Ben Kaufman is the Western Regional Trail Development Manager of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. As the Western Regional Trail Development Manager, Ben co-convenes the Bay Area Trails Collaborative, a coalition of over 50 organizations, agencies and businesses advocating for a 2,700-mile regional trail network that will connect the San Francisco Bay Area—its trails, people and places. Prior to his time at Rails-to-Trails, Ben worked at the transportation planning firm Nelson\Nygaard. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College.