Below are submissions of interest from Community Advisory Council Member Entities Running for the Community Advisory Council Vice Chair role. Questions from the candidate interest form are in bold and candidate responses are in plain text.
What is the name of your member entity (organization or municipality)?
Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
What is your name?
Galen Mook
What is your job title/role?
Executive Director
In the upcoming election, Advisory Council members will select a member entity (community based organization or municipality) to serve in the Vice Chair role. The member entity's designee (designated Council representative) plays a key role in fulfilling the entity's responsibilities as Vice Chair. Please provide a short statement expressing your member entity's interest in the Vice Chair role. In this statement please share how your entity's work connects to the mission of the MPO. Please also share your professional qualifications for fulfilling the responsibilities of the Vice Chair on behalf of your entity. This statement will be shared with all Advisory Council members and posted to the MPO meeting calendar.
The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) is a statewide advocacy non-profit organization that has nearly 50 years of experience working in communities across the commonwealth – including urban, suburban, exurban, and rural cities and towns. We focus on advocating for cyclists and all vulnerable road users by promoting policies, programs, infrastructure, and education to get more people riding more bikes more often. Much of this includes working with advocates and residents in local cities and towns, with staff at state agencies, as well as civil servants and policy makers at every level. We know our current transportation system is inequitable and prioritizes those who have the privilege of driving, and therefore we are seeking to support bicycling as a viable, safe, convenient, everyday option for people in all communities throughout the region, to encourage mode shift to a healthy, resilient, and pollution-free trip. Organizationally, we are successful in promoting policies and legislation at local, regional, and state levels, and I have personally been executive director for eight years and have developed productive and positive relationships in the State House, in cities and towns in the Boston MPO region, and with staff of state agencies such as MassDOT, DCR, EOPSS, EEA, all of which work collectively to advance the priorities of the Boston MPO.