Charlie Gandy is a nationally recognized expert in community design, trail planning and design, and bicycle and pedestrian advocacy. He is a popular consultant, speaker and lecturer on the leading edge of both the active living and livability conversations. As the Mobility Coordinator for Long Beach California’s Bike Long Beach program Gandy played a lead role in the award winning “sharrow” experiment, the 3rd and Broadway national “protected bike lane” pilot program, and collaborated on the nation’s first Bicycle Friendly Business Districts. He was delighted to be a part of the remarkable culture shift embracing both bicycling and walking and its significant rewards, Gandy currently serves on the board of the California Bicycle Coalition, and in 2011 was chosen as Host Chair for the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference in Long Beach in September of 2012. Gandy founded and served as the first Executive Director of the Texas Bicycle Coalition (now BikeTexas) from 1990 to 1994. Moving into national advocacy, Gandy was Director of Advocacy Programs for the Bicycle Federation of America from 1994 to 1998. At the Bicycle Federation he organized and launched citizen-based advocacy groups for walking and cycling in thirty states and metropolitan areas, and coached and trained advocates in all fifty states. Gandy developed and launched the “Walkable Community Workshops,” which have traveled to more than 1,200 communities nationwide. He is also a certified Safe Routes to School Instructor. Since beginning his private consulting practice Livable Communities Inc. in 1998, Gandy has been in demand with government agencies, community organizations, design firms, and the media across the U.S. for his expertise in livability leadership and design solutions. His clients have included the Federal Highway Administration, New York City Metropolitan Transportation Council, Alta Transportation Consultants, AARP and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking. He has recently been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, Sign On Sand Diego, Bicycling Magazine, Streetsfilms.org and TEDxSoCal Thrive. Gandy graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 with a B.A. Degree in Political Science. In his early twenties served in the Texas House of Representatives as one of the youngest members ever elected. He has traveled extensively around the world, enjoys trail running, cycling, and his quest to climb all of the “14’ers” throughout Colorado and California. He now lives in Poulsbo, Washington. Find out more at www.charliegandy.com.