Hey Lane Bus Friends–

So who is the heck is Rose Wilde and what is a Steering Board Chair? (that’s me in the blue, with Jazzy & Lynn on the way home from the Wheelies) Now, though I don’t have it from Arianna Huffington, I say the Lane Bus has the best looking activists!

I’ll try to answer the first question, as for the second, I’m still figuring that out!

I got on the Bus after years of thinking it was something for high schoolers… but James Mattiace sweet talked me into joining the Lane Steering Board last January and I’ve been sold on “driving change” with the Bus Project all year. James helped me get a support group into Springfield HS years ago, and I hear it is still meeting though I’ve moved on to other work, so I figure I owe him one for that! When he sprung on me that he and Amanda are heading off to Morrocco for a teach abroad experience, I felt the “call”, and our steering board kindly voted me in to carry on James’ excellent tradition here. What an honor!

I don’t know what being chair means to you, so please let me know if I can help [rose DOT wilde AT busproject DOT org]. To me it means keeping a big picture view on the health of our organization, especially tending our Lane Bus Station. Since the Bus is about having a great time doing civic activism, with the other experienced volunteers and committee chairs I help us focuson our mission to make Oregon a better place (i.e. the 6 “E”s) and do it “Bus” style — which might explain some of the pictures of me dancing on the big Bus.

Some fast facts:

Family
See my family here:the Leighton-Wilde-Sobol-Shapiro clan
Born Sept 6, 1976 in Cottage Grove birth home
Lived in Blachly Oregon for a few years
Got daycare in the EMU
1980 I moved with mom and big bro back east, spending summers in Oregon until I forgot what winter here is like!
Hubby Gerry runs a sweet hemp based body care business
Mother Mary is back in Eugene, leading up the Network Charter School
Brother Marty is a lawyer in Albany for the DA (slow down after you pass Harrisburg!)
other Brother Marc has done lots of cool things, and currently does public affairs and development at Planned Parenthood in CA
Dad Clark grows and sells organic produce at the Lane Co Farmer’s market (garlic mostly, yum!)
Step Dad Frank retired from the US Dept of Ed so he could dedicate himself full time to serious puttering around the house — don’t let him see a project needing attention if you don’t want him to show up the next day with his toolbelt.
and last but not least, my first baby, George the female cat (”because I’m going to love her and hug her and kiss her and squeeze her and name her George”), she doesn’t do much of anything.

Hobbies
Played Rugby in college, where my nickname was “wanna be”
I’m a serious backslider in the Eugene Hash Harriers (you’ll have to come to a hash to learn my nickname!)
Played and quit at least four different instruments
Bought a piano on a Walker/Edwards canvass, but still haven’t played it!
I join a union whenever I can, even helped the Oregon State U. Coalition of Grad Employees with member organizing
Doing the twist on the Bus Project Bus!
Country Fair — oh yeah, I do security behind the scenes — great volunteer job/vacation!

Employment
Lots of stuff in the human services:
I did AmeriCorps helping people living with HIV/AIDS in Washington DC after college.
Came to Oregon and tried out caregiving people with developmental disabilities for a time.
Joined the fabulous education team at Womenspace for several years, engaging young people to help end domestic violence for four years.
Took two years to work my way though graduate school at Oregon State in the field of Public Health. Taught the “AIDS class” to undergrads. I can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about safe sex and viral replication. Sometimes I meet people on airplanes who ask about my work — once they know, some of them ask for health advice!
Now I work for the State of Oregon, which is a GREAT employer and I have a job I love still preventing adolescent risk behavior and promoting teen health, though I also can see why we need all of YOU to advocate for legislative and policy changes to make a better Oregon.