By Michael W. Freeman
Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks has joined fellow Clermont resident Shannon Hidalgo, a member of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce, to serve as members of the Bike/Walk Central Florida Board of Directors.
In doing so, Hidalgo and Parks said they hope to foster safer bike trails, and help influence motorist behavior for families biking around south Lake County.
“Bike/Walk Central Florida has been instrumental in improving the relationship between motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians,” Hidalgo noted in a news release. “We want to bring that change to Clermont and South Lake and normalize biking — not just for competitive athletes, but as a mode of transportation.”
Hidalgo and Parks are the first members of this board to represent Clermont, and they will join the fellow board members to expand BWCF’s mission of promoting walkable and bikeable communities. The goal of BWCF is to raise public awareness and advocate for safe and active transportation and recreation.
After the appointments were announced, Amanda Day, the executive director of BWCF, issued a statement noting that their talents are strongly wecolmed on the board.
“Shannon and Sean embody the spirit of Bike/Walk Central Florida, and bring their talent and passion for their community to the table,” Day said.
Hildalgo is secretary of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and president of Green Light Outdoors.
Park is a certified urban and regional planner who owns and operates a consulting business, and serves as vice chairman on the Lake County Commission.
Their appointments are also considered significant because Clermont has become a popular destination for athletes to train for the Summer Olympics.
Bike/Walk Central Florida is a nonprofit agency that promotes walkable and bikeable communities by raising public awareness and advocating for safe, active transportation and recreation by educating walkers, cyclists, motorists and transit riders about Florida’s road laws, their rights, responsibilities, and courteous behaviors.
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