Teamwork makes the dream work. Here at ActiveSGV, we are fortunate and grateful to work alongside some amazing folks! Learn more about our ActiveSGV team through our new series, Staff Spotlight. This month's spotlight is Danielle Zamora. Today is also her 3-year work anniversary!
1. How did you get started working at ActiveSGV?
I discovered ActiveSGV years ago at an Earth Day event held near my home in North Whittier. It was cool to meet people who were friendly and invited others to ride bikes with them, especially since I didn’t feel comfortable biking on the street alone. I followed ActiveSGV on social media for a long time before I made it out to a Bicycle Safety Class held at the Jeff Seymour Family Center and then to a Bike Train. My first Bike Train was the Lunar New Year Bike Train in February 2016, where we rode from Peck Park along the Rio Hondo River Path to Whittier Narrows and Hai Nam Temple. I really appreciated the organizational culture and the types of programs they offered the community, so I selected ActiveSGV for my year-long fieldwork and research study for the completion of my Master’s in Community Psychology.
I began volunteering with Women on Wheels and Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Counts, completed a 3-day training with some of my colleagues to become a League Certified bicycle safety Instructor, and was hired in Summer 2017 to work on the SGV Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
2. What do you like most about ActiveSGV?
What I like most about ActiveSGV is being a part of an organization that is actively working to improve the health and sustainability of our neighborhoods. I enjoy organizing and taking part in free community events that get people moving and connect them with their local open spaces and hidden SGV treasures. It’s great to see new and familiar faces when you meet up for rides in different SGV cities.
3. Favorite and/or memorable ActiveSGV experience?
My favorite memory is our 2018 retreat in Death Valley National Park. On our second day of riding, we biked up an intense hill to Artist's Palette. It was worth the climb for the sense of accomplishment and to explore the colorful rocks. During a rest break at our destination, we played a game of Sardines (it's like Hide and Seek, but only one person hides while everyone else seeks and then has to hide with them). It wasn’t easy searching for someone hiding in a National Park, but it was a lot of fun. We work hard, but we’re also a playful bunch.
4. If a friend from out of town were to visit, which place in the SGV would you take them to and why?
I would take them to the West Fork of the San Gabriel Mountains to walk or bike along the scenic road that leads to Cogswell Dam. We would pick wild blackberries and cool off in the river. I would also take them to see James Turrell Skyspace at Pomona College. It’s a whimsical outdoor art installation with a lighted canopy that frames the sky. The canopy is illuminated with changing colors every hour from sunset to sunrise.
5. What you're listening to/ reading/ watching/ digging right now:
I can't stop listening to Mitski's album Be the Cowboy. I'm about halfway through Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, currently reading Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Social Media Handles:
Check out my band! @rubbishhousegoons
https://rubbishhousegoons.bandcamp.com/
