The Alexandria Team


    • Mike Doyle
      Founding Member
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      Mike is a crash survivor after the driver of an SUV crashed into Mike as he was walking in a crosswalk. Six months after being released from the hospital he founded Alexandria Families for Safe Streets (AFSS) in 2017, Arlington Families for Safe Street (Arl FSS – 2019) and Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (Ffx FSS – 2020). In 2022 the Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) entity was established as the not-for-profit 501.c3 umbrella organization for all three NoVA FSS chapters. All three chapters are dedicated to building an awareness of, and support for, safe streets in our community where all people can walk, cycle, and drive safely and seek to eliminate traffic-related pedestrian fatalities and injuries on our streets.
      Mike initiated the concept of a “Near Miss” survey application for people to report near miss incidents where they were almost crashed into by a driver of a vehicle and/or report a dangerous location on our streets. With the stories of crash survivors or families who lost a loved one to a crash combined with the crowd sourcing Near Miss data, NoVA FSS advocates for policymakers to invest in vulnerable road users’ safety on our roads.
      Mike is an investment banker by trade. He worked at JP Morgan; Charterhouse, Inc. and BHF Bank in Frankfurt Germany. He started his own firm, Novahill Advisors, in 2002 and provides M&A advisory services to Digital Health technologies companies across the U.S. In addition, he is a member of the Housing Affordability Advisory Committee in Alexandria, Virginia. Mike graduated from Villanova University with a B.S. degree and received an MBA from New York University’s Stern Graduate School of Business.


    • Dane Lauritzen
      Member & Community Activist
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      Dane is a resident, pedestrian, biker, and commuter who lives in the City of Alexandria and works for the Federal Government in Washington DC. Dane believes that by improving the public infrastructure for pedestrians and bikers, the City can become a safer and more enjoyable place for all roadway users. Dane also serves as a volunteer member on the Alexandria Building Code Board of Appeals.


    • Norman S. Lisy
      Treasurer
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      Norman S. Lisy is Secretary/Treasurer of Alexandria Families for Safe Streets (AFSS).
      Norm has worked across a wide spectrum of businesses and community services: for
      12 years he served a parish clergyman and hospital chaplain establishing a hospital
      chaplaincy at a major Chicago suburban hospital. He has also served as an elected
      school board member of the second largest school district in Illinois and a chaplain to
      the police department (Elgin, IL). As an industrial psychology professional at AT&T he
      worked with software organizations to improve productivity, quality, and organizational
      performance. For much of his career with AT&T, he was Financial and Operations
      Manager for Telecommunication Relay Services which contracted with states under the
      provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide translation services
      between deaf as well as disabled and hearing persons.
      A decade ago Norm was hit by a car a few blocks from his home in Old Town
      Alexandria. After a period of hospitalization, it took nine months of rehab for him to
      recover from his injuries. Within a few years of his crash, his wife and adult daughter
      were also struck by automobiles in separate incidents. All crashes occurred near home
      in Old Town while the individuals were in the crosswalks or had the right of way.
      Norm and his family are involved in working within the community and as members of
      AFSS to promote safe streets. Safe, well-designed streets benefit everyone:
      pedestrians who are on the bottom rungs of street hierarchy, cyclists who are subject
      to the same laws and rules of the road as vehicles, and drivers, who do not want the
      trauma of crashes and who are often pedestrians as well.


    • Melissa McMahon
      Member & Professional Planner
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      Melissa McMahon, AICP MPH, has worked for Arlington County Transportation for just
      over a decade, first as a contractor and then staff in the TDM program, and now as
      manager of the parking and curbspace program. She has overseen transportation demand
      management in new development projects and the County’s TDM research program,
      helped to manage the Capital Bikeshare program, and led major pilot program, policy,
      and ordinance development for shared- and micro-mobility. She is now turning her focus
      to curbspace management and parking policy. Prior to coming to Arlington, Melissa
      worked for four years as a land use and environmental planning consultant in California.
      Melissa is helping to raise a fantastic threenager and serves on the City of Alexandria’s
      Planning and Transportation commissions.


    • Dr. Christian Palletta
      Member & MD in Medical Emergence Health
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      Chris Paletta has lived in Alexandria for twelve years and has enjoyed the walkability, bikeability, and easy access of Old Town. He, his wife Blair, and their golden retriever Odell have personally experienced several near-misses from automobiles and witnessed too many preventable crashes on local streets. Driver inattention and distraction, failure to yield to pedestrians, driver disregard for stop signs and stop lights, and speeding are challenges that must be addressed if Alexandria is to be a safe and welcoming community for residents, workers, and visitors.

      Chris trained in general and reconstructive surgery at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Emory University. Over the course of his 40-year professional career, he has treated hundreds of individuals harmed by natural and manmade traumatic events. These include firearm injuries in Atlanta, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, road accidents and burns in Rwanda, vehicular crashes in St. Louis, combat wounded at Walter Reed, and more. He now serves at the Department of HHS as a contract specialist in burns and trauma.

      Chris is honored to serve on the Board of Alexandria Families for Safe Streets.


    • Brian Shankman
      Vice President
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      Brian Shankman lives in Old Town Alexandria. Brian spent most of his career in travel-related industries, has walked in all 50 US states and dozens of countries. Prior to moving to Alexandria, he resided in pedestrian-friendly cities, such as London, as well as several car-friendly cities in Texas. He is an avid walker.
      Brian holds a masters degree in mathematics from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Dallas. He enjoys playing and teaching piano along with traveling the world.


    • Patrick Wise
      Member & Director of Grant Writing
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      Pat has a diverse educational background spanning the sciences and humanities, and has professional experience in environmental science and policy and sustainable urban development. As a runner, bicycle enthusiast, and adherent of car-light living, he is an adamant proponent of alternative transportation and all the benefits it offers. Pat feels compelled to use his background to improve the region he calls home, and accordingly works with multiple local nonprofits that promote safer streets, trail stewardship, and alternative transportation options for all community members.