About Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire

Statement of Purpose

Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire educates, advocates to improve walking and bicycling conditions statewide.

BWANH Goals

Strong Membership: A large and engaged membership provides the capacity to create better conditions.
Significant Policy Accomplishments: Better conditions come about as a result of better policy.
Sustainable Business Model: Serving NH walkers and bikers well into the future.
Ability to Mobilize: Turning out supporters on important issues.

Affiliates

BWANH also builds capacity for change by providing fiscal sponsorship for the following affiliate organizations:

Who We Are

Paula Bedard, Board President

Paula is an avid bike commuter, League of American Bicyclists Safe Cycling instructor, and bike advocate. Her advocacy efforts include participation in local community rail trail activities, Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail, Bike Manchester, Manchester Moves, and She Rides Seacoast. Paula is committed to promoting safe cycling education throughout NH at both the community and state level.

Greg Bakos, Board Vice President

Greg is a principal in the Community Development Services group of VHB in Bedford, NH. He manages projects across New England and has extensive experience in bike/pedestrian design. He is a League of American Bicyclists Master Certified Instructor (LCI). Greg lives in Concord, NH and serves on Concord’s Bike/Ped subcommittee of the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee as well as the NH Complete Streets Advisory Committee. Greg is a trustee of the Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail.

Dave Topham, Board Treasurer

Dave is the founder of BWANH (2006) and co-founder of the Granite State Wheelmen bicycling club. Dave has been actively involved in group cycling and bicycling education since 1971. He lives in Salem, NH and is currently a volunteer Board member for seven NH bike-ped/rail trail organizations. Dave uses his background in computer systems to help keep the wheels rolling and the feet walking all over NH! He is one of the first League of American Bicyclists Master Certified Instructors in the country.

Phil Goff, Board Secretary

Phil is the New England Planning Leader for Alta Planning + Design, a Portland OR-based consulting firm with a field office in Cambridge, Mass. Phil has a long history with pedestrian and bicycle advocacy in NYC, Portland OR and in Arlington MA where he lives. A native of Keene, Phil brings his roadway design and trail planning experience to projects throughout New Hampshire and neighboring states.

Bill Kennedy, Board Member

Bill is retired after 20 years with the Air Force and another 18 years as an airplane pilot for commercial airlines in New England. He is a past president of the Granite State Wheelmen. He’s been riding since he was 6 years old and claims it was his primary means of transportation even after getting his driver’s license! Bill is a League of American Bicyclists Master Certified Instructor (LCI) and has taught many bike education classes. He is an avid road cyclist mostly on the Seacoast and participates in several charity rides each year including “Trek Across Maine.”

Rich Kole, Board Member

Rich is a retired IT manager currently residing on the New Hampshire Seacoast. A cyclist for many years, he puts in most of his riding miles along the coast in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. He has been an advocate for cycling and walking at the local level including speaking up for biking and walking access during the upcoming re- construction of the General Sullivan Bridge. He also serves as a BWANH ambassador to many bike shops in the seacoast area.

Josh Walter, Board Member

Josh has spent most of his career in the Midwest and overseas, but returned to New Hampshire in 2008. He is a landscape architect with experience on many different types of projects including commercial, housing, campus design, and recreational trails. He taught landscape architecture in North Dakota at NDSU for a number of years. Josh is an avid road cyclist and a League of American Bicyclists Master Certified Instructor (LCI). He has helped teach many TS-101 classes.

STAFF

Leslie Thompson, Membership, Education & Administrative Coordinator

Leslie brings skill and passion to her three roles at BWANH. She helps us grow our membership and keeps our data current, oversees our successful Youth Safe Routes to School program, which has taught over 7000 youngsters the basics of biking and walking safety, and keeps our finances in order.

Major Benefactors

The “You Have Our Trust” Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation

Granite State Wheelmen Bicycle Club

Granite State Wheelmen Bicycle Club members founded BWANH. The GSW is a long time strong supporter of our mission with both financial support and volunteer support from the membership. As the largest road riding bicycle club in NH, the GSW membership is a great resource for information about road conditions from the cyclist’s perspective. We sincerely appreciate their support in all its forms. For more information on GSW click here.