Board of Directors

NJBWC is led by a dedicated group of individuals.  The 2012 New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition directors are as follows:

Board  Chair:  Brendan Poh - Brendan Poh brings business management and retail experience to the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition.  After nearly 20 years of progressively increasing responsibility at Cycle Craft and exposure to every facet of the operation, Brendan and his wife Cathy recently purchased the business.  With retail stores in Parsippany and Long Valley, Cycle Craft is among the larger retail bike shops in New Jersey.  Brendan holds advanced bicycle fit technician certification from the Serotta International Cycling Institute as well as advanced mechanic certification and a DT Swiss wheel builder certification from the United Bicycle Institute.   He is an enthusiastic cyclist but just as importantly he has been a passionate advocate since the early 90’s.  He was one of the founders of the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA) and of NJBWC.  In 2009, he organized the first New Jersey Bike Summit which was held in Denville.  He also participated in a “Winning Campaigns” seminar of the Alliance for Biking and Walking.  Brendan has served as Chairman of the Morris County March of Dimes bicycle tour fundraiser.  He also takes credit for helping to create and organize the “Turkey Bike” to help boost donations to the Food Bank of New Jersey by having cyclists on bikes deliver turkeys to an annual turkey drive.  By rejoining the Board of Directors of New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, Brendan looks forward to bringing together advocates throughout the state to speak with a unified voice in support of making active transportation safe and enjoyable for all.

Board of Directors/Vice Chair: Kate Cahill – After 30 years in banking and investment management, Kate decided to opt out of commuting, business travel, and her NYC-based career and into a more healthy and active lifestyle. To that end, she has biked in Oregon, Arizona, Florida, and Ireland, in addition to her hometown of Maplewood. She seeks to use her business development and communications skills to make communities safe and welcoming for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities by promoting advocacy and education. As part of the Planning Group of the South Orange/Maplewood Bicycle Coalition, she has campaigned successfully for the adoption of a Complete Streets policy by resolution of the Maplewood Township Committee, worked with the local Transportation Advisory Committee to increase bike ridership, and coordinated a bike registration program with the police department. Kate serves on the Maplewood Greenway Task Force and volunteers with a local food pantry. She is a member of the Parents Council of Reed College, Portland, OR, and the Parents Advisory Council of Willamette University, Salem, OR. She is a graduate of Boston College, Carroll School of Management. Kate is serving as Vice Chair of the NJBWC Board and Chair of the Nominations Committee.

Board of Directors/Secretary: Mary Jane Walsh – Mary Jane Walsh is a registered professional nurse and joins the Board of Directors of New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition with a deep appreciation and understanding of the importance of exercise for all ages and abilities. Her interest in NJBWC grew after being introduced to the mission of the organization during a Safe Cycling class. While a member of a New Jersey cycling club and having participated in several multi-day bike tours, Mary Jane found the class, which uses the curriculum of the League of American Bicyclists, to be invaluable in helping cyclists understand the rules of the road, the rights of cyclists, and the importance of learning and practicing bike handling skills. She received her B.S. in Nursing from Villa Maria College of Gannon University and completed graduate courses in Nursing at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Rutgers University. She is a Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN) and is currently the clinical manager in Flemington, NJ, for one of the largest national providers of dialysis. Mary Jane, who enjoys riding her hybrid and her road bike, is a member of the League of American Bicyclists and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. She hopes to help expand the NJBWC Education Program so it is available to more bike riders of all ages.

Board of Directors/Advocacy Director:  Jerry Foster – Jerry Foster spent over two decades in the information technology field with expertise in application development and enterprise architecture.  He is currently the President of the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance.  Under Jerry’s leadership, West Windsor was the first city in New Jersey to be designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community under the rigorous application and review process of the Bicycle Friendly America program of the League of American Bicyclists.  Jerry, who serves on the Board of the Princeton Free Wheelers, is the bicycle advocate.  He is very proud to have completed three 500-mile Anchor House Rides for Runaways.  He also completed a self-supported bike ride from Oakland to Los Angeles.  An avid outdoors-person, Jerry enjoys sailing and backpacking and has hiked over 1300 miles of the Appalachian Trail.  Jerry, who has a B.A. from the University of Michigan in Economics and Asian Studies, has given numerous presentations in the West Windsor area before grass roots organizations and government agencies in support of bicycle and pedestrian improvements.  Jerry wants NJBWC to be successful by helping members to be effective advocates at each level of government in order to have a positive impact on the transportation systems in New Jersey.

Board of Directors:  Karen Jenkins - Karen has over two decades of executive NGO/non profit and academic leadership positions.  Most recently she has served as the chief executive officer of several international education organizations.  Earlier, she spent seven years working in Zambia on programs and projects intended to build institutional capacity and improve the quality of life for those who are poor, marginalized, persecuted, or forced to flee as refugees.  Karen has published extensively on International Education and Third World Development and has served on the board of directors of several international organizations.  Karen received her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and an M.A. in International Relations from Yale University.  Her undergraduate work was at Fisk University.   Karen serves as the chair of the Legislative Sub-Committee of the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Council of the Vorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University.  As a League Certified Instructor (LCI #337) she hopes NJBWC will expand the Safe Cycling curriculum of the League of American Bicyclists into every classroom in New Jersey.  Karen is a member of the Princeton Free Wheelers and the Central Jersey Bicycle Club.  Attendance at the 2011 National Bike Summit confirmed her interest in bicycle advocacy.  In 2010, Karen and her daughter travelled to Reims and saw the end of Stage 4 of the 2010 Tour de France.

Board of Directors: Camilla Foulks Zelevansky – Camilla Foulks Zelevansky is an architect based in Maplewood, NJ, and a proponent of healthy and sustainable communities. Camilla specializes in environmentally sensitive design and development. She has a Masters degree in Architecture from UCLA and is a Certified Passive House Consultant. As an advocate for sustainable design and biking and walking initiatives, Camilla serves on several committees bringing her knowledge of design and feasibility as it pertains to infrastructure. She is a member of the Maplewood Green Team, Maplewood Greenway Task Force and a liaison to the South Orange Greenway Committee. Camilla has worked to bring Complete Streets Policies to Essex County, South Orange and Maplewood. She is also a member of the South Orange/ Maplewood School District’s Health and Wellness Committee and the South Orange/ Maplewood Bicycle Coalition (SOMbike). Camilla enjoys leading the SOMbike Women’s rides and advocates for safer cycling infrastructure for all. Camilla also shares her passion for sustainable design through teaching community-based workshops called “Design Foundations” to children K-12.

Board of Directors: Annemarie Cooke -  Annemarie Cooke, an award- winning journalist, is now a communications and marketing consultant with certification in digital marketing. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from Douglass College of Rutgers University, and is an accomplished advocate for people who are blind or visually impaired. She has served as a vice president for a leading provider of Assistive Technology (AT) computer training and services for the blind and visually impaired.  Annemarie has held a variety of positions to assist blind and visually impaired New Jerseyans with job training and placement. She has been a marketing consultant for a national audio magazine and managed fundraising and lobbying campaigns before the US Congress and in Canada.  She is also currently a member of the Board of Directors and the Treasurer of Elijah’s Promise, one of Central New Jersey’s most respected nonprofit multiservice organizations. Annemarie serves as a mentor to blind and visually impaired high school students.  Among her previous board service was with the New Brunswick Cultural Center and the NJ chapter of the Association for the Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired where she served as president. Annemarie, who rides as a stoker on a tandem bicycle, has ridden several centuries and participated in multi-day tandem rides throughout the country. She has a culinary certification and is conversational in French and Spanish.