol on March 10, to attend the National Bicycle Summit, and continue to advocate for Safe Routes to Schools and other bicycle programs in the transportation bill.
Hubsmith began her crusade as a two wheeled activist after totaling her car nine years ago. She had been working for an environmental organization in San Francisco but driving 50 miles round trip from Marin to make the commute. After some "serious soul searching", she decided not to purchase another car because "driving is one of the single most harmful things we do to pollute the environment." In her quest to create "transportation alternatives" Hubsmith co-founded Go Geronimo in 1996, an organization focused on bicycling and ride sharing, and later began working for the North Bay Environmental Institute riding a solar powered electric bicycle to schools to promote sustainable transportation. This latter project, a collaborative venture with Wendi Kallins, helped to lay the groundwork for the current Safe Routes to Schools program.
Hubsmith grew up in New Jersey and holds a B.S. degree from Lehigh University in Environmental Science and Resource Management. She has been living in Marin County since 1992 and has received recognition and awards from numerous groups for her work including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the American Lung Association, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Marin Community Foundation, the Marin Independent Journal, and the Pacific Sun. She has chosen to work on promoting bicycle and pedestrian transportation because she believes that our personal transportation choices have the promise to vastly improve our environment, our health, and our communities. Deb Hubsmith resides in Fairfax with her husband Mika Scott.
Kim Baenisch to Become MCBC Executive Director
Moving into the role of Executive Director is our capable and highly qualified former MCBC Associate Director, Kim Baenisch. She brings 17 years experience in operations, personnel and project management from a variety of businesses to her new position managing the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.
While Associate Director since December 2003, Kim managed the SMART and Countywide Guide Signage projects, assisted with fundraising and implementing the Safe Routes to Schools program, oversaw the Share the Road campaign, and conducted MCBC business and personnel management. As Executive Director, her collaborative approach to decision making, creative partnership building savvy, and do-it-right-the-first-time attitude will serve us well to continue our many effective educational programs and community outreach. Kim will carry on management of the organization's financial, fundraising, membership, marketing, outreach and educational programs. We look forward to her new ideas, and acknowledge her friendly and approachable personality as one we'll continue to enjoy working with.
Kim's involvement with MCBC began in 1999, when she offered to be our first volunteer Membership Coordinator. In 2000 she was elected to the Board, and for the next three years she Chaired the Personnel Committee, developed the organization's employee handbook, annually organized our Big Bike Bash silent auction, volunteered at Bike to Work Day and other tabling opportunities, and regularly provided her business and organizational perspective to Board discussions. Kim was also Board President for her last year on the MCBC Board.
Her professional background includes providing strong administrative, organizational, project management and analytical skills for businesses including Alta Planning + Design (transportation planners in San Rafael), Office of Cheryl Barton (landscape architects in San Francisco), Whole Foods Market in Mill Valley, Prunuske Chatham, Inc. (environmental restoration specialists in Occidental), Open Water Rowing (sculling facility in Sausalito), and The SWA Group (landscape architects in Sausalito).
She grew up on Long Island, New York, where square footage of shopping malls greatly exceeds the area provided for bike lanes and paths. Having two working parents, she was encouraged at an early age to get herself around independently by bicycle or mass transit. Can you guess which method she chose? Kim holds a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, and thanks the bucolic rolling hills of New York's Finger Lakes area for her introduction to and sustained love of long distance road riding. After moving to California in 1987, she moved to Marin County after one year of enduring life in urban San Francisco, and has lived here ever since. Kim currently resides in Fairfax where she bike commutes to work at the MCBC's Fairfax office, and enjoys daily on foot and on her bike the local trails and West Marin open space that is her backyard.
