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 (SR2S) Program. She brings over 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.
Project Managers
Courtney Wood, School Safety Assessments Lead
Courtney Wood of Alta Planning + Design, a SR2S Program 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 Program 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.
Jennifer Holmes-Ledet, Site Coordinator Lead
Jennifer works primarily with elementary and middle schools from Pleasanton to Livermore as well, as overseeing work with Oakland Unified School District schools.
Jennifer loves riding her bike and taking the bus, and wants to work to make active and shared transportation options accessible and fun for students. She has a background in health promotion and education and weaves both into her work with the Safe Routes to Schools team. In her spare time, you can catch Jennifer on a hike, cooking a pot of gumbo, eating delicious food, or playing with her daughter.
Jennifer lives in Elk Grove near Sacramento, but still considers Oakland a second home. She has loved working with Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools since 2013 and making positive changes in communities across Alameda County.
Contact Jennifer at jledet@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Stephanie Jim, Site Coordinator Lead
Stephanie does site coordination for elementary and middle schools across Alameda County. Her work is focused on schools in Castro Valley, Fremont, and Hayward.
Stephanie is passionate about building healthier and more active communities. An expert in community health education, she lifts up the strengths of community members in her engagement efforts. Stephanie is particularly inspired by the voices of youth, whose fresh perspectives grow our communities and move us towards a better future.
Stephanie was raised primarily in the Central Valley, and has lived in the East Bay for over 15 years. She appreciates and is proud of the bike culture, beautiful weather, and connected streets of the East Bay, and looks forward to sharing her love of bikes with her growing family.
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, Emeryville and San Leandro Sheila was previously Clean Water Action CA’s first Environmental Justice organizer, spending much of her time focusing on social justice throughout the Bay Area.
Sheila was born and raised in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley where she witnessed the direct health effects living next to a freeway had on her community. She believes that change happens through community empowerment and works to support people in making the best decisions for themselves, their neighborhoods, and the environment.
In their free time, Sheila consumes sci-fi and fantasy media, cuddles with their cat, bikes, and spends time with loved ones (preferably outdoors with some snacks).
Contact Sheila at sislam@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Mario Valadez, Site Coordinator
Mario is the Safe Routes to School Site Coordinator serving elementary schools in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), as well as elementary and middle school students in Albany. As a former OUSD student, Mario understands the struggles families face traveling to and from school. He is excited to be working with students, families, and schools to support their vision for pedestrian-friendly campuses. He previously supported OUSD schools throughout the Kindergarten to College Program, helping schools and families build a college-going culture. He holds a degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Contact Mario at mvaladez@alamedacountysr2s.org.
Michele Walker, Site Coordinator
Michele works primarily with middle and high school students across Alameda County.
As an East Coast native, Michele always dreamed of moving to sunny California. She began her trek across the country via Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master’s in Social Work.
Eventually she made it to Oakland, where prior to working for TransForm, Michele trained youth from low-income backgrounds in leadership skills, facilitated college and career readiness lessons at a local nonprofit, and taught math at a small middle and high school. Michele is excited about being part of the Alameda County SR2S team, where she can encourage youth to make healthy choices that will lead to more active communities.
She is passionate about spending time outdoors and getting places on her own two feet. In Michele’s free time, you can find her playing with her rescue dog, visiting the playground with her daughter, and voraciously reading thrillers.
Contact Michele at mwalker@alamedacountysr2s.org
Jasmine Law, Site Coordinator
Jasmine is an SR2S Site Coordinator primarily working with elementary and middle schools in Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, Union City, and Fremont. Growing up in San Francisco, she has been a long-time transit rider on BART and MUNI. She has also spent much time in cities traveling on foot.
Jasmine holds a B.S. of Environmental Systems from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to working with the Alameda County SR2S program, she was an Americorps Fellow with the Safe Routes to School program in San Mateo County. She is passionate about community engagement, urban planning, and creating more livable communities for all.
In her free time, Jasmine enjoys baking, exploring the Bay Area, reading, and playing video games.
Emilio Elenes, Site Coordinator
Emilio is an SR2S Site Coordinator. He works primarily with elementary and middle schools from San Leandro and San Lorenzo to Dublin and Newark. Emilio is a Bay Area native having lived between Oakland and San Leandro all his life. He is no stranger to the challenges families face getting from and to school. He previously worked as a paraprofessional supporting students in a classroom with individualized needs. Emilio has a passion for youth engagement and hopes to make a change in his community. In his spare time Emilio enjoys spending his time outside with friends, exploring the local parks in the Bay Area, and playing tennis.
Contact Emilio at eelenes@alamedacountysr2s.org.
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.
Barron Johnston, Bicycle Safety Education Lead
SR2S partners with Cycles of Change to deliver bicycle safety education to schools in Alameda County. For more information, contact Barron 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
Jimmy 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.
