Executive Director at CalBike
As an executive search and recruiting firm which works exclusively with nonprofits and public agencies, Blair Search Partners (BSP) cares about people and purpose. When we’re able to successfully match the right people with the right organization at the right time, the impact resonates throughout all of our communities.
In our Project Impact series, we’re taking the time to connect with candidates who have recently been placed in positions with mission driven organizations about their experience with Blair Search Partners.
Follow along as we learn more about their professional journey and the ways they’re influencing change and making an impact in their new roles.
Today we’re highlighting Kendra Ramsey, Executive Director at CalBike in Sacramento.
Meet Kendra
Kendra lives in Sacramento and comes from a long standing professional background in transportation and land use. She has experience in policy development, planning, and advocacy at local and regional levels as well as a personal and professional focus toward centering community voices and increasing access to transportation for historically disadvantaged communities.
Her equity lens and experience supporting diversity and inclusion in the transportation planning industry is what really stood out to BSP recruiter Shira Jacobs during her search for the perfect candidate for the CalBike Executive Director position in Sacramento.
Kendra was on maternity leave when Shira reached out to her about the position. She wasn’t actively looking for a new position at the time, but the role looked interesting to her and she was eager to hear more.
“I told myself, it doesn’t hurt to have a phone call,” she said. “It seemed like a really great opportunity.”
Although she had spent the previous 10 years in the civil engineering field rather than transportation planning and advocacy, Kendra’s prior experience in community engagement made her exactly the kind of candidate CalBike was looking for. The other thing that made her a great fit for CalBike is her commitment to accessibility and equity, always exploring how transportation plans were impacting all people, and why those decisions are so important.
With her diverse background and experience, Kendra stepped into the interview process with curiosity, ready to learn more about what a career with CalBike would look like.
A Human Centered Approach to Recruitment
At the beginning of the recruitment process, Kendra was amidst a big life transition. At BSP, we take a human-centered approach to the recruitment process and understand that a candidate’s “work self” and “personal self” don’t have to be completely separate.
Kendra shares, “On our second call, my baby was just not going to sleep. My recruiter Shira was so lovely about me having a tiny baby in the background. You don’t always want employers to know all of the personal things, but that made it a little easier.”
Before her interviews with the CalBike Board of Directors, Shira and Kendra walked through some expectations for the interview and presentation. Shira encouraged Kendra to refrain from submitting a cover letter, as they can sometimes exist as a barrier to equitable hiring – advice that Kendra was happy to receive and now uses in her own hiring practices. Shira’s ability to offer information and guidance while walking with Kendra through each step made the recruitment and interview process even more approachable and comfortable.
Making an Impact
In her first year as Executive Director at CalBike, Kendra continues to make big waves toward equity and inclusion in the transportation industry.
First and foremost, her career is in and of itself, a statement. She shared with us that 90 percent of the workforce in the transportation industry is made up of men, giving her a front row seat to what it’s like to be underrepresented on issues related to accessible transportation. In addition to her formal role at CalBike, Kendra is also involved with a number of professional organizations and boards that are improving access to professions for underrepresented people in similar fields—people like herself.
In April 2024, CalBike hosted a 300 person conference where they collaborated with partners, nonprofit organizations, and government groups involved in statewide work related to bicycling to discuss issues related to their work. In a move toward accessibility, they were able to offer free or discounted registration to about one third of the attendees, opening up the opportunity to be a part of the conversation to a wider range of relevant community members.
And finally, since being hired, Kendra has also made significant progress in funding for active transportation in the California state budget. After a $600 million cut, CalBike was able to restore $200 million in grant funding over the next two years with the possibility of restoring the rest of the remaining funding in coming years. These funds are accessed through a highly competitive California grant program and are used for essential projects like building bike lanes and off road facilities, sidewalks, and crosswalks.
We congratulate Kendra on her incredible work with CalBike over the past year, and we look forward to seeing her impact grow and expand in the years to come.
Choosing Blair Search Partners
When we asked Kendra if there was anything in particular she wanted to share about her recruitment experience or the support she received from Blair Search Partners, she shared that she truly believed that CalBike had the right person in the Executive Director position because the candidate search wasn’t limited solely to the networks of people already engaged with the organization.
Working with Blair Search Partners allowed CalBike to gain an outside perspective, expanding its search beyond their own close circles and into new networks of professionals in order to find the right fit.
“It’s similar to strategic planning,” Kendra says. “Many people in my field understand that you don’t do your own strategic planning because you need someone outside to facilitate. It’s the same with search…”
“…Let the people making the decisions be participants instead of organizers of the work. It’s too hard to do both.”
We are so proud of the impactful work Kendra is doing in Sacramento and throughout the state. It’s rewarding to see and hear all of the ways she’s making an impact and leading to a more just world. Congratulations, Kendra!
If you’re an organization striving to make a difference by hiring a team of changemakers, or an individual looking for your next career move in the nonprofit sector, visit us at blairsearchpartners.com and let’s see what we can do together.
We’d love to help you find your next great hire.