Old Spokes Home in Burlington, a bike shop and nonprofit that promotes the benefits of biking, has hired Jon Copans as the organization’s new executive director. He succeeds Laura Jacoby, who oversaw the organization’s start as a nonprofit and served as executive director for five years before stepping down to spend time with family.
Copans comes to Old Spokes Home from the Vermont Council on Rural Development, where he directed climate and leadership programs. Previously, he worked at the Vermont Department of Public Service, the Department of Environmental Conservation and served for eight years in the Vermont office of US Representative Peter Welch.
“Becoming part of an organization that promotes and supports two-wheeled transportation, recreation and adventure is a dream come true,” Copans said. “I can't wait to connect with the shop’s many volunteers, supporters, customers and partners in the coming months as I settle into this role.”
Copans joins Old Spokes during a time of vision and change for the organization, building upon ongoing strategic planning sessions and an increasing demand for bikes. Now established as a nonprofit, the organization hopes to continue expanding its presence in the community through initiatives such as its Everybody Bikes program, in which eligible customers receive subsidized pricing, and via youth workshops that recently resumed after its suspension during the pandemic.