Trained as a biologist, Rex Burkholder worked as a science teacher and in NorthWest forests. He started the bicycling revolution in Portland, Oregon as a founder and policy director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. An early leader in sustainability and equity, Burkholder also co-founded the Coalition for a Livable Future, bringing together over 100 diverse NGOs in the greater Portland region. He was a member of the Metro Council from 2000-2012, where he led efforts to reform regional transportation policy and to integrate climate change into the decisions of all levels of government in Oregon.

Recently appointed to the Oregon Sustainability Board, he has served on key task forces as well as national boards including Rail~volution and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Recipient of numerous local awards, his work has been recognized internationally as well, being invited to speak in countries throughout Latin America on sustainable transportation and climate change. He was honored in 2010 as a Global Ambassador for Ciclovia, an international movement to reclaim cities from the automobile. His book, The Activist’s Toolkit (First published in 2015, Updated in 2017), is highly praised for its creative approach to leadership, helping many around the world be more effective community activists. He blogs about citizen activism and sustainability at www.gettingto2100.org.

As a volunteer, Rex founded the Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition in 2014. This statewide campaign won at the ballot box in 2016 and commits up to $22 million annually for Outdoor School in Oregon. Currently he provides strategic advice to non-profit organizations, runs political campaigns and leads volunteer restoration crews in local parks.

Download Rex Burkholder’s Curriculum Vitae here.