Adam Wood 

APBP Board of Directors Candidate Statement

Adam Wood
Active Transportation Plan Practice Lead
Toole Design Group

Please briefly describe your current position and how your work relates to the bicycle/pedestrian field: 
Adam is a certified planner with expertise in active transportation planning and helping communities change their transportation paradigms. As Toole Design's companywide Active Transportation Plan Practice Lead, Adam helps develop and hone the company’s methods and serves as a sounding board and strategist to planners around the company. Adam has worked with more than 60 clients across North America, developing plans and strategies to increase the mode share, safety, and equity of biking and walking. He excels at translating community values into actionable policy and program strategies; leading the development of street design decision-making processes and design guides; and planning local, regional, and statewide bicycle and pedestrian transportation systems. Over his career, Adam has planned more than 5,000 miles of on-street bikeways and shared use paths in both urban and rural contexts. Adam's experience includes leading the development of Complete Streets and roadway design policies and decision-making processes; creating concept designs for street and bikeway projects; developing cost estimates for urban and rural contexts; crafting implementation strategies; and developing project scoping and accommodations policies. Adam excels at working with multidisciplinary teams of clients and consultants as well as effectively organizing and facilitating public involvement efforts. Adam regularly serves as Project Manager, Principal in Charge, or Senior Advisor on active transportation planning projects for small towns, big cities, counties, regions, and state DOTs. Flexible in his approach, Adam has worked with a diverse array of clients from platinum-level bicycle friendly cities to communities embarking on their very first efforts to enhance biking and walking.

Why do you want to serve on the APBP Board of Directors? What do you hope to gain over the term of your Board Membership?
I have immensely benefited from APBP over the course of my career (networking, education, and opportunities to shape the industry) and see this as a rewarding way to give back to the organization. I believe that my leadership skills and practitioner insights will be valuable to the Board. I hope through my participation on the board to further broaden my leadership experience and help APBP continue to thrive and grow as an organization. As a member of the Policy Committee, I plan to serve as a liaison between the Board and the Policy Committee.

Please describe your goals for APBP and how your leadership on the Board will benefit the association. 
I want the organization to continue to thrive, grow, and provide value to its members. I want to ensure that we continue to provide unparalleled educational opportunities tailored to active transportation, resources for practitioners, and clear leadership in the industry. More broadly, I want to help APBP continue to stake its claim and confirm its identity and role in the future of our profession. While APBP was somewhat alone in the field when it was founded, there has been an increasing number of organizations, groups, and platforms over the past decade crowding the active transportation space, with varying degrees of value and motivation. Helping APBP navigate through this, continue to attract members, and continue to shape the field is my number one goal.

Past volunteer/leadership positions with APBP: 
I have served on APBP’s Policy Committee for many years, I believe since its inception. I regularly communicated with Kit Keller starting in 2014 to provide input on policy statements and positions she later presented to the board for action. During this time, I have taken the lead on developing APBP policy statements (including original versions of the Complete Streets statement and Shared Micromobility Programs statement) and have otherwise provided input on every policy statement currently published in APBP’s website. I previously served as an APBP liaison to the National Complete Streets Coalition, including participating in Steering Committee meetings for approximately 3 years. I have presented two APBP webinars, one in 2013 and another in 2024.

Past volunteer/leadership positions with other organizations: 
I serve in a leadership role at Toole Design, as a companywide subject matter expert shaping our strategy and advising our staff. I have managed countless projects across the company for numerous diverse clients. I have served on the governing board of my church in the past and chaired two committees. I have coached youth sports for about four years (hockey and soccer). This included player development, teambuilding, conflict resolution, and managing parents.