Bikeshare’s first and only membership organization announces three female leaders have joined its executive committee. The news comes on the heels of the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA) announcing its first-ever executive director, Samantha Herr, in the summer of 2017. For the first time, the organization is led by all women in the roles of executive director, president, VP, and secretary. Out of a 15-person board, six are women.

With a vision to make bikeshare accessible to all people regardless of age, gender, income, or race, Herr says that infusing NABSA’s board of directors with female leadership demonstrates the organization’s commitment to equality from the inside out.

“Each one of our female board members understands the power of bikeshare to change lives. They’ve developed and grown bikeshare in their own backyards and now they’re coming together to transform the industry across North America,” says NABSA Executive Director Samantha Herr. “Their expertise equips NABSA to guide the growing bikeshare industry as a tool to improve mobility, public health and quality of life for everyone.”

NABSA highlights the following visionaries on its board:

President: Dianna Ward, executive director at Charlotte B-Cycle

As the executive director of Charlotte B-cycle, Ward is responsible for managing and growing the bikeshare system in Charlotte’s urban core. Honored as one of the 50 most influential women in Charlotte, she collaborates with sponsors, city leaders and bike advocates with a vision to make her city a “city of bikes.”

VP: Kristen Camareno, executive director at Fort Worth Bike Sharing

Camareno currently serves as executive director of Fort Worth Bike Sharing Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to operate and maintain a bikesharing system in Fort Worth, Texas. Prior to her role at FWBS, Camareno worked for Fort Worth Transportation Authority and was responsible for property management as well as various special projects -- most notably launching a bikeshare program in Fort Worth’s central city.

Secretary: Kim Lucas, project manager at DC Department of Transportation

Lucas manages Washington, D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare and Bicycle Parking programs. The City’s Capital Bikeshare program has more than 400 stations and approximately 4,000 bikes available system-wide, and users have taken over 19-million trips since its launch in 2010. Recently, Washington D.C. launched a dockless bikeshare demonstration program and is in the process of evaluating its impacts and effectiveness.