A Message from our Executive Director

Hello Friends —  

I’m writing to share something a little more personal than our usual website updates.

After more than a decade leading the Street Collective, I’ll be stepping down as Executive Director in April 2026. To everything there is a season, and for me, the season ahead is one of change.

When I started this job in late 2013, we were mostly volunteers, figuring things out as we went, running a small community bike shop and hoping it could make a difference. What kept me here all these years was the people — and the belief that biking is a practical, powerful way to connect people to opportunity and to each other.

I still remember a phone call from our bookkeeper early on, telling me she wasn’t sure our paychecks would cash that Friday.

At the time, our work was seasonal and our margins thin, and we hadn’t yet built the cash flow reserves we rely on today. The checks cleared. Everyone got paid. And somehow, after that moment, we kept moving forward and growing. It was one of the first times I truly felt the weight of responsibility — and the quiet relief of knowing we’d made it through.

I think often about another moment during our advocacy for the City’s first staff position dedicated to planning for walking and biking. Carl and I sat through a long City Council Workshop outlining the next year’s budget. As the night wore on, most of the room emptied out. By the end, we were the only members of the public still there. When the final item came up, a councilmember turned around and asked who was going to tell us that the position had been cut from the proposed budget.

What followed was a reminder that decisions aren’t final until the process is finished. In the end, the City found a way to fund the position.

That night reinforced something I’ve carried with me ever since: decisions are made by the people who show up.

Around that same time, I received advice from the late Jay Byers, the CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, that helped shape how I approached this work. He told me that people were inevitably going to say no — but encouraged me to hear that word not as a final answer, but as “not yet.”

That simple reframing guided how I thought about advocacy, partnerships, and patience throughout my time here.

Over time, that belief turned into real momentum.

We grew from the Des Moines Bicycle Collective into the Street Collective, broadening our mission beyond bicycles to include other forms of transportation that help people get around without cars. Along the way, we built programs that now reach far beyond our East Village shop.

Today, that shop has helped put tens of thousands of bikes back into use, alongside a bike share system serving multiple cities, free bike valet at concerts and cultural events for thousands each year, and sustained advocacy for safer streets — all made possible by an incredible mix of volunteers, staff, and partners.

So why leave now?

My family and I have been cooking up plans for next year that involve seeing some of the world — and especially bringing along our 13-year-old for a different kind of learning. It’s a mid-career break, a chance to spend meaningful time together, and an opportunity to gain some new perspective. We’re still working out the details, but either way, I know this is the right time to pass the reins of the Street Collective to new leadership.

This decision feels possible because the Street Collective is in a really good place. The work is strong, the team is capable, and the community around this organization is as engaged as it’s ever been.

I’ll be here through April 2026, fully engaged and working closely with our Board and staff to ensure a thoughtful, smooth transition.

This isn’t a goodbye just yet — but it is a look ahead.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together, and deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this story along the way. I’m excited for what’s ahead — for the Street Collective and for my family — and thankful to step into this next chapter with so much trust in the people carrying this work forward.

Thanks for being part of it,

Jeremy