Last Friday afternoon I got the best phone call of my professional life, to date. It was a friendly voice offering me the job of Transportation Options Program Manager with the state.
Starting next week that will be my new job. I’ll be the voice, the advocate, the ‘concept salesperson’ at ODOT — in the state of Oregon — for public transit, carpooling, bicycling and other transportation options. Why do these matter so much? The more we use these options instead of driving alone, the more we build the health of our climate, communities, bodies and bank accounts. As with renewable energy, transportation options build our future.
Thor and I danced for joy at the coast Friday night, to Peter Gabriel’s extended version of In Your Eyes. Many of you know I will dance at the drop of a hat, and even rope Thor into joining me, but this was a particularly happy dance. Why? I have wanted and worked for this kind of full-time right-livelihood position since 2002. It took a long time, and a lot of help.
Big thanks to my husband’s support and to colleagues, friends and mentors Karen Frost, Dan Kaempff, Vicki Lind and many other great people at TriMet, Metro, TOGO, W.T.A., OLCV, Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center and other good organizations.
Related Posts:
- House Votes on Carbon Cap & Trade Bill This Friday
- The Fun of Being In Training
- Great, Green Job Opening
Congrats, Alison! This is a wonderful and well-deserved opportunity for you and everyone in our fine state will benefit from your passionate advocacy. A win-win! Very pleased to hear this news.
This is tremendous – I am SO jealous! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you in this incredibly important new role…..
The Five-Carat Commute « Diamond-Cut Life // Apr 4, 2008 at 4:22 pm
[...] Portland, reverse commute, rideshare, Salem, saving money, work On the first day of my new job in Salem, Oregon yesterday, I left my house in Portland before 6 a.m. and got home about 6:4o p.m. I spent three [...]
Driving A Prius In The Wild West « Diamond-Cut Life // Apr 22, 2008 at 7:00 pm
[...] hybrid, Juliet Schor, Old West, Oregon, peak oil, Prius, transportation, vanpool, Wild West My job in transportation options has taken me, in a new Prius, to the high desert town of Bend, Oregon (recently named by American [...]