Big Changes at the BCU – Executive Director Transition
Dear Members and Friends,
We have some very big news to share: after serving as Executive Director for the past seven years, Becca Wolfson will step down later this month. We are so grateful for her steady leadership of the BCU and the incredible growth that has transpired under her watch. When she stepped into the role vacated by the founding director, we had a staff of two. She has tripled the staff and quadrupled the organization’s budget.
Under Becca’s leadership, and in collaboration with our partners, we have passed legislation mandating slower driving speeds, safer duck boats, e-bike rebates and e-bike classification. We initiated an annual budget campaign strategy, with that advocacy leading to tremendous growth in spending by the City of Boston on transportation and bike infrastructure, including exponential growth of the City’s transportation department staff.
The protected bike lane network across Boston and surrounding cities has grown dramatically during Becca’s tenure, and is poised for further rapid growth under plans recently announced by Mayor Wu. Becca deserves significant credit for the fact that we now have protected bike lanes on the Mass Ave. and Longfellow Bridges, two former zones of dread for people on bikes.
Through it all, she’s pushed the organization to become more antiracist and our work to lead with equity, prioritizing outreach, trust-building, and advocacy in BIPOC neighborhoods underserved by traditional infrastructure planning, and, together with staff, deepening partnerships with established, community-based organizations. Her combination of leadership qualities and skills–patience, tenacity, creativity, collaborative style, and sense of humor–will remain an enduring example of how to get things done in the advocacy space.
Becca has indeed been a transformative leader and the BCU Board is determined to ensure that the organization’s work will continue unchecked. We have an incredible team at the BCU who are skilled in organizing, base-building, campaign strategy, communications, development, event planning, and so much more. The BCU Board is working to secure interim leadership and prepare for a nationwide search to fill the role of permanent ED. We look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.
We are excited to wish Becca the best in her next endeavor. We hope you will join us at Biketoberfest on the evening of October 18 to help send Becca off in style!
In the meantime, please reach out to either Becca or myself with any questions.
All of my best,
Jessie Partridge Guerrero, Boston Cyclists Union Board President