Author: WalkBoston

WalkBoston is Hiring a New Executive Director!

WalkBoston is Hiring a New Executive Director!

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WalkBoston Executive Director Job Description

What we’re looking for:
WalkBoston is looking for an Executive Director to lead the organization into an exciting next phase which will include implementing the newly developed Strategic Plan, expanding our organizational reach statewide, and continuing our advocacy and organizing efforts in support of safe pedestrian infrastructure and public policy. 

Who we are and what we do:
WalkBoston, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) advocacy organization, makes walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment and more vibrant communities. We have a vision of a Massachusetts where people walking – no matter their race, identity, age, ability, or lived experience – feel safe, connected, and valued on our streets and sidewalks. Our small, committed staff work as a team to make change: whether it’s getting a crosswalk painted in a neighborhood or influencing Massachusetts state policy to make streets safer for all. Key to our effort is the value we place in Community, Equity, and Partnership.

As the first pedestrian advocacy organization in the country, for over 30 years WalkBoston has been an industry leader and cutting-edge advocacy organization. As an innovator in the walkability field, WalkBoston has helped pass legislation and write pedestrian design manuals; created walks, maps and wayfinding systems; led the nation’s first Safe Routes to School program; promoted healthy living campaigns; and publicized the economic value of good walking environments for business success. We’ve used tactical urbanism and social media to tell people’s stories to help make changes to street design, policies, and to drive public sentiment for projects.  

What the Executive Director will do:
Our next Executive Director will lead the organization and further our mission of making walking safer and easier in Massachusetts to encourage better health, a cleaner environment, and more vibrant communities. The Executive Director will be a leader who believes in WalkBoston’s mission, vision and values, and is an excellent communicator and coalition builder with a demonstrated commitment to racial equity principles. The Executive Director will be tasked with implementing our newly developed equity-centered Strategic Plan.      

The Executive Director will uphold WalkBoston’s values of community, equity and partnership and work towards a Massachusetts where people walking – no matter their race, identity, age, ability, or lived experience – feel safe, connected, and valued on our streets and sidewalks. 

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a track record in managing budgets, staff, and fundraising and/or comfort with asking for money. Professional or lived experience in the following is desired but not required; fundraising for a small non-profit, advocating or organizing among diverse populations, knowledge of transportation planning, urban planning, or public health, and board recruitment / retention. 

WalkBoston is seeking a diverse (race, age, geography, background and experience) candidate pool.  The Executive Director is a leader who can apply a varied set of professional and lived experiences to the betterment of WalkBoston. We encourage individuals to apply who share a passion for our vision, mission, and values and enjoy contributing ideas on how we can become stronger as an organization.

Job responsibilities:
Administration and Management
Lead 5 to 6 person staff to execute day-to-day responsibilities that further the mission and achieve the strategic plan.

Hire, supervise, and evaluate all staff while maintaining up-to-date human resources practices and protocols for the organization.

Develop annual operating budget, monitor grant and contract budgets, review monthly financial reports, oversee payroll, and manage our accountant and bookkeeper consultants.

Program Support
Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence in advocacy initiatives and grant-funded projects. Guide and support staff to ensure program goals and deliverables are met.

Monitor new program development to advance WalkBoston’s reach in Massachusetts.

Maintain relationships with state agencies, municipal staff, advocates, allied organizations, and subject matter experts to stay informed of and shape policies and project implementation.

Fundraising
Oversee implementation of annual fundraising plan with the Deputy Director of Operations. 

Cultivate relationships with various organizations, foundations, corporate and individual donors, and perform other donor stewardship activities.

Negotiate fee-for-service agreements with partners dedicated to the advocacy and awareness building goals of the organization.

Board of Directors Coordination
Meet regularly with the Board of Directors (currently 10 evenings/year) to provide program, financial, and advocacy updates. Solicit feedback and input from Board members to shape WalkBoston advocacy initiatives, policies, and procedures.

Meet regularly with the Executive Committee to review monthly financials, set Board meeting agendas, and address any other organizational issues.

Support recruitment and training of new board members.

Develop and maintain relationships with Board members to best support their engagement with the organization.

Desired qualifications:
Expertise in non-profit and/or business management, including but not limited to skills in organizational structure, operations, and finance.

Strong public presentation skills to represent the organization in the media and other public forums.

Collaborative leadership style that values broad perspectives and provides an environment for people of all races, genders, abilities, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive.

Coalition builder.

Demonstrated commitment to racial equity principles.

Lives in or willing to move to Massachusetts. 

Compensation:
Full-time position (37.5 hours/week)

Annual salary range: $90,000 – $110,000 based upon prior work experience

Standard benefits include holiday compensation, paid time off, health insurance, and flexible scheduling.

In-state travel is required.

Availability for occasional early morning, evening, or weekend hours is required. 

Currently, WalkBoston staff is working on a hybrid model, with a flexible number of days spent in-person. We have a shared office space at the CIC in Downtown Boston which we share with several other transportation advocacy organizations.

If you are interested in the job but do not meet all the desired skills and qualifications, please do not hesitate to apply! The successful candidate will meet many of the requirements listed and will undoubtedly grow into others.

WalkBoston is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, ability, age, or veteran status. We work hard to ensure diverse slates of candidates for openings at our company.

To apply email a resume and cover letter answering the question “What relevant experience, skills and assets would you bring to the role of Executive Director?” to jobs@walkboston.org by December 16th.

FAQs – Beat The Bay State Team Challenge (November 2022)

FAQs – Beat The Bay State Team Challenge (November 2022)

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Have a question about the Beat the Bay State Team Challenge? We’ve put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions! If you have a question that is not answered below, send us a message through the RunSignUp page (contact form at the bottom of the registration page) so someone can get back to you.

Last updated: Friday, September 9th, 2022

Virtual Team Challenge FAQs

Q: Is this a virtual or in-person event? 

Virtual! No need to travel to get to the event, you can participate from anywhere in the state or indeed the world. 

Q: Is there event swag?

Yes! Winter hats ($15) and buffs ($10) are available for sale for either event; the hats and buffs are the same design as last year’s event. 

Q: Can I sign up a friend or family member when I’m signing up? 

Yes! You can register multiple people in one transaction on RunSignUp. 

However, if you are creating a team, we recommend doing that in a transaction without registering any additional people. (When creating a team, it prompts you to also create a fundraising page for the team – if you were to register other people in the same transaction, it would require a fundraising page to be created for those people, too. While fundraising is optional, creation of the page is required during team registration.) 

Q: How do I log my miles? 

There are two ways you can do it. Remember, you need to be registered for the Beat the Bay State on RunSignUp in order to submit your miles.

1st way — It can be done through the RunSignUp results page for Beat the Bay State, which can be found on the top bar of the registration site. Click RESULTS on the top bar, and then the orange “Submit Virtual Results” button at the top of that page. The next screen will have participant lookup fields where you can search for your name. You will be able to submit miles you’ve covered by walking or running on the next screen by clicking the “Log Activities” button. This is also the best way to do it if one family member is logging miles for multiple people. (If you can’t find your name through the search, you may not be registered for the event yet.) 

2nd way — If you are logged in to RunSignUp with the same info you used to sign up for Beat the Bay State, you can go to your profile: https://runsignup.com/Profile

Scroll down to the event for Beat the Bay State, click “Submit Virtual Results.” You will be able to submit miles you’ve covered by walking or running on the next screen. Please note that the form fields will not appear until November 1st, since miles must be done between Nov 1st and Nov 30th. The submission form will remain open until December 1st at 12PM Eastern so you can log your final totals for the month of November. 

You can log your miles daily, every few days, weekly – it is up to you. Remember, as each member of your team logs miles, your team will move along a mapped route. We’ll also be sending weekly reminders via email and daily reminders to the Facebook group (see below) to have people log their activity. You do not need to have MapMyRun, Strava, or a GPS watch.

Q: I want to join a team but I forget our team name. Can I see a list of all the teams?

Yes! Click on Groups/Teams at the top of the RunSignUp page, which will give a list of all the teams and total team members. You can click on the team name itself to see the team and also to share the team link directly.

Q: I only track my steps. How do I log those?

Since each person’s stride is different, we’re using miles to have a way to compare teams. Your fitness tracker may also estimate the number of miles that you’ve logged. If you want to convert from steps to miles, you can use this calculator: https://www.blitzresults.com/en/steps/

Q: How do we know how far along our team is?

All team results / progress will be on the Results page. From there, you can click to your own Team Page, where you can see how you and your teammates are doing as individuals. You’ll also receive badges through RunSignUp and emails along the way as your team hits milestones on your 900 mile journey. (You can also access your team at the bottom of your Profile).

We’ll also send a weekly email to all participants giving everyone an overall event update and reminding people to submit their miles so their team total is accurate. 

Q: Can someone join our team even after November 1st?

Yes! There is no cutoff date for when someone can join your team to help log miles toward the 900 mile goal during the month. You can share your team page with them at any point. 

Q: Is there a hashtag I should use or a Facebook group for the event? 

Yes! We created a Facebook Group for last year’s challenge, which we’ll be using again: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beatthebaystate 

There may be weekly events within the Facebook group which will allow for additional individual prize opportunities.

You can also use hashtag #BeatTheBayState on your social media of choice to see other posts from people who are taking part during November. We’ll search public posts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram and pick a few to feature in the weekly update email to participants! 

Q: Are the hats and buffs the same design as last year? 

Yes! We might be biased, but we think they’re great. 🙂

Q: I want a winter hat or a buff, but I didn’t purchase one when I first signed up. Can I still get one? 

Yes! You can access the store here. On the main RunSignUp page, you can also click “STORE” at the top. The store will let you buy something without going back through the registration process. If you’d like to order a large amount of items to distribute to your team, please contact Brendan (bkearney@walkboston.org) and he can arrange that with you.

Q: I ordered a hat or buff. When should it arrive? 

We’ll be mailing out the first batch of orders on October 1st. You can also pick up your swag from our office in downtown Boston if you’d like it ASAP for your walk/runs. Email Brendan at bkearney@walkboston.org to make the arrangements.

Q: I registered as an individual (or on a team), but now I want to create my own team.  

We can create one for you if needed – but we found last year that it is a lot easier if you have someone who hasn’t signed up yet create the team. They can then give you admin access to help manage it. Read the RunSignUp tutorial on how to do that here.

Q: I don’t want to be in charge of a team, but since I was the first one to sign up I made the team. Can someone else be put in charge?

If you created a team, and want to give someone else admin access to help you manage it, read the RunSignUp tutorial on how to do that here.

Q: Our team will mostly be families in my neighborhood doing walks/runs together. How many members of a family can log the miles?  For instance, if I am signed up but my son goes for a 2-mile walk, can I add his mileage to mine? 

Something to consider: our executive director created a team for her friends & family to join last year, and her children each signed up as team members since they each wanted to know how many miles they contributed to the team during the month. The rule of thumb we’re using: if you’re old enough to sign yourself up, you should be your own team member on the team. (It is your call, though – if you want to have your son signed up as a user, that’s great! But if you find it easier to combine those miles with yours, go for it.) 

Q: Are there prizes? 

There are prizes for the team that finishes the 900 miles first, biggest team (most participants), and the most money raised (both individual and team). These links will provide rankings: Team rankings | Team participants | Top Individual Fundraisers | Top Team Fundraisers 

There may be weekly events within the Facebook group which will allow for additional individual prize opportunities, so we’d encourage you to join the Beat the Bay State Facebook Group.

Q: Does my registration fee or swag purchase go toward our team fundraising goal?

Registration fees and swag purchases do not go toward fundraising goals. The biggest team does not always raise the most money: we want to make sure we recognize both efforts! All proceeds support WalkBoston. 

Q: Fundraising: How do I create a page? 

Team captains are required to create a team fundraising page when setting up the team, and participants have the option to create individual pages. (There is no fundraising requirement to participate). If you would like to become an individual fundraiser, click here. At the bottom of that page, make sure to join your team’s fundraiser so your individual fundraising total will be combined with your team.

Q: Can we keep going if/when our team hits 900 miles?

Yes! While your team marker won’t move around the map again, you’re able to keep adding to your total team miles tracked for the month. Last year, a few of the biggest teams were able to do it multiple times, competing with each other to see who could go further! See the 2021 team results.

Q: I have a question about something that isn’t covered here.

Send us a message through the RunSignUp page (contact form at the bottom of the registration page) so someone can get back to you.

Beat the Bay State registration now open for Fall 2022!

Beat the Bay State registration now open for Fall 2022!

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Starting November 1st, we’re challenging you to compete in the 3rd Annual Beat the Bay State Challenge throughout November (Nov1st-30th). In 2022, over 500 people took part in the virtual team challenge to walk/run 900 miles, the distance of the perimeter of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and together we covered over 50,000 miles.

For more info or to sign up:
https://runsignup.com/baystate

3rd Annual Beat the Bay State Logo

Sponsorships are available! Please contact Deputy Director of Operations Althea Wong-Achorn for more info.

Interested in volunteering? Please contact Deputy Director of Advocacy Brendan Kearney for more info.

Have any other event questions? Check out our 2022 FAQ.

East Boston Ped101 Presentation with GreenRoots and Caminatas Verdes y Caminatas Seguras

East Boston Ped101 Presentation with GreenRoots and Caminatas Verdes y Caminatas Seguras

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Image: WalkBoston staff leading a Ped101 presentation to members of the Caminatas Verdes y Caminatas Seguras group.

On Thursday, August 4th, WalkBoston led an in-person Ped101 presentation for East Boston residents. The training was done in collaboration with GreenRoots, an environmental justice organization based out of Chelsea and East Boston, and the Caminatas Verdes y Caminatas Seguras walking group.

The program aims to improve safe walking access to East Boston’s parks and open spaces. The goal of the Ped101 training was to educate community members on the fundamentals of walkability and effective walking infrastructure, and give community members the vocabulary to advocate for infrastructure improvements. The presentation was conducted in both English and Spanish. WalkBoston offered an interpreter who translated the presentation in real-time using GreenRoots equipment. 

East Boston community members are passionate about improving their neighborhood’s walking infrastructure, especially around parks and schools. Over 20 community members attended the Ped101 presentation. At the end of the training, community members discussed how walkability solutions from the presentation could be used in their own community. They largely focused on fading sidewalks, lack of daylighting and curb extensions, poor snow removal, insufficient walking signals, and the failure of new developments to replace walking infrastructure damaged during construction. 

After the discussion, residents participated in a mapping activity in which they marked areas of East Boston that they felt were particularly dangerous for pedestrians. WalkBoston and GreenRoots will also communicate resident concerns directly to the City of Boston, both through a current conditions report and a meeting with city representatives.

July 2022 Network Meeting Recap

July 2022 Network Meeting Recap

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At the July monthly meeting of the WalkMassachusetts Network, StreetsBlogMASS Editor Christian MilNeil and Reporter Grecia White presented their work to report on transportation issues across Massachusetts, which now includes reporting stories in Spanish and covering a variety of intersectional topics such as public bathroom access and the effects of disrupted T service on riders. 

You can view a recording of the meeting and their presentation here as well as a recording of our May meeting with MassDOT and their presentation on their new speed management guidance. You can read more of Grecia and Christian’s work at mass.streetsblog.org, or contact them here if you’ve got a story to pitch! 

The WalkMassachusetts Network meets every third Wednesday of each month at 1 pm, with the next being August 17, 2022, where the topic of discussion will be public amenities that support walkability — particularly public bathrooms. You can register for next month’s meeting here.