As an avid cyclist, when the position of executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition opened up, it was a dream job for Luke Hoffman.

Hoffman took over the helm of the group in October after serving as executive director of Iowa Rivers Revival, an environmental education and advocacy group focused on cleaning and restoring the state’s waterways.

It’s that role, as well as his previous experiences as talent manager with the Greater Omaha Chamber, director of corporate relations with the United Way of the Midlands in Omaha, and as a member of the Polk County Water & Land Legacy campaign, that Hoffman said has helped prepare him for his new role.

Hoffman also speaks about his close family relationships and his dad being a pastor, which instilled in him the community values he sees as being important in each role he’s held.

“Community engagement, it’s a deep value for me, just being engaged in your community is so important. That’s who I am as a person. That’s who I am as a leader. That’s who I aspire to be and who I want to surround myself with. And then secondly, just the skill set, the hard skills and the soft skills that I’ve developed, I think are a good fit because you have to be out there connecting with people and connecting people to things other than just your organization.”