Member spotlight: Michelle Basso Reynolds
Meet Michelle Basso Reynolds, Program Manager - Communications and Business Outreach at North Natomas Jibe. Check out the spotlight below to learn about Michelle's career, introduction to ACT, and outlook on the TDM industry.
Please introduce yourself and your organization.
As a longtime bike commuter and proponent of sustainable urban living I am living the dream working at North Natomas Jibe, a TMA devoted to making it easier for people to walk, bike and use public transportation. We're funded from a modest assessment on property taxes, and have latitude with our programming, making our operations a little different from traditional TMAs. Our work falls into 4 buckets:
- SCHOOLS: sponsors a Walk and Bike to School program
- BIKE: provides free bike repair and bicycling education to cyclists of all skill levels
- BUSINESS: offers programs to reward local businesses for embracing sustainable transportation options, and
- ADVOCACY/PLACEMAKING.
I was working in state government, and feeling a little burned out at the time that my current position at North Natomas Jibe was posted. It seemed like an incredible opportunity to do so much good for our city, so I took a chance, applied, and got the job! Since I was already biking to work, I was familiar with my local TMA and all the work they do. It's great now to be working with them in a professional capacity.
Why did you get involved in ACT?
It came with the job. The North Natomas Jibe organization is an ACT member. When I started at Jibe I started exploring their resources and attending conferences and classes in order to learn more about the industry and what others were doing in the sustainable travel space.
I presented at the ACT conference in Chicago on tactics that suburban TMAs can use to move the TDM needle in their community. It was a fun experience for me and I learned a lot from my fellow panelists.
Get on board! There is nothing more important or worthwhile than protecting our planet for future generations, and transportation is key. ACT is a great way to get involved and network with others that care as much as you do.
An opportunity for ACT is to do more in the walk / bike to school space. Jibe eliminates an inordinate number of car trips by making it easier for students and families to walk or bike to school. As a long-standing communicator who's been working in this space for less than 5 years I also see lots of opportunity in retooling the terminology used by TDM practitioners (especially "TDM" and "TMA"!).