FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston Marathon Committee Announces New Board Members
Houston (May 6, 2014) - The Houston Marathon Committee announced on Tuesday
the addition of Mike Atkins, Stanley Coburn, Lisa Foronda and Benjamin Todd
Holloman to its Board of Directors.
"Our tenured Board members are very happy to welcome new faces and new
perspectives to our Board of Directors," said President Brant Kotch. "In
adding new members to the Board, our intention was to complement existing
skillsets and interests with new and diverse skill sets and interests, and
I think our effort will prove to be a great success. Everyone with a stake
in our events can rest assured that the stewardship of the Houston Marathon
Committee is in good hands."
The new Board members join existing members President Brant Kotch, Vice
President Alton Milrany, Treasurer Charlie Bass, Executive Committee Member
Maddie Bunch and David Chester, bringing the Board total to nine.
Following is a brief bio on all nine volunteer Board members.
Brant Kotch began volunteering on the course in 1992. He became the Course
Director in 1997 and was named President of the Board and Race Director in
2002. He has served on the Board of Directors since 1996 and is currently a
partner at Crain, Caton & James, P.C.
Alton Milrany was first on the Board from 2003-2006 as the Treasurer,
before returning as a Board member in 2010. He retired after working for 35
years in the financial sector of the energy industry.
Charlie Bass is a CPA with over 30 years of financial management and
process management experience within the energy industry. He has served on
the Board for the past nine years and has been an HMC volunteer for the
past 25 years. In addition to the HMC Board, he serves on the board of
directors of two other charitable organizations.
Todd Holloman, who has more than 10 years progressive experience in event
operations and oversees special events for the Hobby Center Foundation,
will serve as the Secretary of the Board. In 2013-2014, Holloman
volunteered with the Course Committee. Prior to joining the Hobby Center
Foundation, he worked in the Mayor's Office of Special Events and involved
with the marathon for eight years. During that time, he worked closely with
the Houston Marathon Committee for City permitting, coordination of City
services, and most recently with route design and approval for the new
course.
Maddie Bunch is President of M. Bunch & Company, a healthcare/case
management firm. She first became involved with the Houston Marathon
Committee in the early 1980s when she was a runner interested in the public
relations and media committee. She has been a member of the Board of
Directors since 1997.
David Chester first became involved after running his sixth Houston
Marathon when he was encouraged to volunteer with the Committee in 1993 by
Bunch. They both have contributed significantly to the development and
growth of the elite runner program. He retired from Shell Oil in 2008 after
23 years.
Mike Atkins is a human resources executive and business partner. He is
currently the Vice President of Human Resources for the ABM Facility
Solutions Group. Atkins has twice run the Houston Marathon and has been a
volunteer on the Medical Committee for the past 22 years, working on
equipment and logistics.
Stanley Coburn is Technical Sales Manager for Tenaris Coiled Tubes. He has
dedicated his career of over 30 years to the profession of marketing and
manufacturing. Coburn first became involved with the Houston Marathon when
he ran the race in 1984. He began volunteering in 1992 with the
registration committee and his involvement grew in 2007 when he was named
Setup/Teardown captain. In 2009 Coburn became the Course Director, bringing
his engineering focus and passion for running together.
Lisa Foronda is an established communications professional with experience
creating and implementing communications plans. She is currently the
Manager of Internal Communications for Memorial Hermann Health Systems.
Foronda has volunteered for the past four years at the Memorial Hermann
IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute EXPO as a member of the Ask Me Brigade. A
member of the Bayou City Road Runners and Kenyan Way, she has been a runner
since January 1, 1986 and has completed eight Houston Marathons and four
Houston Half Marathons. She has also been a volunteer coach with HARRA's
Power in Motion for seven years.
"This is an exciting time for the Houston Marathon Committee and we are
fortunate to have such an experienced, diverse group of community leaders
on our Board of Directors," said Executive Director Wade Morehead. "We are
extremely grateful to outgoing board members Dr. John Cianca, Susan
Poorman-Blackie and Denny Morse for their significant contributions to help
this organization reach new heights."
The 43rd running of the Chevron Houston Marathon race weekend, also
featuring the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and ABB 5K, will take place on
January 16-18, 2015. Early registration for the marathon and half marathon
opened on May 5th and lottery registration for the marathon, half marathon
and 5K opens on June 4, 2014 at www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC), a Running
USA Founding Member, annually organizes the nation's premier winter
marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. Over 250,000 participants, volunteers and
spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the largest single-day
sporting event in Houston. Race Weekend generates over $50 million in
economic impact for the region annually. In 2014, the Run For a Reason
Charity Program raised a record $2.6 million and the HMC retained Gold
Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport for industry-leading
sustainability initiatives. Host to 14 U.S. Half Marathon Championships
since 2005 and the 1992 women's Olympic Trials Marathon, HMC conducted the
nationally-televised 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which featured men
and women competing on the same course simultaneously for the first time,
vying for the chance to represent Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games.
For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call
713.957.3453.
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