Our Team
The Alameda County Transportation Commission’s Safe Routes to Schools program partners with many organizations to deliver programs, education and events that encourage students, parents and school administrators to choose active (walking and rolling) or shared (carpooling and the use of transit) transportation options to school in order to increase our students’ health and well-being. The team works everyday to fulfill our mission of ensuring healthy kids, safer streets and strong communities in Alameda County. Meet the folks who make the Alameda County SR2S program a great success and email us at staff@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Program Lead
Denise Turner, Safe Routes to School Lead Program Manager
Denise Turner oversees all aspects of the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools Program. She brings 20 years of experience to her role, having served as a program specialist for Alameda County, at City of Oakland’s Human Services Department, and in the non-profit sector. Denise is excited for all that lies ahead for the 2020-2021 school year!
Project Managers
Courtney Wood, School Safety Assessments Lead
Courtney Wood of Alta Planning + Design, a SR2S partner, leads our school safety assessment and evaluation efforts. Contact Courtney at courtneywood@alamedacountysr2s.org for more information or request a safety assessment for your school.
Mia Candy, Education and Outreach Lead
Mia Candy of Toole Design Group, a SR2S partner, leads all education and outreach efforts for the SR2S Program.
Site Coordinators
SR2S partners with TransForm to deliver school site coordinator services to schools. Each participating school works with a site coordinator who provides a wealth of information about the program, activity ideas and resources.
Carrie Harvilla, Site Coordinator Lead
Carrie leads our team of school site coordinators and also is a site coordinator herself. She works to ensure families throughout Alameda County have access to all they need to walk, bike, carpool and take transit to schools. She is particularly interested in creative arts projects that build relationships as a means to use culture to influence behavior change. Carrie coordinates all K-8 schools in the New Haven Unified School District. Contact Carrie at charvilla@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Darrell Davis, Site Coordinator
As a former high school and college athlete, Darrell understands the benefits of physical activity and works feverishly to educate and support schools, students, teachers, parents and community partners with SR2S programming and events. Darrell works with all high schools in Alameda County. He supports high schools as far north as Albany Unified School District, south to Fremont Unified School District and every high school in between. Contact Darrell at ddavis@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Jennifer Holmes-Ledet, Site Coordinator
With a background in education and health promotion, Jennifer loves to see the many benefits of using active and shared transportation to get to school. She is our site coordinator for all K-8 schools in the Dublin Unified School District, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, Piedmont Unified School District and Pleasanton Unified School District. Contact Jennifer at jledet@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Stephanie Jim, Site Coordinator
Stephanie hopes to not only encourage healthy and safe travel behaviors, but she also works to foster a sense of community engagement through her work. She is always excited to bring her passion to the communities she works in. Stephanie supports all K-8 schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District, Emery Unified School District, Fremont Unified School District, and parts of the San Lorenzo Unified School District. Contact Stephanie at sjim@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Sheila Islam, Site Coordinator
Sheila supports Alameda County SR2S schools in K-8 schools in Berkeley, parts of Oakland and San Leandro. She comes to SR2S from Clean Water Action California as their first Environmental Justice Organizer. While at CWA, they supported a creek greenway project that would provide alternative access to schools and communities in Deep East Oakland and San Leandro. Sheila believes that communities where people feel safe and comfortable are a critical part of building power in communities and is excited to be a part of a program that works to make communities safer. Catch her on any given day getting around on her bike wearing a hot pink helmet! Contact Sheila at sislam@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Nora Dye, Site Coordinator
Nora is the SR2S Site Coordinator serving K-12 schools in Oakland, Alameda and Hayward. She has a master’s degree in Political Engagement from New York University, and she is dedicated to building political power and engagement in marginalized communities. In addition to her work with the Alameda County SR2S program, she organizes adventure learning bike tours exploring environmental and social justice for high school students through the California Field School. From 2010-2018, Nora was involved as a Board Member and Staff Collective Member at Cycles of Change, an organization dedicated to connecting young people with the natural world through bike education and outdoor adventures. Nora lives in Oakland and is the proud mama of Clara James, who is already a seasoned cyclist at three years old. Contact Nora at ndye@alamedacountysr2s.org
Christie Chu, Site Coordinator
Christie (she/her) works with K-8 schools in five school districts across Alameda County, from Albany to Newark. She is passionate about providing education for kids and their families to lead active and healthy lifestyles and believes in equitable transportation for all. Prior to SR2S, she has worked with children in a variety of capacities including as a classroom teacher and a behavioral therapist for children with special needs. While working as a classroom teacher, she had fun implementing the Golden Sneaker in her classroom and getting students excited about walking, rolling, and carpooling to school. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Curriculum and Development from the University of Pacific.
In her free time, Christie enjoys learning, exploring new places, talking to people and sharing ideas, traveling, eating her way through cities, taking photographs of what she sees and being outside with her dog, Luna whenever she can. Contact Christie at
Educators
Our team of educators work arduously to empower students to travel to school safely. Through a range of classes, activities, shows and hands-on training students learn behaviors for safe walking, biking, carpooling or taking transit to school.
Pat Hines, Pedestrian Safety Education Lead
Pat leads a team of pedestrian safety educators who travel the county teaching all grade level students safe pedestrian behaviors via pedestrian rodeos — a simulated street setting called Safe Moves City. SR2S partners with Safe Moves to deliver pedestrian safety education to Alameda County schools. Contact Pat at ped.ed@alamedacountysr2s.org or schedule your school’s pedestrian rodeo today.
Justin Aguinaldo, Bicycle Safety Education Lead
SR2S partners with Cycles of Change to deliver bicycle safety education to schools in Alameda County. For more information, contact Justin at bike.ed@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Tommy Bensko, Alameda County BikeMobile Lead
Tommy and his team of bike mechanics and educators travel in the Alameda County BikeMobile — a mobile bike repair shop — to repair bicycles and teach children basic bike mechanics free of charge. The BikeMobile visits schools and community events throughout the county. SR2S partners with Local Motion to deliver free bike repair services. Contact Tommy at tbensko@alamedacountysr2s.org or request a visit from the BikeMobile today.
Jimmy Pascascio, Music Assembly Lead
Ji
mmy is a co-founder of Music Notes, which leads a custom walking – and biking-themed music-filled assembly for the Alameda County SR2S Program. Jimmy and his talented team teach walking and biking safety through song. Contact Jimmy at concerts@alamedacountysr2s.org.
