Farewell and a huge thank you to two LSA all-stars

(Left) Kylie Walzak, Director of Open Streets and (Right) Vanessa Cascio, Director of Youth & Family Initiatives

People moving on from an organization aren’t typically acknowledged unless they’re retiring, but since LSA isn’t your typical organization, we wanted to make sure and celebrate two members of the team as they head out on the next part of their journey.

Kylie Walzak has been bringing streets to life by bringing people together since 2013 in her role as the convener of Cyclovia Tucson, our open streets program. Even before that, Kylie was instrumental in envisioning the impact a transportation advocacy group could have in Tucson and helped co-found Living Streets Alliance. Over the past decade, she’s brought energy and excitement into everything she’s done and simultaneously served as a fierce advocate for transportation options and equitable mobility in Tucson. As of March 1st, Kylie will be taking that advocacy to a new level, serving as Transportation Policy Adviser for Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz.

Vanessa Cascio joined the LSA team in 2015 after serving on our Board of Directors. Since then she has been a steady and thoughtful ally to youth and families across Tucson by way of Safe Routes to School programs and activities and through transformative community-centered projects and celebrations including street murals at Pueblo Gardens, Ochoa, and Mission View schools. At the end of March Vanessa will be transitioning to a position in the Phoenix metro area with Maricopa County Health Department as their Community Engagement Specialist. There, we know she’ll continue breaking down barriers to involvement and elevate the joyful and inclusive strategies she’s cultivated in her tenure with LSA to center community in decision-making.

Please join us in thanking these two amazing and dedicated women for their huge contributions to the people, neighborhoods, and communities of Tucson. They will be greatly missed and we look forward to seeing the impact they have—on so many levels—as they grow into their new shoes.