Nicole Losch: 16 Years of Building a Better Burlington

Nicole Losch, via LinkedIn

Sixteen years ago, Nicole Losch entered the Department of Public Works in Burlington to work a part time position coordinating small bike projects and managing trash haul licenses. This Friday, she finishes her decade and a half career with DPW as a pioneer of Burlington’s walk and bike infrastructure.

Nicole Losch has worked her way up through several positions at Burlington’s DPW to her present-day position of Senior Transportation Planner. Roughly five years into her time with DPW, she took over as Transportation Planner. “That’s really when we started to shift bike and ped planning away from any other transportation,” Nicole remembered. Today, this branch of the DPW is seventeen employees strong and continues to do incredible work for the city of Burlington.

When asked if there was a certain accomplishment she feels most proud of, Nicole said it wasn’t just one project. “I’m proud of the progress on [Burlington’s] bike network in recent years; we’ve really increased the mileage,” she noted. Nicole pointed to Burlington’s Quick Build Program as one of the biggest reasons she and her team were able to accomplish so much. This program was an initiative by Burlington to complete small, yet effective walk and bike projects quickly.

DPW Quick Build Initiative via Burlington’s City Website

Beyond the progress made here Burlington, Nicole mentioned the fact that the city has become an example for the rest of the country when it comes to walk and bike infrastructure. “We are regularly asked how we developed a program, how it's going, what materials work, what doesn't work,” Nicole explained. This national recognition began around 2018 after Burlington’s Walk Bike Plan was adopted and the new bike/ped projects were installed.

As a woman who has built a 16 year career in a male-dominated department, Nicole has, as many women have, faced forms of pushback due to her gender. However, her experience may be a bit different from others. “In all my time here, the planning and engineering side of things have been very heavily female-staffed,” Nicole recalled. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have very strong women on our team.” But at the end of the day, as Nicole pointed out, “the decisions still lie with white men at the top of our organization.”

Nicole is ending her time with DPW to work for the City of Burlington, managing grants. This position is a brand new one, which Nicole will have to start from scratch. Although, this is not a problem: “It’s always appealing to try to create something from the ground up and get something established,” Nicole said, excitedly. Furthermore, while with DPW, she has been able to acquire roughly $4.5 million in grants, which is experience that will be invaluable at her new position. This new work will expand Nicole’s fund-raising focus from the needs of transportation in Burlington to the broader needs of the city, which is an endeavor she is eager to tackle.

We ended the conversation with me asking if she had any advice for those just entering the field of sustainability. Nicole offered these wise words: Know your values. “You may see a job description [you are unsure about], but maybe it's an opportunity where [you] can make a difference,” she said. She went on to explain that this thinking applies beyond just sustainability, and that it’s important to know what you find important and to bring that mindset with you wherever you go.

Friday, May 6th, is Nicole Losch’s last day with the Department of Public Works. After an illustrious career of trailblazing and spearheading her way to bring Burlington’s walk and bike infrastructure into a place few imagined would’ve been possible 16 years ago, it is fair to say she will continue to do great things. I wish her the best of luck as she begins this next chapter.