Manhattan Beach About Town

Mike Don of the South Bay Bike Coalition uses a Bike Fix-it station installed by Leadership Manhattan Beach Class of 2018. Photo by Susy Werre.

Leadership Manhattan Beach’s first Bike Fix-It station. Photo courtesy Leadership Manhattan Beach

Bike Fix-it

The Leadership Manhattan Beach Class of 2018 unveiled the first of the three Bike Fix-It stations on May 5 near the pier. The stations feature a stand, pump, and eight commonly used tools. They are being installed in high bike traffic locations. The next locations will be on The Strand bike path at Rosecrans, and at Manhattan Beach Middle School. The project, partially sponsored by a Beach Cities Health District grant and a donation by Kinecta Federal Credit Union, will be completed this month. This year’s class project aims to encourage the City’s goals of eco-friendly and healthy lifestyles while promoting community engagement. “This project was designed to be a cooperative effort between Leadership Manhattan Beach, the City, and MBUSD, as well as a complement to the citywide Bicycle Master Plan,” said the project’s co-leader, Maggie Lippon, adding that it also helps expand the city’s healthy lifestyles initiatives, such as the Blue Zones Project.

Newly appointed MBEF executive director Hilary Mahan. Photo courtesy MBEF

Mahan leads MBEF

Hilary Mahan has been appointed as the new executive director of the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. Mahan succeeds Farnaz Flechner, who announced in March that she will step down after four years at the helm of MBEF.

Mahan has served as the director of the Annual Appeal and Partnerships at MBEF for the past two years. In this role, she has been instrumental in bringing support of the Annual Appeal to new heights.

“Hilary has been a key partner from the start,” Flechner said. “She is one of the most thoughtful, strategic, communicative, graceful and genuine leaders with whom I’ve had the honor to work, and I am truly grateful that our children will continue to benefit from her as an advocate and thought leader for our schools. MBEF, our district and our community could not be in better hands.”

Mahan will oversee all MBEF activities, including fundraising, grantmaking, strategic partnerships, events, advocacy, communications, volunteer coordination and stakeholder relations. Her involvement with the Foundation began as a volunteer,  first serving as a board member, later joining the team as a volunteer site rep, and then two years ago as the leader of the Annual Appeal.

“Our Manhattan Beach schools are the heart of our community,” Mahan said. “I believe that no other institution has a more powerful impact on the quality and breadth of the educational opportunities available in our schools. I am eager to bring my experience, skills and passion to lead this next phase of MBEF’s development and growth.”

Hilary and her husband Rob live in Manhattan Beach with their three children, Trey, Ella and Alana, all students in the Manhattan Beach public school system.

Student Video Fest

The South Bay Student Video Festival celebrates its 18th anniversary May 18 at Mira Costa High School. The Friday evening event showcases exceptional films and videos produced by high school students from around the world. “The purpose of the festival is to provide a venue for high school students to share their work with an audience and start a creative dialogue with their peers,” said MCHS Media Arts Department chair Michael Hernandez. The 7 p.m. screening will be held at the Small Theater next to the Mira Costa High School Auditorium. $5 at the door. See www.mcmediaarts.org for more information.

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