POTSDAM — Potsdam Village Board Trustee Alexandra Jacobs Wilke is part of the inaugural class of the Active People, Healthy Nation Champions Institute (Champions Institute).

The Champions Institute is a program created by the Active People, Healthy Nation℠ Initiative, SmartGrowth America (SGA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.

The institute seeks to help motivated local elected officials equitably define, design, build, and evaluate Complete Streets in their communities, said a press release from the organizations.

Wilke was selected as one of 20 local elected officials from across the United States (and its territories).

Over the next six months, participants in the Champions Institute including Wilke will attend virtual learning sessions that will make them experts in equity-based principles and train them on the fundamental steps to take to achieve activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations in their community, from envisioning to implementation. Participants will also learn about best practices and challenges from across the country, as they grapple with different strategies in a collaborative and supportive peer-learning environment, the press release said.

“I am proud to represent the Village of Potsdam in the Champions Institute and learn from fellow local leaders from across our nation. One of the main attractions to living in the Village is the ability to safely walk or bike to work, school, shops, parks, or just for fun, by connecting to our multiuse trail systems. By following Complete Streets principles in our development, we can make Potsdam healthier, more sustainable, safer, more accessible and more vibrant. We have GIS data and much of the information needed to make progress—we just need momentum and continued funding. That’s where I hope to play a role,” Wilke said.

A former member of the Village Zoning Board of Appeals before being elected Trustee, Wilke attended the North Country Active and Healthy Transportation Network Workshop in November 2019, to learn from national active transportation experts Mark Fenton and Jeff Olson, and work with other local leaders.

She hopes to bring together a Complete Streets working group for Potsdam. Wilke was supported in her application by St. Lawrence Health Initiative Community Coordinator Karen Bage and Clarkson University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Erik C. Backus, who have worked extensively on the issue.

Her application also received support from Village officials, including Mayor Ron Tischler, Administrator Greg Thompson, Department of Public Works Director Jim Corbett, and Planning and Development Director Fred Hanss.

Local leaders who are selected for the Champions Institute will have the opportunity to learn from a broad array of national experts and former local elected officials in the areas of public health, policy, street design, and project implementation, the press release said.

At the completion of the inaugural class, participants will be considered experts in promoting community improvements to create safer streets for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists. Participants will be more prepared to support plans, policies, and funding that promote the CDC's Active People, Healthy Nation℠ Initiative of expanding activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations, in their communities, the press release said.

After participants complete their work in the Champions Institute, SGA will provide continuing support to them as they serve their communities.