RRCA News

Eastern Region Director Mark Grandonico is happy to announce the appointment of Bob Beattie as the New York State Rep.  Bob will be replacing Liz Ozur, and the RRCA thanks Liz for her service as a State Rep.

When Bob was in high school, he used to ride his bike 17 miles to school, run track and cross country and swim on the swim team. Between college and jobs he became too busy to run, but enjoyed hiking whenever he could get away. With a spare tire around his waist, in his mid thirties, Bob discovered triathlons. Only after several triathlons did he start competing in 5K’s and 10K’s and enjoyed helping out at races. Bob’s interest in running and helping runners combined with a strong retail background he quickly became a manager at a local running store in central Long Island.

There are a lot of runners on Long Island and a good amount of great running clubs and races. When Bob moved to the east end of Long Island, there was a few struggling races, no running clubs and no way to promote races. The local running store was not just one of the ways to find out about races, it was the only way. Bob started group runs out of the store, a running newsletter and started collecting names and contact information of runners at races. In 1994, Bob founded the East End Road & Trail Runners Club and started three new races. Sixteen years later, Bob manages a running store, a running club and also a timing company.

Bob has always encouraged runners to join their local running clubs, volunteer and give back to their sport. As New York State Rep, Bob is looking forward to networking with member clubs and communicating RRCA programs, benefits and initiatives.

Bob still attempts to find time to run, hike, ski, and kayak whenever he can.

Lakeland, FL - This year the RRCA will be offering 2 hours of CEC’s for coaches during the general sessions at the 52nd Annual RRCA Convention, which means there will be no charge for the Continuing Education Classes for paid convention attendee’s.  These CEC’s are approved for both RRCA and USA Triathlon Certified Coaches.

If you are an RRCA Certified Coach or USA Triathlon Certified coach in the area that would like to attend the CEC classes only, the cost will be $50 per class.  Non convention attendee’s are also permitted to purchase tickets for the individual luncheons with guest speakers Pat Williams and Keith Brantly or the Saturday Night awards banquet with keynote speaker Bill Rodgers.

Classes offered for CEC’s:

Injury Prevention/Shoe Fit Clinic
Presented by Tim Hilden, MS, PT, ATC - Tim is a member of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine team since 1998, and the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine played a vital role in the development and testing of Somnio running shoes. Tim is a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and exercise physiologist.  In addition to his physical therapy patient load, Tim specializes in walking and running gait analysis. Tim will outline common injuries related to shoe fit and how the proper shoe can prevent injuries and help you run more efficiently along with other injury prevention tips.

Nutrition, Supplements, and Performance Enhancers
Presented by Cassie Dimmick MS, RD, LD - You have all heard the advertisements from companies that make performance enhancing products. “Drink this and you will run faster, eat this and you will get a PR”, and the list goes on. A lot of times the marketing of these products is way ahead of the science, which makes it confusing. In this informative class, Registered Dietitian and Board Certified Sports Nutritionist Cassie Dimmick will explain what you really need to be eating and drinking to perform at your best. She will go over the science behind the recommendations, along with false claims that are out there.  Don’t waste your time and money on a product that is just hype! Learn from a sports nutrition expert what you need to include, and what you can leave out, in your training and racing diet to perform at your best.

Coaches not attending the RRCA Convention register here.

RRCA and USAT Coaches will receive 1 credit hour for each class

Learn more about becoming an RRCA Certified Coach.

Donna England has been appointed as the Kentucky State Rep by Southern Region Director Lena Hollmann. She lives in Auburn, Kentucky, with her husband and two children. She is a member of the Bowling Green Road Runners as well as the Nashville Striders, and recently received her RRCA coaching certification. She is currently studying to obtain her license for Massage Therapy.

Donna has enjoyed running for many years. She has run several 5Ks, 1/2 marathons and other distances, and is currently training for her first full marathon. She looks forward to doing more volunteer work this year, and wants to focus on getting a running or walking program started for the local elementary schools in her community to stress the importance of exercise and good health. She is eager to learn about our “Kids Run the Nation” program and how to incorporate it into her program, and has also considered starting a program for older runners and walkers. Last but not the least she is looking forward to learning as much as she can about RRCA and her new State Rep appointment.

Learn more about the RRCA State Representatives.

All members of the RRCA in good standing as of April 16, 2010 are welcome to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Membership.  Participation in the 2010 RRCA National Convention is not required in order to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Membership.

The meeting will take place on April 23, 2010 starting at 4:30 PM Eastern at the Lakeland Center at 701 West Lime Street, Lakeland, FL 33815-4534.

This notice contains two important reports required in accordance with our bylaws:

1. Report of the Nominating Committee
2. Voting Assignment and Proxy Certification Instructions

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
The RRCA Bylaws, Article VIII, Section B.1.b.3, stipulate that in advance the Annual Meeting of the RRCA Membership, the Nominating Committee shall present to the RRCA national office a slate of recommended candidates, one individual for each position up for election.

The Nominating Committee of Irv Newman (chair), Elizabeth Unilawski, Don Kardong, Mel Williams, and Sue Brown-Nickerson has completed its deliberations and the slate of recommended candidates proposed by the Committee is:

For President:  Brent Ayer
For Vice President:  David Cotter
For Treasurer:  Dennis Novak
For Eastern Regional Director:  Mark Grandonico
For Central Regional Director:  Mitch Garner

I am pleased to report that the Committee has worked diligently and harmoniously to arrive at this slate, with the sense that continuing these incumbents in their positions on the Board of Directors for another term will very well serve the best interests of the RRCA in the future.

Expressing my appreciation for the opportunity to participate in this effort,

Irv Newman
Chairman, RRCA Nominating Committee, 2010

President:  Brent Ayer
Brent has been active in the sport of running for over 35 years. He served on the RRCA Board of Directors from 1987 to 1990 as Treasurer and again from 2004 to 2008 as Eastern Region Director. He was also on the Kids Run the Nation Grant Selection Committee in 2007 and was given a special President’s Award for Service in 1991 and again in 2006.  In 2007 he interviewed all living RRCA presidents for the 50th Anniversary report.  Brent was elected to his first term as RRCA President in 2008.  He was a founding member of the Frederick Steeplechasers Running Club while still in college in 1975. He was their club president from 2000-2003. Brent is an RRCA Certified coach, and he holds USATF Level I & Level II coaching certifications. He launched the Hood College Cross Country program and Track & Field program. He has been recognized as a Maryland AAU Track Outstanding Coach in 2004 and as the Hood College Coach of the Year in 2005. Brent holds an MBA and serves as Finance Administrator to seven different members of the United States House of Representatives where he has worked for over 29 years. He and his wife Mary Catherine and their three teenage children reside in Frederick, Maryland.

Vice President:  David Cotter
David Cotter is a California native and forty-seven year resident of South Lake Tahoe, California. He has been running since 1990 and his passion is running the trails of the High Sierra within the Lake Tahoe Basin and the trails of Hawaii. David is the President of both the Tahoe Mountain Milers (Lake Tahoe) and Sagebrush Stompers (Carson City, Nevada) Running Club. David was appointed as the RRCA Nevada State Rep in 1998 and as the RRCA Northern California State Rep in 2002. In 2004 he served as the Convention Director for the RRCA National Convention and was awarded as the 2003 RRCA State Rep of the Year.  He is the race director for a variety of running events at Lake Tahoe including the Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs, which has served as the RRCA National Ultra Championship for several years.  David was elected to his first term as RRCA Vice President in 2008. David has served on numerous RRCA committees including chairing the Strategic Planning Task Force and the Executive Director Performance Review Committee. He organized the first State Reps Silent Auction at the 2007 RRCA National Convention.

Treasurer:  Dennis Novak
Dennis has been a certified public accountant for over thirty-five years and retired from practice in 2004. Dennis was appointed as the RRCA Treasurer in 2005 and was elected in 2006 and 2008.  As a member of the Badgerland Striders since 1978, he has served in several leadership roles including the Treasurer and President positions. He is currently the Chair of their Finance Committee. He was a race director for eleven years for an 800 participant race in his community. Dennis has completed ten marathons and two ultras in his thirty years of running. Dennis has been a long time supporter of the RRCA National Convention by attending thirteen out of the past fifteen conventions and he was on the organizing committee of the 2007 RRCA Convention hosted by the Alpine Striders of Lake Zurich.  In addition, Dennis was the RRCA State Rep for Wisconsin. He has also been a member of the RRCA Audit Committee since 2005. Dennis graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee with a major in accounting. He was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Easter Region Director:  Mark Grandonico
Mark served in the Coast Guard for over twenty years and was decorated for his accomplishments. He is currently a Health Care Compliance Specialist and Auditor for the largest hospital system in Maine. Mark holds a bachelors degree from Regents College in New York. He is a member of the Maine Track Club where he has served as a board member-at-large, vice president, and Mark was elected president in 2005. During his tenure as the Maine Track Club president, Mark has been noted for his organizational, communication, fund-raising and recruiting skill. Under his guidance, the Maine Track Club has donated over $350,000 to local charities and schools in Maine and to the RRCA Kids Run the Nation fund. Additionally, Mark recently helped establish the MidCoast Triathlon club and serves as their Membership Director. Mark was the RRCA Maine State Representative from 2006-2008 and a member of the RRCA Audit Committee for two years.  Mark was elected to his first term as Eastern Region Director for the RRCA in 2008. Mark has also been a race director for over eight years and is a member of the Beach to Beacon 10k organizing committee. He has two children, and he has completed hundreds of races of all lengths including 30 marathons. He is training for his third Ironman Triathlon at Lake Placid this July. Mark resides in Bath Maine.

Central Region Director:  Mitchell Garner
Mitch is very active with the Ann Arbor Track Club, where he serves as president and is on his club’s executive committee of the board. He is also a committee member of two mid-sized races in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run and the Burns Park Run, where he has worked to promote positive role models for children by having them meet exemplary Olympic athletes. Mitch has attended the RRCA Conventions since 2005. In 2008, Mitch was elected RRCA Central Region Director. During his term, the number of RRCA state and regional championship events has increased in the Central region.  Mitch has worked with the RRCA Board on two projects: a study of state laws governing medical volunteers and a registry designed to match elite athletes and running-related events. In 2009, he represented the RRCA at the United States Track and Field Association Annual Meeting. In 2009, Mitch became a certified USATF official. Mitch is an attorney with the law firm of Allotta, Farley & Widman Co., L.P.A. He graduated cum laude from Yale University with a major in economics. He received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where he was a law review editor. Mitch credits his wife Ellen and daughter Kasia for putting up with his fanaticism about running.

OTHER NOMINATIONS:
Due to the bylaw changes adopted in 2008, the RRCA will accept nominations for non-slate candidates that would like to be considered for election. The deadline for submitting non-slate nominations to the National Office is March 23, 2010 at 5:00 PM Eastern.  Email nominations to Jean Knaack at execdir@rrca.org.  An announcement of all nominees, the recommended slate of directors along with any additional non-slate candidates, will be shared with the membership including a 200 word or less biography for each candidate in advance of the Annual Meeting where the official election will take place.

VOTING ASSIGNMENT AND PROXY CERTIFICATION
The bylaws of the RRCA allow for the assignment of a proxy vote for member clubs and events.  If an RRCA member club or event is not sending their official voting representative (president, director, or owner) to the Annual Meeting of the Membership, then the voting rights of that club or event may be assigned to another authorized representative (proxy holder) attending the meeting in person.

In accordance with the RRCA bylaws, individuals gathering proxies can only solicit or receive proxies from clubs located within the state in which the individual resides.  The individual must also be a member of an RRCA club organized within the state in which the individual resides. If an individual resides in more than one state, he or she shall be deemed to reside in the state where he or she maintains his or her principal or primary residence.

To assign voting rights to a qualified proxy on behalf of a club or event member, the authorized representative must complete the Official 2010 Voting Rights Assignment to Recognized Proxy Holder Form. Each Appointed Proxy Holder must complete and submit the Membership and Residence Certification for Proxy Holders Form in accordance with the instructions on the forms. The forms and instructions can be found on the RRCA website at http://www.rrca.org/about/governance/.  The form is the first link under the Governing Documents heading.

The RRCA has partnered with Gatorade to bring our members a discounted purchase program for Gatorade product.  This is a great cost savings opportunity for RRCA members that do not qualify for the Gatorade Sponsorship program with the RRCA.

Products available through the purchase program include:

• Gatorade Thirst Quencher lemon-lime powder in 14-51 oz. cased - $86.00/case
• 8 oz. cups - $79.50 per case
• 7-gallon coolers - $54/unit

The above prices are for 2010 only and do not include shipping costs.  Any RRCA member event interested in utilizing the purchase program must contact the RRCA no less than 45-days in advance of their event to obtain an official purchase order form. The order must also be placed within 45-days of the event. To obtain a purchase order, you must email to request the purchase order form.  You must include your name and the name of your club or event in the email so we can verify RRCA membership.  The purchase order will be emailed to you.  You may use it for additional events, but you may not transfer the purchase order to non-RRCA members.  Do not email purchase requests to the RRCA.  You must follow the ordering instructions on the purchase form you receive from the RRCA.