Our staff exemplifies experience, dedication and a passion for doing the right thing. Whether we work in advocacy, education, or provide the terrific services Vermonters have come to expect, we all know that our work is all about making Vermont happier, healthier, and wealthier place.
Karen Yacos, Executive Director
Karen became our Executive Director in February 2018. She has a passion for creating sustainable communities and brings an extensive urban planning, corporate sustainability and philanthropy background to her role. Working with staff, board members, partners, and volunteers, she helps advance Local Motion’s efforts to make walking and biking a safe, accessible, and enjoyable option throughout Vermont—improving the sustainability of communities and creating a better quality of life for everyone along the way.
Karen previously led the Urban Water Program at Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization. Prior to that, she served as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Keurig Green Mountain and worked at ICLEI, the Seaside Institute, and the Orton Family Foundation, always focused on creating livable communities and healthy ecosystems. A long-time Vermonter, Karen received her MS in Natural Resource Planning and her BS in Zoology from the University of Vermont. Karen enjoys biking, hiking, skiing, and just about any outdoor activity Vermont has to offer and shares these activities with her husband and two grown daughters.
Email: karen@localmotion.org
Ext: 108
Allegra Williams, Livable Streets Program Manager
Allegra joined Local Motion in 2018 to lead the organization’s community planning, design and advocacy efforts. In her role as Livable Streets Program Manager, she collaborates with local governments, schools, and activists across the state who want to make their communities better places to walk and bike. Allegra comes to this work with a background in city planning, community organizing, and sustainable development. She has previously served as program director for a planning and development lab within MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, as a neighborhood and sustainability planner for a small municipality, and as a community organizer for a community development corporation. Allegra feels fortunate to be able to walk and bike to work year round from her home in the Old North End. In her free time, she enjoys camping, hiking, traveling, practicing yoga, and gardening with her husband and two young sons.
Email: allegra@localmotion.org
Ext: 103
Brian Costello, Bike Ferry Manager
Curiously, Brian's fate as co-founder of Local Motion came about not by way of an interest in bicycling directly; it was his love of boating and his passion for developing public access to Lake Champlain that inspired him to reconnect pieces of the abandoned and forgotten Island Line. Brian lives near the causeway in Colchester. He is the Executive Director of the Colchester Land Trust and a member of the Adirondack 46ers. Skiing, hiking, biking, sailing, Nordic skating, vintage cars and boats, alternative energy, history, inventing, and photography are a few of his many interests.
Email: brian@localmotion.org
Ext: 110
Jonathon Weber, Logistics Coordinator
As our Logistics Coordinator, Jonathon supports Local Motion's outreach programs and initiatives with event planning, inventory management, and whatever else needs doing. He also likes to take on special projects, such as installing interpretive signs at rest areas. He comes to Local Motion with a background of bike industry experience, working as a manager at Skirack before he migrated west to spend a handful of years with a mountain-bike magazine called Bike. Jonathon loves the varied nature of his job with Local Motion and is proud to work towards a more bikeable, walkable and livable community.
Email: jonathon@localmotion.org
Ext: 104
Laurie Smith, Development Manager
Laurie joined Local Motion in September 2018 as our Development Manager, responsible for member engagement as well as annual and ongoing fundraising. Laurie comes to us with a passion for community sustainability and social-profit leadership, and a 30-year career managing community outdoor recreation and trails grants for the State of Vermont. Laurie previously served as Founder & Executive Director of the Friends of Waterbury Reservoir. Her undergraduate and professional certifications include Southern New Hampshire University in Anthropology & Environmental Sustainability, Champlain College in International Hospitality and Tourism & Event Management, Marlboro College in Non-Profit Management, the University of Vermont in Project Management, and Trinity College in Small Business Start-Up. She and her partner enjoy sailing, bicycling, hiking, camping, kayaking, skiing, ballroom dancing, yoga, and traveling with their dog and 5 adult children. She is excited about her 4.5-mile bike commute to work along the Island Line Trail between Colchester and Burlington.
Email: laurie@localmotion.org
Ext: 107
Leslye Dentch, Bookkeeper
Leslye is a transplanted New Yorker coming to Vermont for more snow! Walking, hiking and cross-country skiing are her main activities but she finds just being outdoors, in general, is good enough. She has a strong office manager and bookkeeping background and does her best to keep all of us at Local Motion free of the detailed, mundane and day-to-day tasks so we can concentrate on promoting people-powered transportation and recreation for healthy and sustainable Vermont communities.
Email: leslye@localmotion.org
Ext: 107
Lynne Graves, Finance Manager
Lynne joined Local Motion in March 2015 as our Finance Manager. She brings to Local Motion a broad spectrum of experience in finance, human resources, and administration. Over the past several years, she has contributed her expertise to both non-profit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures. Lynne and her husband relocated to Vermont from Cincinnati, Ohio to be closer to their sons. As a Middlebury College graduate, she is thrilled to return to Vermont and New England. Having spent many years coaching high school rowing teams and actively supporting her sons’ rowing careers at the elite level, Lynne can be found out on the Lamoille River in her single scull, sailing on Lake Champlain, or downhill skiing in her spare time.
Email: lynne@localmotion.org
Ext: 107
Mary Catherine Graziano, Education, and Volunteer Manager
Mary Catherine has had a long career in tree hugging. Working for Local Motion is a logical extension of the sustainability mindset--riding a bike, walking--moving on your own power--that's a major part of how we're going to save the world. Mary Catherine coordinates educational programs and volunteers at Local Motion, including biking workshops, youth bike skills, road safety education, and helmet programs.
Email: marycatherine@localmotion.org
Ext: 106
Ross Saxton (& Juniper), Business Partnerships Manager
Ross joined Local Motion as our Business Partnerships Manager in August 2017. Ross has a long history with bikes, starting when he would take his bike to go fishing as a young boy. Since then, Ross has raced bikes with the University of Vermont cycling team and semi-professionally, and toured across many states. Ross still loves his bike for commuting, touring around the Green Mountains, and cruising on Vermont’s hundreds of miles of trails. At Local Motion, Ross uses his love for bikes to engage businesses throughout the state to help make our communities better places to bike, walk, and run.
Email: ross@localmotion.org
Ext: 105
Sarah Illingworth, Communications Coordinator
Sarah joined Local Motion in August 2018 as our Communications Coordinator. She comes to Local Motion with an extensive background in communications and digital marketing, eager to help push Local Motion to new heights. As a born and raised Vermonter, Sarah has been active her whole life spending a lot of time riding a bike around the beautiful landscape. Sarah attended the College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y. where she pursued a degree in Public Relations and Communications with a minor in Computer Science. She was also a member of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball team. You can find Sarah hiking all over New England, running and biking downtown, skiing the slopes, enjoying craft beers, or coaching basketball at Burlington High School.
Email: sarah@localmotion.org
Ext: 111
Stu Lindsay, Valet Bike Parking Coordinator
It took just one bike ride in The Netherlands for Stu to realize the benefits of having a safe and secure place to leave your bike when you are shopping, going to a waterfront concert, or just about any other bike destination. After attending a Winning Campaigns workshop hosted by Local Motion, Phil Hammerslough and Stu revived the Valet Bike Parking program, going from only 150 bikes parked the first year to over 6,200 in 2015. This year Stu is coordinating 70 Valet Bike Parking opportunities, from the Burlington Farmers’ Market to the Waterfront Festivals – come by bike and say Hello! He won’t rest until we have a “Fietsenstalling” in Burlington- a safe and secure place for any cyclist- rich or poor, young or old to park their bike.
Email: stu@localmotion.org
Tom Bennet, TC Mechanic
Tom likes bikes. He grew up riding bikes in Plattsburgh, New York and got his first "real" bike as a high school graduation present. Since graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011, Tom has ridden his bike around China, Nepal, the western United States, and New England. Eventually, after riding your bike for so long, you need to fix it. Tom brought his love of bikes and years of riding and garage wrenching experience to Local Motion in 2017 and has since become the head mechanic at the Trailside Center. He oversees the maintenance of our Trailside rental fleet, which has expanded to close to one hundred bikes, and our Bike Smart fleet. He is always ready and willing to ride out to the causeway to fix a flat tire or answer questions about riding bikes in New England or anywhere else.
Tom Clark, Director of Services and Marketing
As Director of Services and Marketing, Tom oversees our Trailside Center, Bike Ferry operations, Valet Bike Parking program and our overall marketing strategy. Tom joined Local Motion as our Services Coordinator in early 2017, assuming duties in both our Trailside Center and our Bike Ferry operations, and has brought to Local Motion extensive experience in business development and operational strategy. He has a talent for recognizing opportunity and understanding how best to leverage internal and external assets to gain market share. Tom’s career includes working for well known Vermont businesses The Vermont Teddy Bear Company and Vermont artist and author Stephen Huneck. He earned a degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in behavioral science from Rollins College. Tom lives in Shelburne with his wife. Interests include spending time with their grown daughters, being outdoors on bikes and in boats, and camping and traveling.
Email: tom@localmotion.org
Ext: 102