The following is based on the recognition given to Barb Culp at Barb's retirement party by Ralph Wessels:

I am honored to serve as the President of the Board of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and to have the opportunity to thank Barb Culp on behalf of the entire Board for her leadership and many accomplishments.

2007 is the 20th Anniversary of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington; originally known as the Northwest Bicycle Federation. BAW has been fortunate to have excellent Executive Directors over the years. These include Don Bullard, Susie Stephens, interim ED's of Arnie Tomac and Susie Stephens again, Barb Culp, and soon-to-be Gordon Black. Barb has been in the ED for the past 8-½ years and has done a spectacular job of improving bicycling in Washington. We cannot thank her enough.

The Bicycle Alliance is about bicycle advocacy leadership and building relations that will fulfill the mission of the organization. It is impossible for one person to solely accomplish the things that are needed to be done. It is necessary to have a leader that builds positive relations, develops political support, can change the culture of society, and works effectively with others. Barb and the BAW staff have done an outstanding job in this regard.

In reflection on Barb's pending departure as the ED, I had reason to ask myself, "What has Barb accomplished through her leadership?" So I started compiling a list of things of which I am aware. The list is long, impressive, and I am sure that I am not capturing them all. It includes the following:

Share the Road license plates. BAW's Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee provided the forum for Don Martin to propose a Share the Road license plate. BAW had the political contacts, volunteers like Rebecca Slivka, and the resources to make Don's vision become a reality in three years. These license plates are roving notices that send a positive message. The plates also generate funds for bicycle safety programs.

Safe Routes to Schools. The original strategy was to plant the seed with the Legislature during Bicycle Lobby Day as funding was getting cut in most programs that year. Instead, legislators like the idea so much they funded it with $1 million the first year, $3 million the second, $5 million the following, and $7 million this year. None of this would have happened without Barb.

Safe Passing legislation was enacted in response to Ann Weatherill's death while bicycling in Walla Walla. BAW initiated this legislation and worked with others like Anne's friend Debi Toews to make it happen.

The Cooper Jones Act was passed after the tragic death of Cooper during a bicycle race. Barb's leadership, the involvement Cooper's parents David and Martha Jones, and political leaders like Sen. Lisa Brown helped made this happen and strengthened the Cooper Jones Act to include serious injury collisions.

BAW has been responsible for changing new driver education to include information on bicyclists.

BAW changed the law involving driver negligence with a bill written by Ted Inkley, a BAW Board member.

BAW has helped pass a new requirement that Comprehensive Plans include bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Legislation was passed so that motorists are legally required to treat bicyclists in sidewalks as they would pedestrians.

BAW has negotiated with WSDOT on policies involving bicycle racing, bicycle and other events that use the highway system, and rumble strips. Similarly, BAW has negotiated with the State Ferry System for the procedure of loading of bicycles on ferries.

BAW has fought to preserve federal enhancement funds from being diverted to special interest projects and to keep the funds for the purposes that an overwhelming number of communities have identified as their priorities, which are trails and non-motorized enhancements.

BAW is working on Complete Streets legislation that would require street improvements to address facilities for all transportation modes including transit, pedestrians, bicycles, and freight in addition to motorists.

And there has been a lot of bad legislation for bicyclists, some intentional and some inadvertent, that has not passed as a result of BAW. BAW has monitored bills and educated legislators on bicycle issues. Barb's good relations with our elected officials have been one of the reasons bad bicycle legislation has mostly been prevented.

BAW also works with communities to help organize advocates there or to use the relationships that the BAW has developed to improve bicycle facilities. Examples of these include:

• Working with the City of Seattle, Cascade Bicycle Club, Friends of the Burke Gilman Trail, and others on the extension of the Burke Gilman Trail.
• Development of the Fish Lake Trail between Spokane and Cheney by building a diverse organization of local supporters.
• Preserving the Klickitat Trail when government agencies were prepared to cave into the demands of some adjacent property owners to relinquish the property to them. The preservation of the trail and a local organization to protect against future challenge was the result.
• Working with the Friends of the East Lake Sammamish Trail, Cascade Bicycle Club and others on the development of the East Lake Sammamish Trail where, again, adjacent property owners would have denied public use.
• Working with the Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club to obtain a commitment from WSDOT to mitigate impacts to bicyclists from an added on-ramp for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge project by improving shoulders on adjacent local roads.
• Working with the Port Townsend Bicycle Association to prevent WSDOT from denying bicyclists access across the Hood Canal Bridge.
• Working with the community in Moses Lake to develop a non-motorized plan and targeted improvements to reduce their high rate of bicycle collisions.
• Working with a large coalition of advocates to ensure a bike route on the new SR 520 facilities.
• Initiating a Bike Buddy program to help new commuters and a Get Lit program to improve bicycle safety for low-income individuals in Seattle.

So what has Barb done in the past 8-1/2 years? Obviously, quite a lot. I am sure that I am leaving out many other accomplishments that have occurred under Barb's tenure as the Executive Director. On behalf of the Board, I offer my sincere thanks to Barb for all that she has accomplished as the Executive Director and wish her the best in her new endeavors.