TransForm Staff Biographies

Ann works to shape local land use policies so they support a Bay Area of walkable and livable neighborhoods near transit stations. Ann developed the Great Communities Collaborative Toolkit, which is used throughout the region in developing model station area plans. Ann has over nine years of experience as a city planner. Ann is also developing one of TransForm's newest projects, GreenTRIP - Traffic Reduction + Innovative Parking Certification Program for new residential and mixed use development.She worked as both a private consultant and public agency planner at Alta Planning + Design and Contra Costa County Community Development Department. In these former roles she co-authored design guidelines, coordinated planning efforts, and wrote bicycle and pedestrian master plans. Ann lives in El Cerrito where she grew up and is currently on the City Council. She loves working on issues related to transit-oriented development because most of the time it means she can take transit, bike or walk to most of her meetings. Ann's work as a planner is inspired by her degree in Environmental Biology and Management at UC Davis.

Nora oversees Alameda County's Safe Routes to Schools Partnership. Under Nora's leadership, the program has expanded to offer comprehensive Safe Routes to Schools programs to 50 schools in Alameda County. Previously, Nora served as the Wellness Coordinator for the Oakland Unified School District, where she developed a model wellness policy and founded the Coordinated School Health Council. As a parent of teenagers who attend public schools in Oakland, Nora enjoys volunteering at their schools and sending them off to ride the AC Transit bus to school every day. She holds a Masters in English Literature.

Stuart Cohen is co-founder and Executive Director of TransForm. By combining high-quality policy analysis with coalition building and strategic media efforts, TransForm has become a powerful and effective voice for world class transit and walkable communities in the Bay Area and beyond. TransForm's campaigns on transportation sales taxes and other funding measures have brought together diverse coalitions and helped raise over $6 billion for sustainable and socially-just transportation. Stuart has spearheaded a number of these efforts, as well as the successful effort to initiate the Bay Area's Regional Smart Growth Strategy. Stuart has been the primary author of eight TransForm reports, including the 120-page World Class Transit for the Bay Area.  In 2005 Stuart helped conceive and launch the Great Communities Collaborative.  This partnership of five non-profits, three community foundations, and 24 community partners is engaging communities around the Bay Area in planning for sustainable, equitable development near transit.  He is also the co-founder and chair of ClimatePlan, a statewide network that is promoting smart land use and transportation as critical components of California's climate strategy.  Founded in 1997, TransForm now has 19 staff based in Oakland and a regional coalition comprised of over 100 organizations.  TransForm just opened a Sacramento office to focus on state transportation policy reform. Previously, Stuart worked with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability as a researcher on the climate impacts of alternative transportation policies and fuels, and at NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research Group) as a toxics campaign coordinator and Statewide Canvass Director.  Stuart received a Master's Degree in Public Policy (MPP) from the Goldman School of Public Policy at U.C. Berkeley.

Rachel Davidman is the education coordinator for the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools program. In addition to overseeing the program's curriculum and teacher training workshops, she is responsible for bringing Safe Routes to Schools to Berkeley and Albany schools.Rachel joins TransForm with over 15 years of experience working in schools and developing curriculum. She is a former Berkeley Unified School District Spanish teacher. She also worked with the Oakland Museum of California's Education Department where she produced several large scale curriculum projects. Most recently she served as Community Health Liaison for Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theatre Programs.Rachel is a Bay Area native and East Bay resident who loves riding her bike to work. She can most often be found enjoying the Bay Area's lively music and dance scene. She holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from UC Santa Cruz and a M.A. in Education from San Francisco State University.

Olivia organizes around transportation-related issues in Contra Costa County, like the Measure J transportation sales tax and Senate Bill 375, California's new smart growth law.  She collaborates with Contra Costa residents and organizations to achieve better public transportation and bicycle/pedestrian safety, more transit-oriented development with affordable housing, and less greenhouse gas emissions that endanger public health. In 2009, Olivia co-authored a report for the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) about how to bring good jobs and sustainable development to Emeryville.  She is also the Manager of Health Leadership and Education programs at Street Level Health Project, an Oakland nonprofit that serves low-income immigrant communities in the Bay Area.   Olivia has extensive experience organizing and doing strategic research for labor unions and nonprofits, including UNITE HERE, CWA, SEIU, and Contra Costa Faith Works. Her interest in transportation issues is a product of seeing transportation injustice in working class communities, where residents often need transportation access the most but have it the least.  Olivia is also an avid biker. She received her BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University and her MA in Sociology from Northwestern University.

As part of the Communications and Development team, Kalie supports: events and outreach; individual and foundation fundraising; volunteer coordination; and database management. Prior to TransForm, Kalie worked for EHC LifeBuilders where she served as the community relations specialist. She enjoys spending time outdoors and going on adventures with her new puppy! Kalie received her B.A. in Political Science from Linfield College.

Seth oversees TransForm’s website, electronic communications, and social media, plus supports all of TransForm’s campaigns and membership as the master of data management. Seth spent his pre-TransForm years designing and implementing web sites for small businesses, national retailers and Time Inc. publications.Seth lives with his wife in Berkeley where he serves as a Transportation Commissioner and as chair of the city's Redevelopment Agency's West Berkeley Project Area Committee. Seth graduated with a B.A. in American Studies from Skidmore College. While at Skidmore he first encountered the auto industry's 1939 vision of the World of Tomorrow -- an urban oasis wrapped in a ribbon of auto exhaust. He commutes through the East Bay Green Corridor via BART, bus and bike.

Camille supports the Great Communities Collaborative and GreenTRIP program. As an undergraduate, she interned at the non-profit EAH Housing, where her values of social equity intersected with her studies in planning. She received her B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Inspired by her time volunteering in London for a summer, she is excited that her work at TransForm promotes more walkable, transit-rich communities in the Bay Area.

Jeff coordinates the Great Communities Collaborative and oversees TransForm's overall operations. In 1998, Jeff joined TransForm to start a project focusing on the transportation needs of low-income and people-of-color communities. Jeff has since authored several TransForm reports, including the Access Now! guide which helps people navigate and influence transportation decisions. Before joining TransForm in 1998, Jeff worked for Communities for a Better Environment and Contra Costa County Health Services as a policy analyst, advocate, and air quality consultant on environmental justice issues. During 1993-95, Jeff worked for the Davis Energy Group as a consultant on solar energy and energy efficiency. He also spent a year developing solar energy programs in a Tibetan refugee community in India. Jeff holds a Master's degree from the Energy and Resources Group at University of California at Berkeley and a Bachelor's degree in physics from Harvard University. Jeff and his partner Kim Seashore also enjoy raising two young children and taking them all over the region on public transit.

John created TravelChoice, TransForm's innovative one-to-one education program which TransForm has piloted in East Bay communities since 2005. John joined TransForm after spending 13 years working in one-to-one and grassroots marketing for the entertainment and trend products industries. He lives in Alameda, where he has chaired the City of Alameda's Transportation Commission since 2001. Over the past 13 years, John has also worked on transportation issues in New York City and San Francisco, including NYC's Transportation Alternatives, Alameda Transit Advocates, and BikeAlameda.

Karen oversees all of the financial and administrative functions of TransForm. Karen brings extensive administrative and financial management experience to TransForm from the public, private and non-profit sectors. She has overseen a number of accounting software conversions for non-profit entities. She has more than ten years consulting experience as the fiscal manager on a number of federally funded contracts. She also was the project manager on the acquisition and rehabilitation of an apartment complex for low-income individuals in North Oakland. Karen delights in the fact that she can walk to TransForm from her home each day!

Chris is engaging community and business leaders, elected officials, and the broader community in shaping the planning of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in Santa Clara County, where he has lived for over 20 years.Chris has worked on environmental and social justice issues through his work as an instructor at De Anza College and as a community organizer in the South Bay. Chris' previous work with TransForm includes coordinating a community-based input process for the Mayfair neighborhood in San Jose (see the report) and organizing the campaign to stop VTA's proposed fare increases in 2003. Chris also translated TransForm's Access Now! guide from English to Spanish.Chris received his BA in Environmental Studies with a minor in Latin American/Latino Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz and his Masters in Urban Planning at San Jose State University.

Marta oversees TransForm's overall communications, media work, and fundraising. Prior to starting at TransForm, Marta worked for several environmental organizations and in politics. She has a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in environmental science and policy from Drake University. When she's not at the Inner Sunset farmer's market discovering new vegetables or riding the N-Judah downtown, Marta can often be found at Point Reyes National Seashore where she is a wildlife docent with her husband. 

Sara manages all grant-related work for TransForm. She helps conceive, write, edit, and report on TransForm's inspiring work. For the past eleven years, Sara been deeply involved with many Bay Area environmental nonprofit organizations, with significant experience in fundraising, program and financial management, communications, and outreach. Most recently, she was the executive director for the Friends of Sausal Creek, an Oakland-based watershed group focused on environmental education and restoration, where she led several strategic efforts including a state-funded science-based watershed plan. Sara has written for magazines such as Leadership and Bay Nature, as well as for the Sierra Club Books publication Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World. Sara and her husband love raising two young children and three chickens, and spend time exploring their community via bike, bus, train, and foot. Sara holds a Masters in Geography and Human Environmental Studies from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in both Political Science and Philosophy from Boston College.

As executive assistant at TransForm, Denise works to provide executive support and event coordination, in addition to acting as board liaison. She has eight years of experience working for non-profits in administrative, development and editorial roles. Prior to TransForm she was editor-in-chief of Tea Party magazine, an Oakland-based arts and culture publication. Now that Denise walks or bikes her four-mile commute each day, she never worries about finding time to work out. Denise holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.

Carli leads TransForm's transportation campaigns and policy development. She also administers the Bay Area's Safe Routes to Transit grant program and leads TransForm's regional coalition. Prior to joining TransForm, Carli worked as a planner for the cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito and coordinated a federal research project assessing climate impacts on New York City. Carli is an Oakland native and serves on the board of Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. Carli holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Columbia University and a Master in City Planning from MIT.

Lauri Palmisciano is TransForm's Administrative Assistant. She supports many critical day-to-day functions in the office. Lauri's role at TransForm allows her to continue her commitment to creating positive change through a mission-driven workplace. Lauri comes from a non-profit background, having worked and volunteered for NYC and Oakland organizations that promote access to community health. In East Oakland, Lauri co-created the free after-school Holistic Clinic for 13- to 23-year olds at Youth Uprising. Lauri received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is thrilled to work at an organization that understands the important connection between transit options and public health.

Karla is the site coordinator for the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools Partnership. She's inspired by working with parents, schools, community groups, and agencies in a collaborative way to help create a socially and environmentally just future for children and families. Prior to joining TransForm, Karla worked and volunteered in various organizations that help empower low-income communities in Oakland and indigenous communities in less-industrialized countries. Karla's biggest joys are playing outdoors with her toddler and husband and visiting family in their native Nicaragua. She received a B.A. in international relations with a minor in world development studies from San Francisco State University.

Sara oversees human resources, office technology, accounting, and other general office management duties. She previously worked with TransForm's TravelChoice program as a canvasser and Program Associate. Shortly before becoming involved with TransForm, she relocated to the Bay Area from North Carolina where she received her B.A. in Sociology and Political Science at Guilford College. She is an avid bicycle rider and advocate, participating in many grassroots efforts to increase bicycle and pedestrian access within her various communities.

After earning a B.A. in geography from San Francisco State University, Joel went right to work as an assistant planner for the Unity Council in East Oakland, before helping to build a coalition of labor, environmental and social justice groups to win a community benefits agreement in one of the largest transit-oriented development projects in California. Joel is currently working with the Great Communities Collaborative on several TOD planning process, and is helping to maximize community involvement and build support for Bus Rapid Transit in the East Bay and in San Francisco. His planning work is deeply rooted in transportation and social justice principles. Joel's family referred to AC Transit as "Aunt Claire" when he was growing up, because they depended on "her" so much to get around. Those childhood memories and his professional experience working in low-income communities strongly reinforce his commitment to his work.

Erika is a program coordinator of the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools Partnership. Erika previously worked with Latino Issues Forum where she organized and implemented a statewide consumer awareness campaign that empowered Latino and low-income communities to make informed choices on telecommunication services. Erika also worked as a college advisor with low-income students at Richmond High School to help them pursue higher education opportunities. Inspired by her family, Erika's value and commitment to equity and justice led her to work at TransForm. Erika loves taking her dog Vito on nice long walks in her neighborhood and to the dog park; and enjoys walking to BART to get to work and to take in cultural events throughout the Bay Area. Erika received her B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Chris coordinates the site team for the Great Communities Collaborative and runs site campaigns in eastern Contra Costa County to ensure equitable and sustainable development occurs around stations for the proposed eBART line. Before she joined TransForm, Chris worked on the green waste program at the University of California at Berkeley, taught English to migrant laborers in East Oakland, and volunteered for efforts to rebuild New Orleans. Chris loves to bike home along the Bay Trail and watch the sun set over the Marin Headlands. She has a BA from the University of California at Berkeley in both Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies, with a concentration on Transformative Community Development.

Shannon coordinates the Transportation For America campaign's partner organizations in California.  These partners (including TransForm) are working together to win federal transportation policy that actively supports a nation of world-class public transportation and neighborhoods that require less driving - all while keeping our current transportation infrastructure in great shape.  Shannon has worked for nearly a decade in California as a community organizer on issues ranging from forest protection to economic democracy.  She has also served in communications, development, and management roles at various organizations in the Bay Area and Humboldt County. Shannon has never owned a car and enjoys her quick bike commute from Lake Merritt to TransForm's downtown Oakland office.  She participates in people-powered transportation on land and sea as a hiker, cyclist, swimmer, and rower.  Shannon is originally from the northeast and holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.S. in Environmental Education from Lesley University.

Andréa works to spread the good word of TransForm through event coordination, volunteer organization and membership development. Previously, Andréa worked in non-profit development for educational, environmental, social service and healthcare organizations. Andréa considers some of the greatest perks of her car-free lifestyle in Oakland to be getting to know her neighbors, making friends with the local critters and witnessing squirrel high-jinks. Andréa graduated from Humboldt State University with her B.A. in Political Science, Environmental Policy and Advocacy.

Akon works with the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools Partnership. as a Site Coordinator for parts of Oakland, Alameda, Hayward, San Leandro, and the unincorporated areas in San Lorenzo. Akon has worked in the non-profit sector for several years on youth development and empowerment strategies in urban areas. She has organized and implemented programs at the local and state level focused on community empowerment and health. She is a proud North Oakland resident who enjoys the walkability of her neighborhood. Akon has a B.A. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration at California State University, East Bay.

Ebonie supports a wide range of TransForm's work in her administrative role. She brings extensive administrative experience, having previously worked for accounting and marketing firms. She is happy to be out of the for-profit realm and proud to be working to make positive sustainable change. Originally from Los Angeles County, Ebonie relocated to the Bay Area eight years ago to live in an environment more in line with her green and relatively car-free lifestyle.