Our Team

Staff

Your Cycle Toronto staff are hard at work representing you on the streets and at City Hall.

Michael Longfield smiling on a blue background

Michael Longfield

Acting Co-Executive Director of Partnerships and Engagement

An active supporter and member of Cycle Toronto, Michael is inspired by our vision that streets are for people and our mission to transform Toronto into a world class cycling city.  He is passionate about bicycles as machines for recreation and transportation. Professionally, he has focused on operations, fundraising, and business analysis for some of Toronto’s leading non-profits and worked for Toronto-based e-bike start-up Zygg Mobility. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Cycling Association, is currently on the Board of Directors of Velo Canada Bikes, and is the President of the Midweek Cycling Club. In these roles, Michael has promoted governance, partnerships, and making cycling safe and inclusive. 

Alison stands beside a bike with flowers on it

Alison Stewart

Acting Co-Executive Director of Advocacy and Public Policy

Her passion for sharing the joy of biking paired with her desire to make Toronto a vibrant cycling city led her to take on several volunteer roles with us since 2013. Her background includes senior leadership roles in the post secondary sector which saw her develop strategic plans that focused on supporting the diverse needs of international and domestic students on the one hand, while also securing funding and developing government and community partnerships on the other. Her work for an Officer of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly saw her advocating for Ontario’s diverse minority Francophone population. She is bilingual (En/Fr) and holds a Master’s in Public Policy, Administration and Law from York University.
 

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Sonam Vashisth

Engagement Lead

Sonam has experience in community organizing and advocacy work; she has worked for organizations such as Future Majority for their mental health advocacy campaign, and GreenPAC as an election engagement intern. As a (very) new cyclist in the city, she is highly interested in the role active transportation has to play in the larger context of equity-based urban planning. She hopes to help build tools, programs, and push for the infrastructure needed to help more people get on bikes and discover the joys of cycling, just as she did. Sonam holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto.

Maggie smiles and looks at the camera

Maggie Crawford

Communications Lead

Maggie is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, where she studied urban studies, linguistics, and media studies. She is excited to be combining her love of both cities and cycling at Cycle Toronto. She has previously volunteered with Interval House as a research assistant, and during her time at school she was involved in a number of sustainability based initiatives. She is passionate about building cities and spaces that are accessible, sustainable, and vibrant, and is interested in how transportation plays a role in this.

Board of Directors

Headshot photo of Ashley Quan

Ashley Quan

President

Ashley brings a decade of experience working at non-profits in the realms of communications, marketing, design, and events. Her academic background is in social justice and environmental science. She has served for three years on Cycle Toronto's Fundraising Committee, and co-chair the grassroots advocacy group Defend Toronto.

Kathryn Randle

Kathryn Randle

Vice-President

Kathryn is a professional urban planner, road cyclist, and commuter. Kathryn is passionate about creating a safe, active transportation network, to better move people through our City and reduce our impact on the environment. Kathryn loves her east-end neighbourhood and community in Ward 19!

Dana O'Born

Dana O'Born

Chair

Dana works as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Council of Canadian Innovators. In her role she spearheads the Council’s pan-Canadian advocacy efforts for developing data driven strategies to support Canada’s economic transition to a more digital world. She has held various public policy and government affairs roles supporting on issues related to economic development, transportation and energy. Dana studied law and business abroad, acquiring a BA, an LL.B, and a Master’s of Business and Law. On any given day Dana can be found teaching spin at SPINCO or planning a getaway to somewhere warm with (vegetarian) tacos!

Eric McGoey

Eric McGoey

Vice-Chair

Eric is a volunteer, campaigner, and former Director of the Board for the Centre for Social Innovation. He brings experience in issues management, communications and public affairs to the Board. Eric got to know Cycle Toronto through Ward meetings, advocacy training, and the Ride for Safe Streets. He believes that infrastructure for vulnerable road users like cyclists will make Toronto better, because all road users benefit from safer streets.

Andrea

Treasurer

Andrea has lived and cycled in Toronto for most of her life, and worked with non-profit and charitable groups invested in social justice, environmental and human rights issues. Currently, she manages finances for two non-profits. On the side, she’s often plugged into podcasts and documentaries and planning annual road trips.

David Shellnut rests his chin on his left hand in black and white

David Shellnutt

Secretary

Dave is a dedicated advocate for individuals who have suffered injuries and injustice. Dave has 8 years of personal injury and human rights law experience and is a founding member of the Biking Lawyer LLP and Toronto Bike Brigade. Aside from being a passionate and accomplished advocate, Dave is also a bike crash victim. Dave cycles year-round in Toronto and is a long-time fan and member of Cycle Toronto.

Headshot photo of Adrian Currie

Adrian Currie

Director

Adrian is an actor and a film-maker, with a BA in Economics and a BA in History, both from McGill University. He is passionate about cycling in Toronto, which he would like to see flourish and become a part of our everyday culture and infrastructure. Adrian is co-chair of Cycle Toronto’s Advocacy Committee, co-chair of the Bicycle Parking Working Group, co-chair of the Anti-Oppression Committee, as well as a past board member and past chair of the Community Bicycle Network (CBN). Adrian is very proud of the value that Cycle Toronto provides to the cycling community. As a CBN member since 2002, he has seen plenty of change in our lovely city, and is happy to be a part of it.

A man poses with his bike.

Christopher McGarrell

Director

Christopher McGarrell is the Founder and President of ManDem Cycling Club – an inclusive and diverse cycling movement that was created in the summer of 2020. He was born and raised in Scarborough but is now a resident of Etobicoke.

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Darnel Harris

Director

Darnel is a planner, researcher and community advocate breaking down barriers to practical mobility for all ages and abilities. His research and outreach efforts have been recognized by the  German Government, the Canadian Urban Institute and York University. Darnel is the Executive Director of Our Greenway Conservancy, a coalition of businesses, residents and community groups in Toronto's northwest seeking to build 21 kilometers of mobility paths protected by raingardens, connecting people to places and new opportunities all year round.

Francesca Allodi-Ross

Director

Francesca is the Executive Director of Romero House, a community of welcome and accompaniment for refugee claimants in Toronto. Prior to this she spent 10 years in law, most recently as an employment lawyer at a community legal clinic providing free legal advice to low-income people who had problems at work. She loves dancing, facilitating group conversations, and cycling back and forth along the Bloor-Danforth bike lanes. 

Julia Langer poses in front of a brick wall and greenery. Julia smiles

Julia Langer

Director

Julia is CEO of The Atmospheric Fund, an endowment that advances low-carbon solutions in the GTA. Over nearly 40 years campaigning for the environment she has worked for a Minister of Environment, WWF, Friends of the Earth, Pollution Probe, Great Lakes United, and Federation of Canadian Municipalities.  Julia is a year-round cyclist, avid gardener, and wilderness canoeist.

Headshot of Mark smiling at the camera

Mark Emila

Director

Mark is a life-long Torontonian having lived in suburbs and city. I’m a cyclist, of course (roadie mostly). A civil engineering graduate from U of T but with a career centred around technology, first as an IT and Management Consultant across a broad range of industries; and then in Corporate Strategy and Operations roles with one of Canada’s leading Communications and Media companies (the red one). As an engineer, I’m fond of all things mechanical including cars. And I self-identify as a bicycle nerd.

Board Committees

Supporting staff on strategic and tactical issues. Composed of board and non-board members

Advocacy Committee

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The Advocacy Committee is responsible for supporting, planning, developing strategy for, and assisting in the advocacy of Cycle Toronto campaigns. They are not responsible for delivery of Cycle Toronto programs but provide strategic input on the Ward Advocacy Program.  They seek input from Working Group Chairs. Committee co-chairs report to the Cycle Toronto Board of Directors.  

They write position statements, develop submissions for City and Province-led consultations, attend meetings and collaborate on hot button issues related to cycling in Toronto.

We recruit new members in the Fall for two-year terms. 

Fundraising Committee

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The Fundraising Committee is composed of Board members, staff and interested volunteer members-at-large. The Committee aims to achieve the fundraising objectives set out in Cycle Toronto’s Fundraising Strategic Plan. The Committee provides leadership in developing fundraising strategy and implementing the Fundraising Strategic Plan to build on existing funding sources, such as business partnerships and memberships, but also support staff in exploring new opportunities

We recruit new members in the Fall for two-year terms.

IT Committee

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The IT Committee is composed of Board members, staff and interested volunteer members-at-large. The committee works with external vendors to support Cycle Toronto’s web presence, providing guidance to staff on all IT related decisions. Introducing industry best practices into the management and maintenance of our sites and systems, the committee builds solutions that will scale beyond this year and will be sustainable beyond board and staff turnover.

Governance Committee

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The Governance Committee is composed of Board and interested non-director volunteers. The Committee advises the board on matters relating to the organization's strategic direction and board governance. This includes strategic planning; reviewing by-laws; recommending candidates for election to the board; orienting new board members; evaluating the effectiveness of board governance structures and processes; organizing regular board-staff retreats; and ensuring corporate records are properly maintained.

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