Oaks and Spokes began as a grassroots movement in Raleigh, NC, founded by Kristy Jackson, a passionate advocate for safe and sustainable transportation. Her goal was simple: to get more people on bikes. With support from Raleigh’s cycling community, she organized rides, spoke before City Council, pushed for better biking infrastructure, and built momentum for change.

In 2013, Oaks and Spokes hosted its first bike festival, drawing over 1,200 participants and kicking off a tradition of annual Bike Month events. By 2016, the organization had officially become a 501c3 nonprofit, expanding its reach and helping secure Raleigh’s first protected bike lanes on West and Harrington Streets. In 2017, a group of volunteer bike mechanics affiliated with Oaks and Spokes formed the Raleigh Community Kickstand, a bike-donation and repair co-op help individuals with housing insecurity obtain and maintain reliable and independent transportation.

Growth continued, and in 2021, Oaks and Spokes hired its first staff member. That same year, the League of American Bicyclists named it “Club of the Year.” In 2022, the organization secured its first contract with Wake County to expand Safe Routes to School educational programming for school children. And in 2023, the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) honored the organization’s impact with their “Excellence in Advocacy” award.

For over a decade, it has worked to make Raleigh more bike-friendly, inspiring a movement that continues to make cycling safer, more accessible, and more celebrated in the city. Today, Oaks and Spokes is expanding its advocacy beyond bikes, championing safer streets and connected infrastructure for all active travel.

Staff:

Jared Harber - Executive Director

Jared has been part of Raleigh’s bike community for over 15 years. As the cofounder of Oak City Cycling, a local bike shop that opened in 2011, he has helped thousands of Raleigh residents discover the joy of riding. From organizing the shop’s first bike events, volunteering with Oaks and Spokes in its earliest days, to leading local rides, Jared has worked to bring people together on two wheels. In 2016, his dedication to cycling advocacy earned him the Clay Mankin Award from Quality Bicycle Products. Now, as the Executive Director of Oaks and Spokes, he is excited to keep that momentum going. With experience in the bike industry and strong ties to Raleigh’s cycling community, Jared is ready to help Oaks and Spokes grow and reach more people. He believes that making Raleigh a better place for biking and walking is good for everyone. By working with Oaks and Spokes members and the board of directors, he is committed to building a safer and more connected city where biking and walking are part of everyday life.
Email: Jared(at)oaksandspokes.org

Mary-Jo Gellenbeck - Safe Routes To School Program Manager

Mary-Jo joined Oaks & Spokes in 2019 and stepped right in to volunteer on its advocacy committee. The experience collaborating with fellow O&S members launched her career as an Advocate in Active Transportation infrastructure. It wasn't too much longer that she was elected to serve on the City of Raleigh's Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission. Her passion to increase safety for people who walk, cycle and roll on public streets is infectious and inspiring. Join her anytime. Her door is always open.
Email: Mary-jo(at)oaksandspokes.org

Board of Directors:

Lauren Blanch - Secretary

Hi, my name is Lauren Blanch, and I am an active member of Raleigh’s cycling community and a passionate advocate for sustainable transportation. I frequently participate in Oaks & Spokes events and advocacy efforts, and I use my commuter bike as my primary mode of transportation for grocery shopping, attending concerts, traveling, and more. I deeply appreciate Raleigh’s bike-friendly infrastructure and vibrant cycling culture, and I am committed to advancing initiatives that promote safer streets, connected bike networks, and greater community engagement.

Kuanyu Chen - Board Chair

I have been a long-time Greater Raleigh resident for almost two decades, and for many years I have been a bike commuter and the Capital Area Greenway enthusiast. I first connected with Oaks and Spokes through the various Bike Festivals, and I am now on the Board to help continue the excellent work the organization has done. In parallel with Oaks and Spokes responsibility, I am currently on the Neuse River Park CAG helping to envision and build a destination recreation space, and I am also on the Clayton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, covering the Johnson County end of Neuse River Greenway.

Beverley Clark - At-Large

Hi, I am Beverley Clark. I am a longtime resident of Raleigh. My happy place is riding my bike. I have a long history of community involvement; currently I am chair of the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board. I ride roads, I love our Greenways, and when I travel it usually involves cycling or friends that I have made through cycling. I ride a Gunnar, and an All City (chosen for me by Jared) and I have a couple of other “grocery” bikes! I consider myself more of a recreational cyclist than a commuter, but often what is good for one cyclist is good for most. What else do you want to know about me???…..well, just ask!

Rashawn King - At-Large

Rashawn King is the new Program Manager of the Triangle Trails Initiative. He previously served as a consultant for North Carolina State University's College of Natural Resources, where he worked as a recreational consultant for the Recreation Resources Service. In this capacity, he managed grants for local governments across North Carolina needing assistance with development and land acquisition projects, including greenways and trails. Rashawn holds a master's degree in Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Management from NC State University and a bachelor's degree in Recreation Administration from North Carolina Central University. He also sits on the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board.

Joan Lyons - Treasurer

I am a dedicated Transportation Planner that has worked on various innovative projects throughout the State of Colorado and State of North Carolina. I hold a Master's degree in Urban Planning from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In North Carolina, I have managed projects including but not limited to ADA Transition Plans projects to increase pedestrian infrastructure for all ages and abilities, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans to identify long-range bicycle and pedestrian projects, and NCDOT projects with clients throughout the state. Prior to relocating to the Raleigh area, I worked at Boulder Transportation Connections, Boulder's Transportation Management Organization, a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Boulder and managed the nation's second largest Bike to Work Day. I am an avid volunteer in my industry to advance sustainable transportation choice and am currently writing a book about women in my industry called Women Moving People. Outside of my professional experience, I am a bike commuter and ride to Raleigh from Cary.

Vance Miller - Board Vice Chair

Vance is a software engineer and project manager living in Raleigh without a car. Vance is an avid cyclist who uses much of the cycling infrastructure that advocates from Oaks & Spokes have helped advance in years past. In the years ahead, he will work with Oaks & Spokes to continue engaging the cycling community and to support advocates for safe cycling infrastructure in Raleigh. He serves as Secretary of the Board and Chair of the Events Committee for Oaks & Spokes.

Mike Porvaznik - Advocacy Committee Chair

I have lived and worked in Raleigh since 2015. I am currently a civil engineer by trade and work in downtown Raleigh. As soon as I moved to the City I got involved with Crank Arm brewing and have been leading their Wednesday night rides and representing the brewery in charity events for several years. I have also spent a few years working in the cycling industry at Trek Holly Park. In between both of these avenues I have had the pleasure of introducing hundreds of people to the great sights and riding our city has to offer. I love riding our city streets and trails and sharing all of the good routes and areas with everyone.

Eddy Sackinger - At-Large

When I ride my bike on the Walnut Creek Greenway and see the faded signs for Project Direct, pleading with people to walk, I feel a little sad but also a little happy. The foresight of the people in Raleigh who came before us, setting out to develop the greenway network we’re now blessed with, is incredible. It was clearly made piecemeal as money became available, yet it allows you to get more places in Raleigh by walking, biking, or rolling than anyone would assume. It connects to transit, bearing witness to the symbiosis between active transportation modes and urban transit. We have some big projects coming up. The Walnut Creek Greenway was built too low back in 1988 and is unable to keep pace with new flooding. Smokey Hollow Park will bring the greenway downtown from the north for the first time. The Triangle Bikeway is still in motion, hopefully connecting Raleigh to Durham and Chapel Hill. I believe that Oaks and Spokes is uniquely situated as a trusted voice in active transportation for the Raleigh community. Raleigh trusts Oaks and Spokes to be the kinda crazy, but deeply lovable and well-connected bike people. Oaks and Spokes needs to use that voice and trust to ensure these and other projects are the best they can be.

Wayne Stiles - At-Large

I have been involved in biking and bike advocacy for about 18 years, starting out as a volunteer at Neighborhood Bike Works in Philly. I have a real love for urban biking, re-starting my biking life in Philly as a 30 year old who just needed to find a cheap way to get around. I hadn't realized how fun that was going to continue to be. When I moved to Chicago in 2011, that love only grew and I biked around the city with my partner and sons. Our move to Raleigh this past July made me even more excited to ride and get to know the hills of the city. Having a small city to cruise around has been wonderful. Now that I'm an older parent/adult in my early 50s, I've been really aware of what biking while aging can be like and the changes and adjustments that come with it. That fact has really rekindled my curiosity of making bicycling accessible as well as finding ways to build community with older riders and those with younger riders in their families. Due to my partner being a design history professor at NC State, I am also extremely interested in how our bike lanes and other safety features are planned and arranged. I would love to be part of the Board of Directors (and could bring my nonprofit fundraising experience as a plus) or as part of the Advocacy Committee. Oaks and Spokes was one of the first orgs in Raleigh that I was truly excited about after an early summer visit to Munjo Munjo and a great conversation about biking with the staff there and I would be thrilled to a bigger part of this mission in Raleigh.

Jessica Winebrenner - At-Large

Jessica has been a member of the Raleigh cycling community for over two decades. She believes cycling is a powerful tool that can build community, provide transportation, and transform lives. She is eager to help Oaks and Spokes continue in advocating for people on bikes in all areas of the city. Jessica has raced mountain, road, and cyclocross disciplines, but you’re just as likely to find her commuting to work or joining a cruiser ride. She works for the state as a legislative attorney and lives in Raleigh with her partner Nate, five chickens, and pup Ernie.

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