The Bicycle Colorado and Denver Streets Partnership team welcomed four new full-time staff members starting in March of 2022. Learn more about each new teammate below (and head to the Denver Streets Partnership blog for more!).

Hilary LeBlanc

Membership Manager

1. What brought you to the Bicycle Colorado and Denver Streets Partnership teams?

My passion for bikes, both as a form of transportation and as well as for recreation. When I was 16, I rode my bike across the country on somewhat of a whim. Previous to that trip I really hadn’t ridden my bike more than a handful of miles at a time. Having essentially zero biking experience, I am not really sure what possessed me to sign up for that trip, but I do distinctly remember being drawn in by the description of it being an opportunity to experience the diversity and vastness of the United States from the seat of your bicycle, and something about that had me hooked. Reflecting back on this experience it was absolutely one of the most formative experiences of my youth. That experience is largely what brings me to Bicycle Colorado many years later. That trip connected me to a community of others who also loved to bike, many of whom are still close friends now, and we still regularly ride our bikes together. Biking is my favorite way to be outside, it’s how my community of friends spend time together and it’s my outlet for dealing with stress. Riding a bike just makes me really happy! In general, bikes have had so many positive impacts on my life, and I want to do whatever I can to ensure others are able to experience the benefits bikes can provide!

2. What were you doing before joining us?

I was working for a cross-cultural and experiential education company called Where There Be Dragons. Dragons is based in Boulder but offers summer and gap year travel opportunities for high school and college students in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Similar to Bicycle Colorado, I had the privilege of working with a team of really kind and passionate individuals at Dragons, however, COVID had a huge impact on the company and I unfortunately lost my job as a result. Regardless, I truly believe in the positive impact of a Dragons trip on young people and fortunately, they have managed to hold on through the chaos that has rocked the travel industry and are finally now able to resume much of their international programming.

3. How long have you been in Colorado?

Since 2011. I spent my first few years in Colorado splitting time between Florissant, CO where I was working as an outdoor educator at the High Trails Outdoor Education Center, and Crested Butte CO, where I taught skiing and coached the youth alpine program. I moved to Boulder in 2015 when I first started working at Where There Be Dragons and have been there since.

4. Why are transportation, mobility, and recreational access issues important to you?

Because issues regarding transportation, mobility, and recreation so strongly impact the quality of life for everyone, for better and for worse. With safe and convenient access to these things, the positive impact it can have on your life is pretty incredible, but it goes both ways. Of course, ensuring everyone has access to these things isn’t always easy but when we are able to do so, there are so many positive outcomes for individuals and communities.

5. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Riding bikes of course, but also being outside in general, reading, cooking, trying to grow a garden, and spending time with friends and family.

6. Anything else you’d like to add?

I am really looking forward to meeting the contributors and members of Bicycle Colorado in the near future at various events!

Mari Meier

Communications and Marketing Coordinator

1. What brought you to the Bicycle Colorado and Denver Streets Partnership teams?

After graduating with a degree in Creative Advertising and spending time at various ad agencies feeling disengaged with my work, I realized I needed to shift my career path to better connect with my core values. While I have not historically been an avid bicyclist, I am passionate about community growth and BC-DSP caught my attention because of how dedicated the organizations are to making Denver and Colorado communities safer, more accessible and people centered. Additionally, after many discouraging recruitment experiences, I was struck by how kind and genuine the people at BC-DSP were to me throughout the hiring process. The decision to join this team was refreshingly easy.

2. What were you doing before joining us?

For the past year and a half, I was a barista at the Bardo Coffee House. As my first formal experience in the service industry, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with my community in this way, and especially during the pandemic when face to face interactions became so valuable. I am moderately good at latte art now which is also cool, though I’m happy not to smell like beans anymore.

3. How long have you been in Colorado?

I moved from Houston to Denver in November of 2019 to get a fresh start and escape the humidity. Technically I’ve been here over two years, but it feels like less.

4. Why are transportation, mobility, and recreational access issues important to you?

I had an awesome experience with glaciers when my dad took me to Alaska at age sixteen. Since then, I’ve been stressed. It didn’t feel like I had agency over glacial melt or anything else climate related until I started to see the links between community wellness and how we treat our environment as a society. Outdoor recreation was my gateway drug to outdoor activism and the more I’ve paid attention, the more I’ve come to realize that outdoor activism is just one key component of the humanist philosophy I aspire to live by, which also necessitates community wellness and maybe most importantly—community access.

5. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I am passionate about sex education and am currently studying to become an AASECT certified Sexuality Educator (it’s a 90% self-paced, online curriculum so TBD on my graduation). I like to spend my free time cooking, doing yoga, thrifting, and more occasionally skiing, camping and going to concerts.

6.  Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m very excited to be working for such a dedicated team and to learn more about how we do our policy work. I’ve never fully understood how advocacy works so I’m stoked to see the veil lifted and to gain non-profit experience that I can take with me in future career endeavors within sex education.

Head on over to the Denver Streets Partnership blog to meet our two other new teammates:

Tanniqua-Kay Buchanan, Neighborhood Projects Coordinator

Tanniqua-Kay Buchanan will be helping Denver residents to assess transportation challenges and opportunities within their own neighborhoods, work in teams to identify solutions, plan and implement neighborhood projects, amplify their voices to the local media and decision-makers, and build their capacity to continue playing a leadership role on active transportation and safe streets issues. Tanniqua-Kay has a master’s in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also has a background in art, theater, and dance, and is passionate about “activating deactivated spaces in divested communities.”

Adrienne Razavi, Organizing Manager

Adrienne comes to DSP from working in education with underserved communities. She has a natural way of connecting with others, was a fierce advocate for her students, and is a creative problem solver.