First up, let’s introduce you to our Development Coordinator Chrystal Walsh. Chrystal has a deep background in nonprofit development and has worked in public broadcasting/media and health & human service organizations leading individual, corporate, and foundation giving. She currently enjoys running errands by bike, accompanying her daughter on the school route, and riding rail trails with her family. We asked Chrystal three questions to learn a little more about her.

Chrystal Walsh, Development Coordinator

Where did your interest in bicycling come from? 

I think I had the traditional trajectory with bicycling, riding with childhood friends, going solo to the local store to get a treat, and then bicycling to work as a high school student. After college, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and was a bicycle commuter until theft halted that and walks became my norm. We moved quite a bit and I experienced other cities like Los Angeles and Vancouver, Canada. Then parenthood shifted me into stroller mode and finally, it was time for my kids to learn how to ride a bike. But throughout my husband has always had a collection of bicycles and talked nostalgically of his BMX days, so he has been my encouragement that we can ride farther than I might traditionally embrace.

What is your top #BikeJoy from this year? 

During the initial months of Covid restrictions and before we moved to Massachusetts, my husband and I and our two children ages 12 and 9 bicycled the 36 mile Ghost Town Trail in Western Pennsylvania over several weeks. It really raised awareness for me of rail-trails as an excellent family activity! 

Why are you excited to be a part of the MassBike team? 

I may not be a road warrior, but I represent perhaps the typical 40-year-old woman who is balancing work & family and in need of an outlet for exercise. I want more people to embrace bicycling as I have as a way to replace short car trips and reduce your personal carbon emissions. I am concerned about the safety of my family bicycling on roadways, so I fully support MassBike’s advocacy efforts. Also, I love that MassBike is a statewide organization and I’m excited by the challenge of growing our membership throughout the commonwealth. 

Our second new staff member is our Communications Coordinator Jes Slavin. Jes has spent the past two and a half years working for Nebraska based nonprofit Heartland Bike Share (HBS). At HBS, she oversaw marketing and communications for three bike share programs: Heartland B-cycle (Omaha, NE & Council Bluffs, IA), BikeLNK (Lincoln, NE), and Valentine Bike Share (Valentine, NE). Jes is an all-weather bike commuter and enjoys racing cyclocross with a huge smile on her face. We asked Jes the same three questions.

Jes Slavin, Communications Coordinator

Where did your interest in bicycling come from?

I vividly remember using bikes to get around while camping with my family on Cape Cod & I grew up right down the street from the Southern New England Trunkline Trail. So, bikes have been both transportation and recreation for me from an early age. It’s no wonder I became an all-season bike commuter and then fell into racing cyclocross.

What is your top #BikeJoy from this year?

My boyfriend and I purchased a Salsa Powderkeg mountain bike tandem this year and it has been an absolute blast! We took it out to some very entry-level singletrack and I couldn’t stop laughing, it was so much fun. I never thought I would ride a berm on a tandem bike, I highly recommend it.

Why are you excited to be a part of the MassBike team?

I’ve spent the last five years living in Nebraska, so I’m really excited to be moving back to work on bike advocacy in my home state. Without my college years in Boston, I don’t think I would’ve become the cycling advocate I am today. So, I am looking forward to giving back and using my bike share experiences to help make bicycling better for everyone across Massachusetts.

You can meet both Chrystal and Jes *virtually* at the MassBike Annual meeting on Monday, December 7th. RSVP on our website to get the Zoom link to join in on all the fun and make sure you are attending the Facebook event for the latest updates. We want to see cyclists from all across the commonwealth, make sure to invite your friends! While we cannot wait until we can ride with you in person again, we hope to see you over the web on Monday.