2016 Board of Directors
Chairman — Chris Waggett, D4 Urban
Treasurer — Tristan Sanders, Denver Environmental Health
Bill Sirois, RTD
Michael Pletsch, UrBike
Donna Smith, Neenan Archistruction
Emily Snyder, City & County of Denver
Executive Director — Kathleen Osher —
Kathleen Osher, Executive Director of the Transit Alliance, has been leading the Alliance since 2005. As a national expert in citizen empowerment and transportation, Kathleen leads projects around the state of Colorado and the nation. Kathleen has 20 years of experience inspiring citizen leaders to create positive change in their communities, and is the creator of the successful Transit Alliance Citizens’ Academy, established in 2007. Each Fall and Spring, Kathleen recruits emerging leaders to take action, volunteer, and join area leaders to make the Denver region the best place to live, work, and play. In 2016, Kathleen was recognized with the DRCOG Distinguished Service Award for her extensive knowledge and passion for advancing transit, active transportation and more mobility choices in the Denver region. In addition to her work with the Citizens’ Academy, Kathleen is also the appointed co-chair of the Denver Moves Transit Task Force and is appointed to the RTD Pass Program Working Group. She is currently working in Baltimore, MD and Hartford, CT to develop a Citizens’ Academy model for their respective regions. After moving to Denver 15 years ago, Kathleen has grown to love (and hate) the Rockies, embrace the powder of the Colorado mountains, and innovate with a Western spirit.
Program Manager — Jamie Perkins —
Jamie joined Transit Alliance as Program Coordinator after completing the Spring 2015 Citizens’ Academy. She became Program Manager in January 2016 and leads the planning for the Rural Citizens’ Academy and the growing number of one-day Academy workshops with Cities and Counties around the Metro Region. Jamie also represents Transit Alliance on the Colfax Corridor Connections Task Force, and serves on the Mile High Connects Advisory Council. Before joining Transit Alliance, Jamie worked as a Budget Analyst for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Jamie holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Denver and studied her undergraduate degree in Sociology at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. After time spent in Portland and both Washington, D.C. as a Congressional intern and Washington state as an AmeriCorps volunteer, Jamie returned to her home state in 2013. Jamie’s favorite ways to get around include the 15 bus, A-Line, and her bike.