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The RRCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
that promotes long distance running in America. The organization
is represented at the national, regional, and state level. The
RRCA maintains a full-time office staff at its headquarters in
Arlington, Virginia, to administer this grassroots running organization.
For any questions, please contact the Road Runners Club of America's
headquarters:
Road Runners Club of America
1501 Lee Hwy
Suite 140
Arlington, Va., 22209
Phone: 703-525-3890
Fax: 703-525-3891
Profiles of RRCA Officers,
Directors and Staff
 Executive
Director:
Arlington, VA
Jean Knaack is the Executive Director of the Road Runners Club of America. She brings over twelve years of nonprofit management experience to the position. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay with a Bachelor.s of Science in Human Nutrition. In 2000, she earned a Master's of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from George Mason University. Since that time, Jean has actively participated on the GMU Nonprofit Studies Advisory Committee. More recently, Jean has completed the Certificate in Human Resources Management from George Mason University. Since, locating to the Washington, DC area in 1997, Jean has developed broad skills in the nonprofit management arena by working in senior- level positions for 501(c)3 organizations that include a world renowned arts organization, an international conservation organization, and a grass-roots activist organization. She has experience managing the financial operations of organizations ranging in size from $100,000 to $10 million. Jean has extensive skills in organizational and financial development, board and member relations, and program planning and implementation. Jean is an avid runner, masters swimmer, and competitive triathlete and occasionally places in her age group. She completed the inaugural Ford Ironman Kentucky race in 2007. She has been married for twelve wonderful years and is the proud mother of two young children, Jena and James. Everyone in the Knaack household runs including the family dog, Isabelle.
e-mail:
Phone: 410-290-3890
Fax: 410-290-3893
 President:
Frederick, MD
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. 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. For the last eight years, he has coached the Frederick Striders Youth Track & Field Club. Five years ago, he launched the Hood College Cross Country program with ten athletes. Track & Field was recently added and this program currently features forty athletes. 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.
e-mail:
phone:
fax:
 Vice
President:
South Lake Tahoe, CA
David Cotter is a California native and forty-seven year resident of South Lake Tahoe, California where he resides with his wife Sharlee. Sharlee and David founded the RRCA Kids Run the Nation Fund. 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. He is the city organizer and head coach of the USA Fit for the Lake Tahoe Marathon Training Program. 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, the Lake Tahoe Kokanee 5K, 10K and Half Marathon Trail Runs and the Lake Tahoe .Fresh Tracks. 5K Snowshoe Race. The Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs has been selected as the RRCA National Ultra Championship. David has served on numerous RRCA committees including the Executive Director Performance Review Committee. He organized the State Reps Silent Auction at the 2007 RRCA National Convention, and he currently leads the State Reps Working Group.
e-mail:
phone:
fax:
 Treasurer:
New Berlin, WI
Dennis has been a certified public accountant
for over thirty-five years and retired from practice in 2004.
As a member of the Badgerland Striders since 1978, he has served
in several leadership roles including the treasurer and president
position. He is currently the chair of their finance committee.
Dennis has been a long time supporter of the RRCA National Convention
by attending nine out of the past eleven years. In addition,
Dennis is currently serving as the State Rep for Wisconsin and
has been active in the RRCA for many years.
e-mail:
Regional Directors
 Eastern
Director:
Portland, ME
Mark was in the Coast Guard for over twenty years and was decorated for his accomplishments. He is currently a Compliance Specialist and Auditor for the largest hospital system in Maine. Mark holds a bachelors degree from Regents College in New York. Mark 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 $300,000 to local charities and schools in Maine. Mark has been the RRCA Maine State Representative since 2006, and he has awarded several RRCA State Championships to area races. He has also been a member of the RRCA Audit Committee for two years. 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 20 marathons. He is training for his first Ironman Triathlon at Lake Placid this July. Mark resides in Portland Maine.
email:
 Central
Director:
Ann Arbor, MI
Mitch is very active with the Ann Arbor Track Club where he serves as vice 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. Mitch has attended the RRCA Conventions since 2005. In 2007, he assisted with the RRCA Board of Directors. election as an official vote counter and election monitor. In 2007, he reviewed the RRCA bylaws and recommended clarifications to the Bylaws Task Force. He has actively promoted the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run as an RRCA Regional and State Championship race. In 2005, Mitch was a United States Track and Field Association All-American Masters Runner, 1500 meters and 5000 meters (males 55-59). He was ranked #2 runner in 2006 in the US for males 55-59 based on points tallied by Active.com. Mitch is an attorney with the law firm Allotta, Farley & Widman Co. 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. Mitch credits his wife Ellen and daughter Kasia for putting up with his fanaticism about running.
email:
 Southern
Director:
Orange Park, FL
Ken is a retired U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer and works part time as an Aviation Logistics Manager for a government contractor. He has been running since 1981 and is a member of the Florida Striders and "JTC Running" Clubs. Ken was appointed as North Florida RRCA State Rep in 1996, was honored as the RRCA Outstanding State Rep in 1999 and has attended 12 RRCA conventions. He has received the "JTC Running" and Florida Striders' Outstanding Volunteer Awards and earned the RRCA National Volunteer Award in 1995. He served as chair of the State Rep committee from 2000 through 2005. During that period he was instrumental in developing the State Rep Handbook and most recently as a board member contributed significantly to the publication of the Regional Director's Handbook. He has been instrumental in updating and improving the awards and championship event programs. As Southern Region Director, Ken oversees 11 southern states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
email:
 Western Director
:
Juneau, AK
A native of York, Pennsylvania, David Epstein began running in 1992, and has completed nine marathons. He has served as Secretary, Webmaster, and President of the Anchorage Running Club. In 1996, he helped to establish the 5-Miler for Men.s Cancer Research, a benefit run for prostate and testicular cancer research, education, and awareness in Alaska. David served as the 5-Miler.s Race Director and President of the Board of Directors for ten years. David served as the Alaska State Representative before starting his RRCA Board service. He was the appointed Secretary for the RRCA in addition to being an At-Large Director. He holds a bachelor.s degree in engineering from Duke University, a master.s degree in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a registered professional engineer in Alaska and Colorado. David works for the Federal Aviation Administration, where he serves as Business Services Group Manager for the Western Service Area of the Air Traffic Organization.
email:
 Director
at Large:
Atlanta, GA
Bob received his Ph.D. in Political Science
from Columbia University at age 25. He retired in June 2005 as
Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of
the Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy and the W.E.B.
DuBois Institute at Clark Atlanta University. Bob is in his 16th
term in the Georgia House of Representatives. He is an avid runner
with over 150 races from 5k to marathons. Bob has been a long
time member of the Atlanta Track Club, and he has held numerous
leadership positions in the South Fulton (Atlanta) Running Partners,
the oldest African American running club in the nation. He has
served as the race director of the 7K Race for Sickle Cell (an
RRCA Southern Region Championship Race) and more than 30 other
road races for nonprofit organizations and public schools. Bob
is a recipient of the Browning Ross Spirit of RRCA Award (2003)
for his more than 25 years of contributions to road running.
He has served on the Board of numerous national, state and local
nonprofit and civic organizations.
email:
 Director at Large:
Littleton, CO
Lisa earned an undergraduate degree from University of Arizona in Psychology and an MBA from Northern Arizona University with a concentration in Information Technology and special studies in Computer Science Engineering. She has worked as a software analyst, project manager, and systems analyst for over twenty-five years. She recently completed a nutrition studies program at the University of Northern Colorado. She is currently developing a private wellness consulting practice. Lisa was the Colorado State Rep from 1996-2006. She was the Western Region Outstanding State Rep in 1998 and was selected again in 2002. She received the 2002 National State Rep of the Year award. Lisa is also an accomplished race director, an RRCA Certified Coach, and is renowned for her communication and organizational skills. She has two beautiful teenage daughters and a wonderful husband that has supported her work with the RRCA over the years.
email:
Serving on the Board of Directors
If you are interested in serving on the RRCA Board of Directors, please take a moment to read the RRCA Board Nominating Procedure. This document outlines the nomination process as well as the responsibilities and expectations of an RRCA Board Member. For more information about serving on the RRCA Board, schedule time to talk with the President or the Executive Director to learn more.
National Staff
RRCA Office and Responsibilities
Road Runners Club of America
1501 Lee Hwy
Suite 140
Arlington, Va., 22209
Phone: 703-525-3890
Fax: 703-525-3891
Dorothy Commock:
Office Manager
 Jessica
Sleight: Membership Director
Jessica Sleight is originally from Spokane,
WA, but moved to Delaware in 2002 and Maryland in 2004. She received
a BA in Human Services from Western Washington University and
a Certificate of Non Profit Management from the University of
Washington. She has worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations
since 1998 managing staff, working with volunteers, and fundraising.
Jessica truly enjoys working with volunteers to help meet community
needs. Jessica is an avid runner and enjoys her daily runs with
her dog, Sophie. She began running in 1988 and became competitive
in 1991 and was part of her high school's State Championship
Team in 1992. She runs locally with the Howard County Striders
and enjoys a few road races here and there to reinvigorate her
competitive nature. She ran her first marathon in 2004, the Rock
n' Roll Marathon in San Diego in a time of 3:38, but is
hoping to improve her time in 2005 in the Baltimore Marathon.
Besides running Jessica and her husband enjoy backpacking, sailing
and traveling.
 Webmaster:
Kailua-Kona, HI / Portland, OR
Warren is responsible for management of
the RRCA web site and online advertising.
email:
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