Local Motion, a member-supported walk-bike advocacy organization, announced that, after a national search, it has appointed Emily Boedecker as its new Executive Director. Ms. Boedecker comes to Local Motion from the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she served for over nine years as Director of Communications, Director of Philanthropy and Marketing, Deputy State Director, and Acting State Director. Ms. Boedecker assumes her role at the helm of Local Motion on March 3, 2014.
Upon accepting the offer to become Executive Director, Ms. Boedecker noted the breadth of issues that Local Motion is engaged in. “I already knew about (and have long loved) the Trailside Center and the Bike Ferry,” she said. “But Local Motion does so much more, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the full breadth of its contributions to the community. From Bike Recycle Vermont to Kohl’s Kids Bike Smart to Complete Streets Technical Assistance, Local Motion really goes the extra mile for active recreation and transportation. This is a first class organization and I am delighted to be joining the team.”
Board Chair Peter Zamore expressed the board’s pleasure in having attracted someone with Ms. Boedecker’s skills and experience. “Emily Boedecker is a proven leader who brings extensive nonprofit management experience combined with a proven track record in fundraising and communications,” Zamore said. “We’re thrilled that, after an extensive national search, we found someone of her caliber in our own backyard.”
Bob Klein, former Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Vermont Chapter praised Boedeker’s appointment. “Local Motion has made a wonderful choice, and is really lucky to have someone on board with Emily’s passion and talents,”
he said. “She is a rising star, and so is Local Motion. They’ll make an unbeatable combination.”
Ms. Boedecker succeeds Local Motion’s founding Executive Director, Chapin Spencer, who recently became Director of Public Works for the City of Burlington. “Emily is clearly the right choice for Local Motion’s next chapter,” Spencer said. “Local Motion is in good hands.”
Local Motion is a member-supported walk-bike advocacy organization whose mission is to promote people-powered transportation and recreation for healthy and sustainable Vermont communities. The organization works with local governments, citizens, nonprofits, and businesses to make it safe, easy, and fun for people to get around on foot and by bike.
Local Motion was founded in 1999 to promote walking and biking in Burlington, VT. It has since grown to 12+ year-round staff (over 20 during the summer) and 1200+ members working
together to make northwest Vermont and the state as a whole a national leader for active recreation and transportation. Its major programs include:
•The Trailside Center, a hub for information and resources on walking and biking and a
center for bike rentals
•A seasonal Bike Ferry that brings bikes across a 200-foot gap in the Island Line, a
spectacular rail trail that crosses Lake Champlain
•Kohl’s Kids Bike Smart, a youth bike skills training program that reaches thousands of
kids every year
•The Safe Streets Project, an initiative to improve safety for walkers and bike riders
through creative on-the-street outreach
•Secure Bike Parking, a service that makes it easy and convenient for people to bike to
events in downtown Burlington and beyond
•Complete Streets Technical Assistance, which works with towns across the region to
improve conditions for walking and biking
•Bike commuter workshops, the Vermont Bike Challenge, and other initiatives that get
more people biking more often
•Bike Recycle Vermont, a community bike shop.
