Saying goodbye is never easy
What can I say about the last four years with SVBC? It has been an amazing ride (pun intended). When I started, I thought my head might explode the first week with jargon and acronyms… transportation advocacy was a language unknown to me. Meeting after meeting, I was like, “Huh? I mean, yes, the road diet (roads eat?) sounds like a great idea, and I’m sure it won’t impact the VMT (vehicle miles traveled) too much, but maybe your TDM (traffic demand management) folks can take a closer look.” Um, no… that’s not what came out of my mouth.Over time, I picked up the lingo, but more importantly, I picked up the energy and passion for the work from our incredible staff. I can honestly say that I have never worked with such an amazing team of dedicated, smart, and hard-working people. The amount we are able to achieve with a slim staff has always been a source of pride for this team. But what you may not know is that these are also some of the most caring, funny, and generally wonderful people I know.I am going to miss working with each of them so much. The daily routine of coming to work is anything but routine. We laugh a lot, we are wildly creative at times, and we collaborate like nobody’s business. Regularly, I see the embodiment of team work in our staff – not only supporting each other’s professional goals and jumping in with all hands on deck in the busy times, but also supporting each other personally as well. It feels like family around here, and I’m going to take a little piece of my work siblings with me on to my next endeavor. You will all forever be in my heart.Thank you, SVBC, for teaching me so many new things and giving me the opportunity to grow and be better at my job… if I have asked anyone reading this for money over the years, you know I was just doing my job :-) and I thank you, our donors and members, for your support and commitment to the mission.I will be leaving SVBC on June 7 to work with CASA of Santa Cruz County as the Development Director. I’m excited to help make a difference in the lives of foster youth and work in my own home community. Living in Aptos, I will get to enjoy a short commute to work and give up my 82 miles round trip. Ironically, I will now be biking distance! Take care all, and see you in the bike lane!Lyndsey