A Brand New Face for the Old Spokes Home

New Old Spokes Home Director, Jon Copans 

Jon Copans, a Brattleboro native, has recently taken over as Executive Director at the Old Spokes Home in the North End. I sat down with him to chat about the new role and his passion for the bicycle. 

Jon has always loved biking, and has been drawn to the sport forever. “Bikes are the thread that has run throughout my life,” he said. “[They are] incredibly elegant, simple, and efficient machines.” As he spoke, his eyes lit up with excitement. He continued on, speaking about the ways bikes connect people, and how people-centered, rather than car-centered, infrastructure is an incredibly important objective. “ A community where [people] are a priority is by definition, a more fun, more livable, more dynamic place to be,” he explained. 

We began discussing his new position at the Old Spokes Home, which he seemed quite excited about: “I love to ride for fun, and now it’s my job, which I can’t quite believe,” he laughed. Jon hopes to elevate the upcycling of old bikes at the Old Spokes Home. This is something that the organization already does, but Jon hopes to share with even more people how great an old bike can be. “These bikes have multiple lives. And we rebuilt it, it’s almost like a new bike because we put a lot of love, labor, and parts into it,” Jon smiled. 

Jon Copans, enjoying a bike ride

 The enthusiasm with which Jon spoke about bikes is why him coming into this role with the Old Spokes Home is beneficial for everyone. This excitement is one Jon has carried throughout his past work, as well. Prior to this role with the Old Spokes Home, Jon held a position at the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), a non-profit focused on uplifting the rural communities of Vermont. In his five years with VCRD, Jon worked as a director of climate community programs. 

“Much of the work is about bringing communities together to decide what their future should look like,” Jon said of his time with VCRD. In his own words, Jon spent his days figuring out the key ingredients for having a civil dialogue, rallying Vermonters together, and creating leadership to push climate initiatives forward. 

Between past experience and Jon’s overall love for biking, it is clear his work at the Old Spokes Home will be valuable. I, along with many others, am eager to see what Jon’s future holds as he embarks on this next journey. 

If you are looking to get into biking, or learn how to tune up a current bike, be sure to visit the Old Spokes Home online, or visit them on North Winooski Ave.