America Walks is happy to introduce the 2024 Nationwide Strolling School fellowship class. In its ninth 12 months, the Strolling School welcomes 25 spectacular candidates. This 12 months, our in style on-line coaching program has two sections. The primary is an introductory course aimed toward instructing members the fundamentals of walkable design and coverage. The second course is aimed toward these with preexisting information of design and coverage interventions who’re all for honing organizing and advocacy expertise. For the primary time, the Nationwide Strolling School inspired crew participation to increase grassroots efforts.

Pictures and profiles of our new fellows will be discovered beneath. 

2024 Fellows

Laura Harris
New Orleans, LA

Laura has been an integral a part of the New Orleans bicycle group, dwelling and biking throughout this metropolis because the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Having served as Bike Simple’s first intern, she has lengthy been part of the story of higher biking within the metropolis. From working as a pedicab driver, to doing long-distance bike excursions, and dwelling for years within the metropolis and not using a automotive, she’s skilled the fun of life on a motorbike in some ways.

A League Licensed Teacher and Grasp of City & Regional Planning, she serves as Bike Simple’s Training & Coverage Supervisor, overseeing all facets of growth and administration of Bike Simple’s education schemes, from bringing bikes to children in faculties to working to coach drivers on safely sharing the highway. She additionally works to assist activations with the New Orleans Full Streets Coalition in addition to advocacy efforts in coverage and design.  Laura believes within the energy of constructing our cities higher locations for individuals by means of remodeling our transportation and concrete type to assist a more healthy group.

Sofia Moraga
Tucson, AZ

Sofía (she/her) obtained her BA in journalism and French from the College of Arizona the place she was awarded a grant to tackle an bold mission specializing in spotlighting people from underrepresented communities working in and visiting our Nationwide Parks; she interviewed, photographed, and documented their tales in order that others might see themselves represented within the Parks and really feel extra welcome. Illustration, fairness, and accountability are of the very best significance to Sofia, and dealing with LSA she hopes to assist make Tucson a safer house, the place individuals of all talents and backgrounds can really feel snug of their streets. Sofía is Chilena, she was born in Chile and moved to the States in 2005 at 6 years outdated. She has been dwelling in Tucson for 12 years (the longest she’s lived wherever) and calls this metropolis her residence.  When she isn’t biking, you could find her cooking, portray, making an attempt to jot down a guide, having fun with time together with her household and buddies, or like a lizard within the solar, basking in the great thing about our Sonoran Desert.

Luticha Doucette
Rochester, NY

Luticha André Doucette is the creator of the groundbreaking guide: Cultivating An Intersectional Mindset. She graduated from the Rochester Institute of Know-how with a level in Bioinformatics the place she developed protein floor prediction algorithms. After graduating, she was a Fellow on the College of Rochester the place she labored in a genomics lab that centered on analyzing the venom of parasitoid wasps to develop new drug therapies for varied ailments. She’s the creator of many studies which were used to additional advocacy regionally, together with Wage Disparities Throughout Race and Gender, and The Working Actuality: Employment Obstacles for Disabled Folks. She is a graduate of the Management and Training in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship program and an AUCD Rising Chief. An inductee into the Susan M. Daniels Incapacity Mentoring Corridor of Fame established by the Nationwide Incapacity Mentoring Coalition and the 2020 – 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awardee from the Rochester Institute of Know-how. Luticha’s analysis and writing has been featured in varied publications resembling Insect Molecular Biology, Toxicon, The New York Occasions, and Sure! Journal.  She is the proprietor of Catalyst Consulting Associates, which helps organizations, leaders, and advocates look at fairness throughout race, gender id, and incapacity in insurance policies, practices, procedures, and relationships. She additionally works because the NYS OPWDD (Workplace of Folks With Developmental Disabilities) Element supervisor at Georgetown College’s Nationwide Middle for Cultural and Linguistic Competence. In her spare time, she is a fencer, bicycle owner and outside fanatic.

Elizabeth Floyd
Washington, D.C.

For the previous decade, I’ve labored as an reasonably priced housing advocate in Washington, D.C., at present as supervising lawyer of a program that advises low- and-moderate earnings residents who personal and run their condo buildings as reasonably priced housing cooperatives. 

As a baby of the American suburbs, I grew up driving all over the place—even to my very own mailbox.  I’ve progressively found the freedoms of not being sure to a automotive and dream of rising outdated in a greater model of my metropolis, the place I can shuffle my sluggish approach up the block to the neighborhood grocery retailer with out worry of being plowed over by a reckless driver in the course of the crosswalk. 

Amanda Wilson
Washington, D.C.

Amanda Wilson is a artistic advertising and marketing skilled dwelling in Northwest Washington, DC. She doesn’t personal a automotive. In her free time, she loves biking, studying, crusing, pilates, and dealing in her group backyard. She can be a member of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Membership the place she is an lively volunteer with the Zero Waste Committee and the Single Use Plastic Subcommittee. Amanda can be the chairperson of her constructing’s tenant affiliation. Throughout her fellowship with Strolling School, Amanda’s purpose is to grow to be an knowledgeable advocate for highway security and walkability for herself and her neighbors. As a profession communications skilled, she additionally goals to achieve insights to assist strategically market and promote walkability to the broader world.  Amanda earned her a BA in Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in Sociology and Social Anthropology from Central European College.

Christine Lindstrom
Amherst, MA

When Christine Lindstrom moved to Amherst, MA in 2024, she seemed for a neighborhood that was walkable to city, to highschool, and to work.  She discovered it.  Her household gave up their second automotive, saving some huge cash and liberating up sources for different issues.  Sadly, the state of sidewalks and bike lanes locally left her nervous for security and puzzled about selections relating to these ‘different’ modes.  That led her to the Amherst Transportation Advisory Committee, and to begin up the Secure Routes to College initiative on the town.  She hopes the Strolling School will assist her spark a motion for safer strolling and biking on the town.

Tynita White
Columbus, OH

Tynita M. White serves as a Coverage Analyst in Columbus Public Well being’s Middle for Public Well being Innovation within the Coverage, Analysis, and Analysis Part. In her position, Tynita researches greatest practices to tell coverage and program suggestions that create and promote well being fairness within the constructed atmosphere. Previous to becoming a member of CPH, she served because the Program Administrator of the Ohio Legislative Service Fee’s Legislative Fellowship Program, amassing practically a decade of expertise in legislative affairs and program administration. Tynita is a two-time alumna of Ohio College the place she earned her B.A. in Political Science and Grasp of Public Administration from the Voinovich College of Management and Public Service. Exterior of her skilled endeavors, Tynita finds pleasure in biking by means of scenic routes and immersing herself within the soulful melodies of jazz music.

Madeline McClure
Tucson, AZ

Madeline McClure (she/her) is a author of poetry, fiction and drama, and a every day pedestrian of the streets of Tucson, the place you could find her strolling her canines alongside downtown sidewalks morning and evening. Whereas acquiring her Bachelor of Arts diploma, Madeline studied social actions in southern Mexico and attracts inspiration from the Zapatista conviction that ‘One other World is Doable’. She brings this perception into her position as Operations Supervisor for the transportation advocacy non-profit Dwelling Streets Alliance, the place she facilities group care and organizational sustainability on this vital work.

Lydia Lynch
Warren, OH

Lydia is the Well being and Wellness Coordinator at Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, a group growth non-profit based mostly in Warren, Ohio that focuses on strengthening neighborhoods by means of high quality of life programming. Since 2022, Lydia has run the wholesome group retailer program, aided in organizing the Warren Farmers Market, and been part of a number of grant alternatives surrounding wholesome meals and lively dwelling. Pairing her passions for public well being and concrete planning, Lydia has been a part of Well being Group Partnership’s Energetic Transportation crew that advocates for full inexperienced streets insurance policies, leads bike security demonstrations, and organizes strolling teams.

Tyler Fleischman
Provo, UT

I’m a younger entrepreneur dwelling in a city with a whole lot of potential, however mountains of labor to do. As a passionate designer and marketer, I’m fascinated by the intersection of human psychology and the constructed atmosphere. I advocate for human-scaled locations constructed for individuals first, not machines. I firmly imagine that everybody deserves protected, dependable, and cozy neighborhoods to stroll and roll in, not only for pleasure, but in addition as a method of real transportation for our every day wants. Our mindset round how we construct our locations ought to make this shift for the sake of our well being, wellbeing, and financial prosperity, and I’m assured that by embracing incremental change, we will make it a actuality.

Kris Kriebel
Warren, OH

At present, Kris is a well being educator on the Trumbull County Mixed Well being District working underneath the Creating Wholesome Communities grant. Work revolves round coverage, programs, and environmental change with a concentrate on wholesome consuming and lively dwelling methods. Some accomplishments embrace however usually are not restricted to: the creation of two lively transportation plans in two separate jurisdictions, bicycle crossing and lane enhancements and, at present, planning a safer streets demonstration mission to spotlight potential future infrastructure enhancements.

Ma’saih Bateman
Takoma Park, MD

I’m a grad pupil at NYU, diving deep into city planning. At present I’m a Planning intern for the Metropolis of Takoma Park, MD, making cities cooler one step at a time! Beforehand, I used to be a Subject Ambassador for Transportation Options within the bustling streets of New York. My ardour? Guaranteeing that cities are accessible, reasonably priced, and protected for everybody.

Sunshine Bellon
Roosevelt, UT

I grew up in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah the place lively transportation was an enormous a part of my life. I walked or biked to highschool, internships, work, or simply to go to my buddies or run errands. I spent my free time mountain biking on the Bonniville Shoreline Path or touring up and down the Salt Lake Valley on the Jordan River Parkway. I not often drove, and proudly owning a automotive was not a necessity till I moved to a freeway city in rural Utah practically a decade in the past. I’ve felt the stark distinction within the sorts of employment, leisure, group, and well being bettering alternatives which can be obtainable in a metropolis that, till not too long ago, has not prioritized walkability. As an worker of Roosevelt Metropolis, I’ve had the chance to take part within the development of a nature park and pedestrian path, which has impressed me to study extra and grow to be a stronger advocate for walkability, accessibility, and high quality of life in my group.

Jeiri Flores
Rochester, NY

Jeiri is a Puerto Rican incapacity rights activist from Rochester, NY. She earned her Bachelor’s Diploma within the research of Sociology and African-American Research at SUNY Brockport in 2014. Her grasp’s within the research of Human Growth on the College of Rochester in 2023. Jeiri serves as a useful resource for residents in her group by connecting them to present providers and helps. As a incapacity advocate, Jeiri shares her distinctive perspective at varied faculties and conferences, the place she introduces attendees to the struggles and invisibility that folks with disabilities face. She offers perception relating to inclusion, citizenship, incapacity intersectionality, and challenges that stay unaddressed by society. She hopes to affect younger disabled individuals to satisfy their goal and create a brand new narrative for what it means to be disabled.

Kaysi-Ann Webley
Takoma Park, MD

Kaysi-Ann is the Particular Initiatives Coordinator for the Metropolis of Takoma Park. Her duties embrace coordinating, supporting and facilitating bicycle and pedestrian security occasions, programming and coverage. All with the goal to result in safer and extra strolling and biking for all of the residents of the Metropolis. She additionally serves because the Secure Routes to College Coordinator for Takoma Park and has 5 faculties of roughly 4000 college students in this system. Her curiosity in additional walkable cities is longstanding however obtained reignited after the beginning of her son, who she likes to stroll and bike with. She believes that growing extra walkable cities and communities is sweet for well being, wellness, sturdy communities and good for enterprise too!

Benji Rouse
Tucson, AZ

Benji Rouse (he/they) – Anishinaabe, citizen of the White Earth Ojibwe nation, Ottertail Pillager band – is the Secure Routes Supervisor at Dwelling Streets Alliance. Born in Seattle, he labored for 13 years as a disaster intervention employee with street-involved and unhoused youth and younger adults, ultimately getting the bike-mechanic bug when he began a bike-building and restore mission to assist youth experiencing pressing transportation points. Since 2014, he’s labored at group bicycle schooling nonprofits in Oakland, Minneapolis, and Tucson, coordinating Secure Routes to College packages, coaching individuals in bicycle mechanics, and facilitating bike journeys with youth.

Ben Hanpeter
Norwalk, CT

My title is Ben Hanpeter, and I’m keen about constructing full of life and protected neighborhoods which can be conducive to constructing group. I dwell in Norwalk, CT, a small metropolis of about 90,000 individuals an hour exterior of NYC. I’m lucky to dwell within the walkable neighborhood of South Norwalk, which has allowed me to begin dwelling car-free final 12 months. I by no means lived in a walkable group till I used to be in school, and dwelling inside strolling distance of buddies, lessons, and providers helped me really feel extra part of a group than I ever had earlier than in my life. I missed this sense after I first moved to Norwalk, so I obtained concerned to assist make Norwalk extra walkable. I began by doing tasks for the Norwalk Bike Stroll Fee, and later helped discovered Sustainable Streets Norwalk, our metropolis’s first and solely advocacy group devoted to problems with strolling, biking, housing, and transit. I imagine that constructing walkable neighborhoods is crucial to constructing sturdy social connections and combating the epidemic of separation and loneliness that’s rising in our nation.

Shani Smith
Chicago, IL

Shani is a dynamic power for change, and has been identified for her impactful presence behind the scenes as a nonviolent motion strategist for quite a few mass demonstrations in Chicago. Specializing in battle exploration, nonviolent communication, and emotional and social studying curriculums, she exudes her ardour for uplifting collective motion and empowering communities. Shani leads with love in each side of her life.

In her present chapter, Shani is immersed in group constructing because the Director of Black Cornerstones Venture whereas performing because the Grasp Curator for its StoryQuilt anthology collection, weaving private narratives to forge connections between communities. Her distinctive strategy conjures up people and group leaders to glean paramount classes from their very own experiences, catalyzing transformative development.

Shani’s humanitarian efforts have been acknowledged by publications resembling The Washington Put up and the Chicago Tribune, in addition to in books like “Mayor 1%” and “Democracy in Black.” She has mobilized hundreds of supporters round civil rights points to dismantle structural racism, with a steadfast dedication to inclusion because the cornerstone of her work.

David Carreno
Tyler, TX

My title is David and I’m keen about making my small metropolis a greater place for strolling, biking, and the huge number of choices to roll from one place to the subsequent. I began a gaggle of lively transport advocates in my metropolis to deliver individuals with the identical passions collectively and advocate for change. I’m excited to find out how we made ourselves car dependent, and acquire some insights for what the trail to reversing this dependence seems to be like. I’m wanting ahead to utilizing what I study on this course and utilizing it to make my metropolis a greater, extra equitable place for all modes of transport.

Emily Burnaman
Norwalk, CT

Hello, I’m Emily. I dwell in South Norwalk, Connecticut, embracing an eco-friendly way of life with my canine Bentley (not a automotive), and my e-bike as my main mode of transportation. Professionally, I work as a Digital Venture Supervisor at Snyder Group Inc., creating participating, accessible web sites to advance the missions of assorted organizations, starting from non-profits to giant companies. My position entails enhancing consumer experiences and optimizing digital content material to fulfill numerous advertising and marketing targets, expertise essential for advocating for walkable communities.

As an lively Board Member of the Norwalk River Valley Path (NRVT), I contribute to digital advertising and marketing and content material technique to assist the group’s mission of constructing and sustaining a scenic 30-mile path in Fairfield County, Connecticut. I’m additionally concerned with the Norwalk Bike/Stroll Fee, at present serving as Vice-Chair, to assist bicycling and strolling as protected, accessible, and sustainable transportation and leisure choices. These efforts completely align with the Strolling School’s mission to empower fellows to steer group change for pedestrian-friendly environments. Study extra about me @heyemmibee.com

Jennifer Chen
Norwalk, CT

I’m a suburbanite who grew as much as fall in love with cities. I flitted round many, leaping from metropolis to metropolis earlier than touchdown in New York. In New York, I measure the size of my life in metropolis blocks and what I can attain in a 7 minute stroll. However as my husband and I’ve expanded our household, including a mini poodle and a human-in-training, I’ve sought extra space. This led to a return to suburbia. In my previous work life, I explored alternative ways of getting round after I labored on Google Maps and led product for driving, bicycling, and strolling instructions. There, I studied the influence of accelerating congestion. We want fewer vehicles on the highway, however not driving isn’t a viable possibility for many. Let’s make it one.

Jeremy Anderson, PhD.
Amherst, MA

I grew up in a small city that had bike trails that permit households to soundly go to highschool within the morning, the seaside within the afternoon, and to buying/eating places/leisure within the night, and a lot extra. Now that I’m the father or mother of two younger kids who like to bike, I’ve been making an attempt to work with our city authorities to deal with site visitors security and have seen first-hand how backwards our present site visitors pointers are – prioritizing the velocity of automobiles over the security of communities. In consequence, I’ve grow to be a passionate advocate for pedestrian and bicycle security, and hope that we will make our communities safer and extra accessible for all members. I’ve a PhD in Environmental Science Coverage and Administration, and imagine that by making our communities extra accessible that we will create a calmer and safer atmosphere for everybody to dwell, work, and play in.

Paul Fox
Norwalk, CT

Paul has been a eager reader on urbanism, walkability, and public transit for a few years however has solely not too long ago grow to be lively in advocacy. He grew up within the Washington DC space and has fond reminiscences of strolling round downtown DC and using the Metro, and not-so-fond reminiscences of being remoted in his suburban Northern Virginia neighborhood surrounded by uncrossable highways.

After attending Grove Metropolis School in Pennsylvania and graduate college at College of Delaware, he has labored as {an electrical} engineer and seemed for alternatives to advocate for walkability and public transit. After transferring to Norwalk for work in 2022, he has grow to be concerned as a core member of the recently-founded Sustainable Streets Norwalk, studying and analyzing coverage, talking at public hearings and serving to to arrange occasions.

Amy McLaughlin
Detroit, MI

Amy has lived, labored, volunteered, and constructed her life in city facilities in Canada and the US for over 25 years. After operating a design enterprise in Toronto for fifteen years, she relocated to a central neighborhood in Detroit in 2017.

Amy has a background in design and design administration, creating options for all audiences by means of listening, continuous studying, outreach and engagement. She has expertise growing merchandise and areas that cater to a number of varieties of customers. The idea that everybody is entitled to pleasure, ease, entry, and alternative is key to her pondering and strategy.

Establishing connections and forging hyperlinks in her new metropolis, Amy grew to become a member and vice-president of Woodbridge Residents’ Council (WCC)–her neighborhood vast block membership; volunteered with and was a previous board member–now contract worker–of Woodbridge Neighborhood Growth (WND) a Detroit not-for-profit financial growth company; and is actively engaged with civic processes and conferences particularly pertaining to planning, growth, and zoning. Moreover, she represents her neighborhood in a local-leadership community led by her Metropolis Councillor, the place she sits on the housing committee.

 As a long-time walker and bicycle owner, Amy seems to be ahead to diving deeper into the historical past and hopeful way forward for non-motorized transport, and bringing this information again to her group by coordinating the creation of a shared imaginative and prescient for the development of a harmful, busy freeway by means of her neighborhood. 

2024 Mentors

Phil Hanson
Columbus, OH

Phil Hanson is an city planner and public well being skilled from Columbus, Ohio. He has centered his work on making his group a extra health-promoting place for all residents by means of enhancements to the constructed atmosphere and social packages. His work for the Metropolis of Columbus started in 2015 because the Metropolis’s Strolling Applications Supervisor, throughout which era he was a member of the 2016 Strolling School cohort, then he labored as a Planner II within the Division of Parking Companies, and since 2021 he has labored on the Metropolis’s federal Housing and City Growth grants, notably the Group Growth Block Grant.

La Verne Parlow
Charlotte, NC

La Verne has over 24 years of public well being expertise.  She is a Well being Training Coordinator on the Gaston County Division of Well being and Human Companies – Public Well being Division.  On this position, she works with native governments to advertise lively dwelling by means of coverage and environmental adjustments.  Since 2011, she has taught well being schooling programs at Johnson C. Smith College, North Carolina A&T State College and Clinton School.

La Verne holds a Bachelor of Science in Well being Training from the College of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Grasp of Well being Promotion from the College of North Carolina at Charlotte.  She accomplished the Strolling School in 2016.

La Verne enjoys spending time with household and buddies, studying, touring, and operating.  Her purpose is to finish a full or half marathon in all 50 states plus DC.  Thus far, she has accomplished 31 states plus DC and has accomplished races in Jamaica and Bermuda.

Heyden Black Walker
Austin, TX

Heyden Black Walker (CNU-A) is Director of Planning for Black +Motal Structure and City Design (previously Black + Vernooy). Along with Sinclair Black, she co-founded Reconnect Austin, a community-based name to decrease the principle lanes of I-35 by means of Austin’s city core, making a imaginative and prescient of a reconnected metropolis cloth which offers entry to housing, jobs, medical amenities, schooling, and transit. Heyden manages a wide range of planning tasks, which embrace chairing the board of administrators for Reconnect Austin and dealing to vary the freeway constructing paradigm at each the state (Texas Streets Coalition) and nationwide (Freeway Fighters Community) ranges. With the purpose of human-centered transportation, elevated security, and entry for all, Heyden additionally donates her time and advocacy efforts to the Congress for the New Urbanism, the Texas Statewide Pedestrian Security Coalition, Austin Exterior, and Secure Streets Austin. Heyden is a 2016 Strolling School graduate.

Deidre Brown
St. Louis, MO

Deidre Brown is a founding member and President of the Riverview Gardens Training Basis which serves the students of Riverview Gardens College District in St. Louis, MO.  She holds a number of levels – a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Southern Illinois College at Edwardsville, a Bachelor of Science and Grasp of Science in Pc Science from Webster College, a Graduate Certificates and Grasp of Science in System Engineering from Missouri College of Science and Know-how (Rolla), and a Graduate Certificates in Cybersecurity from Florida Institute of Know-how.  Deidre has been employed with Boeing for twenty-four years.

Deidre has a ardour for serving to individuals be one of the best that they are often each academically and bodily.  She is a 2016 American Walks Strolling School Fellow, a Trailnet Stroll/Bike Ambassador, serves as Nice Rivers Greenway Advisor, and has been a GirlTrek organizer since 2012.  She has had a number of talking engagements together with taking part as a presenter and panelist on the Nice Rivers Greenway 3^rd Annual Greenways Symposium in 2018 talking on ‘Variety and Inclusion in Parks and Recreation Programming’ and on the first Gateway Outside Summit in 2019 talking on ‘Elevating Outside Leisure Entry For All.’

Deidre promotes dwelling an lively way of life and acts as an advocate for making communities extra livable and accessible for all.

Garrett Brumfield
Roanoke, VA

Garrett is honored to collaborate with the Strolling School in his fourth 12 months as mentor. As an individual with a incapacity, he was first launched to walkability/rollability house as a fellow within the Strolling School in 2018. He has since created and co-facilitated many stroll and roll audits alongside change makers from across the nation in an effort to make communities extra inclusive, accessible and livable for all. Previous to this, he based his motivational motion, Overcome Yours, in 2014 as a technique to educate, empower and advocate alongside varied native, state and nationwide organizations. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia and spends his free time hanging out along with his pet, attending festivals and doing sit down comedy.