Staff & Leadership

Thomas DeVito

National Director

Tom was instrumental in the creation of Families for Safe Streets in New York during his tenure at Transportation Alternatives. His political acumen was responsible for New York’s successes on speed limits, street design and speed safety cameras. In 2022, after a brief hiatus, Tom returned as the FSS National Director to design and implement a strategic plan to grow this burgeoning movement.

britanya Brown

Comms & Digital Org Director

Alyson Geller

Support Services Manager

Aly was the FSS manager for the San Francisco chapter where she organized and supported member-advocates in winning several initiatives including the creation of a car-free stretch in JFK Park and authorization to reduce the speed limit in California cities. Aly joined FSS-National in 2022 and coordinates all of our support services. She has a background in journalism and holds a degree in community health science from UCLA’s School of Public Health.

BriTanya joined the FSS team in 2025 and brings a wealth of experience to the role. In her previous career, she advocated for quality, affordable child care to ensure that childcare providers, families, and communities have the resources they need to thrive. Her expertise in strategic advocacy, policy reform, and movement-building are critical in her role helping grow FSS across the country.

Amy Cohen

Founder & President

After her 12-year-old son Sammy was killed in 2013 in front of her home, Amy Cohen joined with others and helped found Families for Safe Streets. Amy helped lead New York’s numerous legislative successes including lowering the speed limit, getting the nation’s largest speed safety camera program, passing legislation implementing a master plan redesigning streets, and more. Amy is a social worker and was previously an administrator of a large social service agency.

National Executive Committee

Patty Avery

Patty’s 37-year-old daughter Bethany Schklar was a talented and creative elementary teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Just weeks after her peers named her Teacher of the Year, Bethany was turning left when a driver going at excessive speed failed to stop for the red light. In addition to her parents, Bethany left behind a husband, a young son, and a devastated school community. Patty lives in Evansville, Indiana and is an FSS Ambassador.

JUDY KOTTICK

After her 23-year-old daughter was killed by a distracted bus driver in 2013, Judy became one of the founding members of FSS and took on the role of Support Committee Chair, creating support services and a peer mentorship network. With Judy’s leadership, these services have expended to help members across the country find connection and support. Judy and her husband also successfully worked to remediate the intersection where Ella was killed and there is now a pedestrian plaza and a mural at the site, which honors Ella and all the others who were killed and injured for years at a perilous intersection.

JESSICA REISTER HART

Jessica’s 5-year-old daughter Allie was riding her bike with her dad after kindergarten in their residential neighborhood in Washington, DC. As she rode in the crosswalk of a four-way stop in a school zone, Allie was struck by a driver who failed to make a complete stop. She died in the crosswalk wearing her bright yellow school t-shirt. Jessica started speaking out right away, demanding that the intersection where Allie was killed be fixed, and then joining the Steering Committee of the FSS DC chapter.

DANIEL LANGENKAMP

Dan is leading efforts in Maryland and across the country for safe streets in memory of his wife Sarah Debbink Langenkamp. Sarah was a U.S. diplomat who was evacuated from the war in Ukraine only to be killed biking home from her children’s elementary school. Dan introduced the Ride for Your Life, an advocacy ride that has been held in Washington, D.C., and four other cities, and has passed a bill in Maryland better protecting vulnerable road users in bike lanes and shoulders. He is also fighting for a federal bill named after his wife that would make it easier for communities to access federal funding to build safe biking and walking infrastructure.

JANET HESTON

LAURA KEENAN

Laura’s 42-year-old husband, Matt Keenan, went out for an evening ride on a beautiful night in 2021 after putting their baby to bed and never returned. Matt was riding in the bike lane, wearing his helmet and extremely bright lights. Yet this was not enough to protect him from a reckless driver who crossed into his unprotected bike lane, hitting Matt head on. With Matt’s death, Laura was left a young widow and a single parent to their then 15-month old son Evan. Laura started advocating for safer streets immediately and founded the San Diego FSS Chapter.

CHANNABEL LATHAM-MORRIS

Channabel is the co-chair of the FSS Greater Philadelphia chapter and has been fighting for safe streets since her 27-year-old son Jamal was killed while riding his bike in Philadelphia. Jamal was her old child. He had attended Drexel University for mechanical engineering, graduated, and decided to stay in his adopted city not too far from his family home. In his memory, Channabel has been fighting for traffic calming measures like red light cameras, speed cameras, and roadway design improvements.

Sarah Risser

Sarah and her 18-year-old son Henry were driving to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Wisconsin Highway 63 to enjoy a few days of Nordic skiing when the driver of a Dodge Ram truck, speeding and hauling a load that significantly exceeded legal limits, crossed the centerline. Henry died at the scene. Sarah survived with significant injuries. Sarah became involved with FSS by organizing Minnesota's first World Day of Remembrance event. With a recent move west, she has become an active member of the Portland, Oregon FSS chapter.