Staff Bios

Diana Owens Steif, Program Director, is an alumnus of the 2009 Bicycle Ambassadors Program and is currently managing the Coalition’s youth program, Safe Routes Philly. Prior to her work with the Coalition, she completed her tenure as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia, where she worked with her local community in fostering sustainable growth through recycling and reforestation. Following the completion of her master’s degree at Drexel University, Diana worked with the Environment, Stewardship and Education Division of Fairmount Park to ensure that Philadelphia’s green space remains healthy and vibrant for future generations. Diana is excited to be a part of the Safe Routes Philly team and looks forward to expanding the educational opportunities available for the Philadelphia community. A West Philadelphia resident for almost ten years now, Diana regularly commutes, grocery shops and visits people around town on her bike. She is an avid traveler and fluent in Spanish.

Emily Boerner, Safe Routes Philly Community Representative, spent several years biking Brooklyn, but as a new resident in Philadelphia, she is still getting her biking bearings. While in New York, Emily ran the Urban Studies internship program at Queens Community College (QCC). At QCC Emily hand-developed homeless outreach initiatives, worked with MillionTreesNYC to reforest QCC’s campus, and personally registered hundreds of voters in fall of 2008. In addition to her work in Queens, Emily has previous professional experience in film production, humanitarian work, and in research. She continues to volunteer with educational organizations, public radio stations, and non-profit consulting firms in the Philadelphia area. Emily received her bachelor’s degree in Communications from Penn State University, and has also studied international relations in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Spanish in Central America. In her spare time, Emily loves to walk her dog, read, sew, and listen to music and National Public Radio. Emily also loves to travel and explore new cities by bike. She is very excited to introduce Philadelphia elementary students to pedestrian and bicycle safety!

Steve Taylor, Safe Routes Philly Community Representative, began his journey as a walking and bicycling adventurer in the rolling hills of Columbia County, Pennsylvania, where he started hiking and long distance bike touring and racing. Fate and college next carried him to Washington, DC, where he used his bike to explore the metropolitan area, to commute to National Public Radio, and to deliver packages as a professional courier. After stops in the communications departments of several academic associations in DC, Steve established a home-and a perennial herb garden-in Philadelphia. His work in the City of Brotherly Love has included teaching English as a Second Language, serving as the marketing director for the Incheon Trade Office (promoting cultural and commercial exchange with our South Korean sister city), and driving a pedicab. A Philadelphia resident for over thirteen years, Steve has been a passionate explorer of and advocate for this amazing city. Among the organizations where he has volunteered his time are the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, several local arts organizations, and his church, Broad Street Ministry. When at home in South Philly, Steve enjoys tending his garden, cooking with friends, artisan bread baking, and hanging out with his cat, Zoe. He would bike everywhere if he didn’t enjoy walking so much.

Megan (Hanner) Rosenbach, Safe Routes Philly Community Representative, grew up in a small town on Lake Michigan. While she loves the beach and fresh water, she is a city girl at heart. When she was accepted to Teach For America in Philadelphia, she jumped at the chance to live and work in a urban area. In June 2010 Megan finished her two year teaching commitment in North Philadelphia, where she taught Middle School Geography, US History, and literature. Megan attended the University of Michigan where she majored in Organizational Studies with a focus on urban studies and non-profit management. During college, Megan was the Education Director for The Detroit Partnership, a service-learning organization that connects University students to the city through mentoring, tutoring, and one-time service opportunities. Megan’s summers during college were spent in various ways, including interning with the Canadian Parliament, participating in a leadership training program with her church, and learning how to run political campaigns as a PolitiCorp fellow with the Oregon Bus Project. Though she loves traveling and seeing new places, Megan is pretty hooked on Philadelphia and can’t wait to help implement much needed bicycle and pedestrian safety into classrooms around the city!

 

Nicholas Mirra, Communications Coordinator. Nicholas grew up in beautiful Tacoma, WA. College brought him to Philadelphia and he has been resisting the siren call of the Pacific Northwest for the past six years.

Since college Nicholas has worked as an immigration paralegal and, for three years prior to the BCGP, as a development associate at the Presbyterian Historical Society. In his spare time he plays ultimate frisbee and has performed scripted and improv comedy in the Philadelphia area. Nicholas is grateful to not own a car, and bikes around the city whenever possible. He is thrilled to be helping Safe Routes Philly and the Bicycle Coalition in the noble cause of making Philadelphia safer and more bicycle-friendly.