New Staff Day!
It’s new staff day at Bike Cleveland! We’re beyond excited in welcoming two new team members to expand and enhance the work we do on behalf of riders and pedestrians in Cleveland. Each brings with them a broad array of skills and passion that will undoubtedly benefit our members and everyone moving around our favorite city. Let’s meet them!
Diana Hildebrand | Education and Outreach Manager
Diana Hildebrand has an undeniable enthusiasm for cycling and a passion to “Changing Lives Two Wheels at a Time” by utilizing the bicycle as a unique and meaningful form of education, sustainability and mobility. Diana has created several biking opportunities throughout Northeast Ohio by partnering and collaborating with various organizations, agencies and institutions to increase bike and pedestrian access, safety and best practices with various creative and specific programming geared to engage citizens of all ages.
As the Education and Outreach Manager Diana is looking forward to being a vital resource to support the Greater Cleveland bike/ped initiatives, support communities, provide opportunities to our local bike educators, ride leaders and groups.
How many bicycles do you own? 7
Do you name your bikes? I have a lot of bikes so I will name the ones that are currently in my rotation. Lavender Lightning, a Fuji Finest 2.0. It’s my work/commuter/distance bike. Ms. Emonda, Trek Emonda aka lil Ms Speedy. When you see me on her, just know I am having a lot of fun. With music playing and me dancing at every stop or coast. StarPop, an All City Nature Cross Geared beast that lets me ride wherever I want with no regrets. She’s a beauty with her fancy paint job but don’t be fooled she is rough and tough and we were made for each other. The Educator is a 6KU Urban Track Bike Single Speed. She’s matte black steel and gorgeous. She goes with me when I offer most youth bike rides. She’s strong, challenging and fun.
What was your longest bike ride? Thus far 350+ from Lake Erie, Cleveland to The Ohio River, Cincinnati
Do you have a favorite local trail? My favorite local trail is currently the Ohio to Erie heading North towards the lake. When you hit this particular trail you have the opportunity to hit other trail links that can take you east or west.
What inspired you to join Bike Cleveland? What inspired me to join Bike Cleveland was because I wanted to be a better commuter and a well educated cyclist.
Is there a personal story that led you to work here? Bike Cleveland provided me with the resources and education needed to become a confident cyclist I knew that during this process that offering bike education, rides and activating communities through various bike outreach efforts that becoming a team member of Bike Cleveland would be the perfect fit to continue the goal to “Change Lives Two Wheels at a Time”
What are the top 5 bands/artists on your Spotify playlist right now? Mya, Boney James, Drake. Commissioned and John P. Kee
What is your top non-bicycle obsession? Bird watching
Most recently binged show? Who was your favorite character and why? My most recently binged watched show has been Girlfriends. All the ladies in the show are my favorite characters as I think they all represent a piece of me.
What is your favorite CLE location? My current favorite Cleveland location is the Lakefront Reservation. It’s where I find peace and happiness and of course you can’t get away from the amazing view Lake Erie, Cleveland and wildlife.
Jenna Thomas | Advocacy & Policy Manager
Jenna graduated from Cleveland State University in 2021 and brings a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Public & City management and a Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Administration.
Before joining Bike Cleveland, Jenna was a Documenter with Cleveland Documenters and an intern with Advocacy & Communication Solutions. Jenna will use her experience in local and state policy advocacy to push equitable urban design that centers around people―not cars. Jenna is also passionate about helping individuals realize their power to change local policies and will organize communities to engage in this work alongside Bike Cleveland.
How many bicycles do you own? I have two. The first is one of Electra’s Townie bikes and the other is my first e-bike—a Rad Power Bike. I would like to grow my collection now that I am joining the Bike Cleveland family!
Do you have a favorite local trail? I love the Red Line Greenway and riding along the lake near Edgewater Park. When I lived in Parma, the Lake-to-Lake trail was a staple.
What does “safe streets” mean to you? I have lived in areas where I dreaded going out for a bike ride because I knew that I would feel unsafe until I hit a Metroparks trail. I have also lived in neighborhoods where I didn’t worry much about which route I was going to take because there were protective measures on those streets (i.e. lower speed limits, protected bike lanes, street markings and signs, etc.). To me, safe streets are designed to protect everyone on the street: drivers, pedestrians, public transit riders, and cyclists alike. Safe streets lend themselves to all kinds of uses including day-to-day travel and exercise. Safe streets provide an opportunity for people to connect with their neighborhood and have a wide range of transportation options. With safe streets, people feel secure with any mode of transportation that they choose.
What inspired you to join Bike Cleveland? I am super excited to see a younger generation of leaders in Cleveland grow into important roles and hold up strong values around transit accessibility and safety. There are so many exciting projects in the works that could pave the way (ha!) for a shift in how people choose to get to work, spend time with loved ones, exercise their bodies, and more.
The Bike Cleveland staff has an infectious passion and enthusiasm which leaves me eager to continue the great work that they have been doing for over ten years.
Is there a personal story that led you to work here? Growing up in Lakewood, I often relied on my bike, my feet, and the RTA to get from place to place. I’ve almost always had access to sidewalks, bikes lanes, and reliable transit lines and recognize the ways it has improved my quality of life. That being said, I (and most pedestrians and bike riders) have also had countless close calls―times when the street design and other factors have put me close to injury or worse. I’m excited to explore ways to eliminate those close calls and improve access to safe transportation options across Cleveland.
What is your top non-bicycle obsession? Birds and bird photography. It’s a great combination with biking because I can hit the trails and cover more ground to see more birds! Birding and biking both make me feel grounded and connected to the environment around me in very similar ways. Birding and biking tune you into movement and sounds that you might not normally notice and put a new perspective on our surroundings.
What is your favorite CLE location? Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve and Little Rose Tavern have been my favorites lately!