Sharon, a founder of SUMC, was previously the CEO of IGO Carsharing, the nonprofit organization that started car-sharing in the Chicago region. Sharon was CEO from March 2004 until she and parent organization, Center for Neighborhood Technology, sold I-Go to Enterprise in May 2013.

Under Sharon’s leadership, IGO grew from a small pilot project into a successful operating company with 15,000 members in 45 neighborhoods. Sharon worked with the Chicago Transit Authority to create the only combined car-share/transit fare card in North America, which continues to serve as a model for the possibilities between shared-use companies and public transit. She led I-Go’s expansion into underserved communities and also developed solar canopies and charging stations that helped introduce renewable charging and mobility hubs to the region.

IGO was more than just car-sharing; its broader mission of creating an integrated and accessible multi-modal transportation system was illustrated further by its legal name, Alternative Transportation for Chicagoland. Sharon founded SUMC to expand on this legacy of industry transformation and innovation.

Prior to taking the helm at IGO, Sharon was the Director of Research and Development at the Center for Neighborhood Technology for more than a decade, where she specialized in innovative, market-based solutions to the problems of urban sprawl. She was the Principal Investigator for Combating Global Warming Through Sustainable Surface Transportation Policy – a three-year Transportation Research Board project that developed an emissions calculator and policies for improving the environmental footprint of local public transportation ñ and was the lead author of TCRP Report 93: Travel Matters: Mitigating Climate Change with Sustainable Surface Transportation.

Before that, Sharon coordinated CNT’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Program and was one of the authors of The New Transit Town, a book on the barriers to transit-oriented development. She also coordinated a development project focused on utilization of undervalued assets in Miami-Dade County. Sharon also managed the renovation of the CNT Building, one of the first LEED Platinum Buildings in the country. Before joining CNT, Sharon worked on affordable housing issues in Seattle, Washington, where she led local policy campaigns and helped found two non-profits.

Sharon was a founder of the national CarSharing Association and Co-Chair of the Shared Vehicle Committee of the Transportation Research Board. She currently serves on the Illinois Governor’s Electric Vehicle Advisory Council, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Underserved Areas Task Force and numerous boards and commissions. She holds an MBA from DePaul University and a BA in Economics from Antioch College.