(Photo © J. Maus)
Portland Mercury News Editor Matt Davis reported last night that Michelle Poyourow of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance is rumored to be leaving the organization soon.
Here’s the opening of that story:
“Rumors are swirling that the lead local advocate for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance will soon announce her resignation—possibly over the next week.”
When asked about the rumor, BTA Communications Coordinator Margaux Mennesson said, “We are really focusing on the [Build It] rally right now and so I have no comment on the Michelle Poyourow rumor… We’ll be happy to talk to you Friday about it.”
Poyourow echoed this sentiment. When I asked her via email for clarification on the Mercury story, she responded with, “No time for rumors – all hands on deck for tomorrow’s rally!”
This rumor surfaces just one day after the BTA announced Gerik Kransky would become their new Advocacy Campaign Manager. Poyourow’s title remains Advocacy Manager.
Poyourow has been the main face and voice behind the BTA’s big push for support of the 2030 bike plan. The BTA website lists Kransky’s role as being, “focused on building strong public support for the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030.”
I have a call into BTA Board Chair Mary Roberts for clarification about whether or not Kranksy’s hire impacts Poyourow’s work with the organization. If it does, perhaps she isn’t thrilled about being second fiddle?
The Mercury’s Matt Davis stands by his story. I spoke with him via phone a few minutes ago and he told me (without hesitation) that he is 100% convinced Poyourow will step down, but not because of the Kranksy hire. Here’s what Davis says:
“It’s my understanding that Poyourow and Bricker were both working constructively with city government and were getting what they wanted, but the Board of the BTA wanted to take a bit more of an activist approach and be a bit more confrontational. They fired bricker… and I think Poyourow knew she would get pushed [out] at some point.”
If true, the timing could not be worse. The BTA is still without an executive director and Poyourow is their most veteran staffer (she was hired in 2003 2006).
Read the full story (and interesting discussion in the comments that follow) on the Portland Mercury blog.