Local Motion recently hired Jason Van Driesche as Education and Safety Manager, a new position within the organization. Van Driesche is primarily responsible for Local Motion's Safe Routes to School program, which works with nearly two dozen elementary and middle schools around Chittenden County to help them make it easier and safer for their students to walk and bike to school. He also manages the Safe Streets Collaborative, an initiative that promotes a culture of safety and respect on Burlington's streets that will be expanding county-wide under his leadership next year.

"We're delighted to have Jason join the Local Motion team," said Chapin Spencer, Local Motion's executive director. "He is a seasoned program manager whose planning and bike/pedestrian experience will benefit some of Local Motion's fastest-growing initiatives."

Before coming to Local Motion, Van Driesche was Program Director for Smart Growth Vermont, where he managed a range of initiatives focused on helping communities across the state plan effectively for growth. He lives in Burlington's South End with his family and enjoys walking or biking to work every day.