Bike and Build - History

History

Bike & Build was spun off from the Yale Habitat Bicycle Challenge, and was founded by Marc Bush, a Yale alumnus and HBC participant. He was also the director of Bike & Build from 2003-2005. Shaunna Thomas was the Interim Director in 2005 until Amelia Hanley was hired. Amelia served as Executive Director from 2005 - July 2008, when she stepped down to attend business school in New York City. Rosemary DiRita, a longtime Habitat for Humanity volunteer and former volunteer coordinator, joined Bike & Build in August 2008.

Chris Webber, a trip leader on the Northern U.S. route in 2005, was hired as Bike & Build's first Program Director in 2006. Chris was tragically hit and killed in a pedestrian accident in New York city in March 2007. Bike & Build maintains a memorial fund in his honor, and raises money for the fund via an alumni only ride that takes place in Florida each winter. Brendan Newman, a participant on Northern U.S. 2006 route, came on board in May 2007 and has been with the organization ever since. Amelia and Brendan continued to run operations until March 2008, when Kristian Sekse was hired as a second Program Director. Coincidentally, Kristian was also a former leader on the Northern U.S. route (2007).

In 2010, Kristian stepped down from his position as Program Director, and was replaced by Natalie Serle, another Bike & Build Alumni. Natalie is a two-time trip leader. She led both the Providence to Seattle route in 2009 and the South Carolina to Santa Cruz route in 2010.

There have been two fatalities on Bike & Build trips. On July 20, 2010, Bike & Build trip leader Paige Hicks was struck and killed by a truck on a highway near Vetal, South Dakota. On June 6, 2011, trip leader Christina Genco was struck and killed by a car on a highway near Rainsville, Alabama.