(Photo)
The changes keep coming at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).
According to the BTA’s Interim Executive Director Scott Bricker they’re set to hire former Lake Oswego City Councilor Karl Rohde to the newly created position of Interim Governmental/Public Affairs Director.
Rohde will become the BTA’s main lobbyist in Salem, taking over the role left vacant when former policy director Scott Bricker was appointed their Interim Executive Director last week.
The new position is part Bricker’s major re-structuring plans for the BTA (more on that later).
Bricker is excited to have Rohde on board and says he will, “significantly raise the political-savvy and profile of the BTA.” Bricker says Rohde is on a first-name basis with many of the local and regional stakeholders and is very seasoned in politics. In 2002 he ran as a Republican for a seat in the Oregon State Senate (he came in third with 18% of the vote).
Rohde grew up in Lake Oswego and his current and previous experiences include:
- Clackamas Cities Representative on the Metro Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT)
- Board of Directors for the League of Oregon Cities
- Ex-Officio Board member, Clackamas County Business Alliance
- Chair, Neighbor-hood Traffic Advisory Board; Chair, Lake Oswego Neighborhood Action Coalition, and Co-Chair, Lakewood Neighborhood Association.
Rohde is also a former Alice B. Toeclips Award Winner. He won in 2005 and here’s more on him from the BTA’s website:
“Leading a neighborhood coalition, Karl spearheaded traffic calming in Lake Oswego. He was elected and reelected to the city council where he served as one of the strongest proponents for bicycling infrastructure. Karl was known to cycle to city council meetings where he worked on the redevelopment of downtown, ensuring a new-urbanism styled development that has become a model for how small cities can attract businesses and visitors by emphasizing a bike and pedestrian friendly design. Karl pushed METRO’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT), to fund the Morrison Bridge multiuse path and the Springwater Corridor three-bridge project. He supported bringing the streetcar to Lake Oswego; his vision included a multi-use bikeway connecting Lake Oswego to Sellwood and downtown Portland, and he pushed for bike access across the Willamette in the south metro area.”
This seems like a solid hire for the BTA, and an essential move to maintain the momentum Bricker has helped build on the legislative front in Salem.
Stay tuned for an in-depth interview with Bricker and more on the changes at the BTA.
I\’ve known Karl for many years, and he\’s a perfect fit for this. He\’s very politically savvy and charismatic, much like Scott has been in Salem. He knows his way around the legislature and brings lots of connections to the BTA. He also believes in bikes, and his Alice award is just one sign of that. I couldn\’t be more pleased.
Congratulations to Karl and to the BTA!!
Hopefully, they will both work together to make Idaho-style legislation a reality in the next legislative session!