Meet the Candidates for the '14 CRC Board

Because the Charlotte Running Club is spread across such a large area, I realize that you may not be familar with these candidates. I came up with four questions that will hopefully give you a glimpse into “who are our ’14 CRC Board candidates”. If you would like to meet these candidates in person, I have invited each of them to our CRC/NoDa Brewery Run on 11/6.

·         Laurie Knowles

·         Todd Mayes

·         Paul Mainwaring

·         Melinda Law

·         Eric Bilbrey

·         Lee Neitzel

·         Billy Shue

·         Wen Norvell

·         Joey church

·         Brad Belfiore

*Below are the candidates that have responded to my questions. Additional responses will be added to this page as they are returned to me. – last updated 10/29/2013  

Meet Laurie Knowles

 What prompted you to start running?

Both of my parents ran marathons so, while I grew up watching them run, I didn't really "become a runner" till high school. Field hockey was my sport before that, but freshman couldn't be on the varsity and I wanted that letter. :)

What is your most memorable running moment?

I've had lots of amazing running moments - when our team won state in high school and sec's in college, running in the Olympic trials, being on a team that won the Hood to Coast relay, etc. - but more important to me than the victories running are the relationships I've made through running. My husband also ran on Arkansas' team, my bridesmaids were all xc teammates, and most of my best friends today are my "running friends." It's amazing how well you can get to know people when you spend an hour running with them every day!

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running experience wise)?

First off, I love to run and so I bring my passion and enthusiasm for the sport to the Club. Beyond that though, and as a differentiator from other candidates, I bring some unique past experiences to the table. I moved to Charlotte last year from Atlanta, and I think the unique experiences I had there make me a strong addition / give me a different perspective that adds value to the CRC. I served on the board of directors for the atlanta track club for 5 years (membership approx 10,000, ATC puts on Peachtree road race), chaired their membership committee, served on their strategic planning and outreach committees, and captained their competitive team for two years. In addition, I coached a high school team in Atlanta to 6 AAAA state championships. I qualified for four NCAA D1 championships and three Olympic trials, and so I bring competitive experiences to the group also.

I currently stay at home with my three year old, but have previous relevant work experiences and an MBA from Georgia Tech with a concentration in organizational behavior and marketing. The knowledge I gained at Tech and working will also help to make me a strong board contributor.

This past year I have been an at large board member for the CRC and have been able to get involved more with the Club's organization / learn more about the Club. I hope to build on these experiences going forward so I can become a leader within the CRC.

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

I think the CRC has had an amazing beginning; now it's time to build on what we've done and figure out where we want to go. I think we need to do a better job understanding what our members want, so we can make sure we are fulfilling the needs of the Charlotte running community. I think we also need to do a better job of quantifying membership costs so we can make sure financially the club stays healthy and viable for many, many years to come.

Meet Billy Shue

What prompted me to start running?

I started running in 2008 as a way to stay in shape and for a good excuse to listen to my ipod, which I first got that year! When the Charlotte Running Club formed in May 2009, my interest in running really started taking off with having wonderful people to train with, but – more importantly – getting to know new people.

What is your most memorable running moment?

Most memorable running moment for me would have to be the 2009 Thunder Road Marathon in December of that year. That was the first marathon I ran where I felt great from beginning to end. That fall was my first marathon training cycle and I got in most of my runs with the Charlotte Running Club. I had just run the Marine Corps Marathon in October and had to heal up from the swine flu that I had gotten during that time. I went from being very sick with the swine flu in November to running Thunder Road and feeling absolutely great that day. The support from the Charlotte running community that year and in the other years I have run Thunder Road have been awesome, but that year was my favorite!

What will I bring to the Charlotte Running Club?

 I aim to be an ambassador for the club, in terms of encouragement and support of fellow members of the club. I want to get to know you and help try to make your experience in the club be truly worthwhile.

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

In the coming years, I would like to see the club continue to grow and be a club that meets the needs of more and more members. I want to see more people feel like they can be more actively involved with the club.

Meet Lee Neitzel

What prompted you to start running?

The need for a life change. A couple years ago I had hit something of a low point. If I were to try and describe where I was it would only sound like I was writing the lyrics to a sad Country Western song. Basically, I felt
pretty horrible both mentally and physically. I had tried doing the Gym thing, but I always felt self-conscious and uncomfortable in a Gym. I went to running next. It was pretty painful at first but it was also extremely rewarding to know that I was able to run a couple blocks further today than I was able to last week. It was that sense of accomplishment that had me coming back enough times for my body to acclimate to running enough for it to become a habit.

What is your most memorable running moment?

Running at my Mom's side as she finished her first 5k this past May. There was a small crowd gathered and cheering near the finish and she actually let out a little bit of an excited squeal as she crossed the line.

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running experience wise)?

I definitely don't have much running experience to bring with me. I can only bring the newness that I still experience and my desire to want to help others in situations similar to where I was 2 years ago. Running has been a life changing experience for me and if I can somehow help someone else make this same kind of change, that would be pretty amazing.

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

CRC has been fantastic to me as a new runner. I would love to see CRC continuing down the path of being accessible for those who are new to the world of running.

Meet Paul Mainwaring

What prompted you to start running?

I didn’t actually start running seriously until my late twenties. Up to that point, most of the sporting energy in my life had been expended playing football (soccer!) for numerous teams. Two of my best friends at College were runners and I used to run with them from time to time to supplement my football training and help keep the College life weight gain at bay. So I always had a pretty good level of fitness but it wasn’t until after College that I started running on a more frequent and serious basis.

I carried on playing football after College but once marriage and family came along I found it was starting to take up too much of my time so I gradually made the transition to running and gave up football completely. I joined a friend’s Club and started training with them and running a lot more on my own and before I knew it I was running on their XC and Track teams and entering local road races. The rest, as they say, is history.

What is your most memorable running moment?

Every run I complete either solo or with other people is memorable (!) but from a personal point of view I would say three memories probably stand out. Finishing the Richmond Marathon when I set my PR and having my family there at the finish line to celebrate with, winning the USATF Masters 10k Track championships in 2011 and being part of the winning CRC Blue Ridge Relay team just recently. All three moments were enjoyed while wearing a CRC singlet J

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running experience wise)?

People who know me know what a passion for running I have and hopefully I would be able to bring that to the Club. Running plays a huge part of my own life but I also love to share in other peoples’ love for the sport and their goals and achievements. Getting involved with the Running Club would be a great way to share this passion. Also it would be an opportunity for me to ‘give back’ to the Club and the Charlotte running community that has had so many positive influences on my own running and life since I became a member

What direction would you like to see the Club take in the coming years?

I would like to see the Club continue on its current path towards bringing the Charlotte running community together as much as possible by providing an outlet and a home for people of any pace who want to pursue their running goals and share their passion for the sport

Meet Joey Church

What prompted you to start running?

 I began my running career in High School my freshmen year, I think it was due to my lack of size on the basketball court and hence I did not make the team. I was short and skinny. The natural progression was to run, right? One of my friends did a good sales job in luring me to the CC team. I ended up running only my Freshmen and Sophomore year and then found other channels for my time. I took about 9 years off from running and then found my love for running again once I started triathlons back in 2009.

What is your most memorable running moment?

After a couple years of running in High School, I got my Dad into running, he jumped right in and excelled pretty good at longer distances, I was only a 5k'r. We decided to run the Aiken 10 miler, beautiful race on a majority of gravel dirt roads around horse farms. Anyhow, the gun went off and so did I, by about mile 5 I started slowing, I had no clue by how much, pre-Garmin days and not too many mile markers left me clueless, by about mile 9 someone screamed at me, "HEY BOY, YOU BETTER GO". I turned around to confirm the suspicion that it was my Dad right on my tail, so I high-tailed it to the finish line probably running the fastest mile of the day. Lesson learned, don't race old people when you're young.

 

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running experience wise)?

Bringing people together, no boundaries for entry into the club, expanding our footprint to the community, seek out solutions to minimize club member funding's.

What direction would you like to see the Club take in the coming years?

As I eluded to above, minimizing the barriers of entry, whether it be from a monetary standpoint or from a social / running performance stand point.

Meet Melinda Law

What prompted you to start running?

I believe it started in 1994, around the time I was hired as a reporter for WBTV. I wanted to stay in shape and remember running up and down Park Road, near Huntingtowne Farms, where I grew up.

What is your most memorable running moment?

Do I have to admit this? Racefest. A number of years ago. It was hot and humid and I was MAD. I wasn’t running well. I didn’t want the race to “count,” so near the end, I ripped off my bib and tossed my chip, completely forgetting the miserable run was about to get very expensive! I finished the race, but naturally, I paid for the chip and friends still laugh about this one.

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running experience wise)?

I am not an elite runner and I want other runners to know that us mere mortals can join clubs like the CRC and not feel intimidated. I ran solo for many years. In fact, I didn’t join any group runs until two to three years ago. I distinctly remember how excited I felt by the camaraderie and how much fun it was. I called a friend on my way home and remember telling her, “You have to do this!”

 What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

I would like to see the Charlotte Running Club consider how broadly its mission is fulfilled for all members. In todays world, it can be difficult for single parents with young children to run at the ‘typical’ times. I would like for the board to brianstorm how this demographic could be better served such as with more ‘family’ social run events or earlier morning runs. For single parents with young children, it is impractical to join a group run at 5:30 or 6 a.m. and get them to school on time. An online survey could help determine how the club could better fulfill its mission to not just this, but other segments of our membership who find it difficult to participate in many of the group events currently offered.

Meet Todd Mayes

What prompted you to start running?

My roommate my senior year in college ran cross-country and he would give me his old running shoes. I thought they would make me fast, so I started running on a regular basis. By the time I graduated and secured a desk job, I figured, Why stop now?

What is your most memorable running moment?

Seeing my 62-year-old father compete in a 5k shortly after he recovered from a heart attack. He came in second in his age group. He still has the medal.

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club board (personal/running experience wise)?

Nothing special. I’m not as fast or as young as I once was, but I’m not as slow or as old as I will be. I hope to bring realistic, fresh ideas, and the willingness to work hard and serve the greater Charlotte running community.

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

I would like to see the CRC become more philanthropic. Collectively, we put thousands of miles on the roads and trails each year in the Charlotte area. It’s time we do more roadside trash cleanups or fundraising activities that don’t require running. Everyone can participate in a benefit run or race because that’s what we love to do, but those who are willing to skip or delay a Saturday morning workout to serve in a soup kitchen or do yard work for a local family in need are the ones that will help the CRC to thrive in the coming years.

Meet Eric Bilbrey

What prompted you to start running?

As a kid, the only reason I was ever good at any sport was that I was fast and I could run for a long time. I finally got smart and cut out all the other nonsense and just started running! I briefly flirted with life as a sprinter before discovering superior (i.e., longer) distances!

What is your most memorable running moment?

I ran with the UNC club team in college, and among that group of guys, I had training partners, roommates, best friends, dining hall buddies, and even a future groomsman. There were so many great memories of those years, but one of my favorites was sitting in my dorm room with all my teammates watching the finals of the 5k in the Athens Olympics. The Ethiopians had El Gerrouj boxed in, but he fought his way out and dropped one of the best kicks I have ever seen to pass Bekele on the home stretch. We went crazy, and I remember thinking how awesome it was that I was not the only person on campus that thought this was way better than watching baseball on the next channel.

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running experience wise)?

My entire professional career has been dedicated to helping organizations be more effective by defining and articulating a shared vision for the organization and then putting the mechanisms in place to achieve that vision. In Nashville, TN, I helped to found a nonprofit to support local entrepreneurship and then worked with several startups from launch through capital-raising. In my current job at Bank of America, I am working to help the company define our employee value proposition and put the tools and programs in place to deliver. As a runner and an active member of the Charlotte running community, I believe that I can help our club transition into the next phase of our development.

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

I honestly do not believe that what I or any of our current or future board members would like to see is particularly relevant. I believe that it is less about any one person’s vision and more about defining our collective vision for the club going forward. In short, my vision for our club’s future is that we have a vision and a plan to achieve it.

Over the past several years, our club’s leadership has worked tirelessly to build our membership and status in the running community, and the results have been astounding! Now that we have reached a critical mass, however, it is time to take a step back and ask ourselves who we want to be as an organization. Is it about training to be as fast as we can? Is it about creating a social community with other runners? Is it about leveraging our community to support health and wellness or to provide shoes to those less fortunate or to champion any number of worthy causes? Who are we, and perhaps more importantly, who do we want to be?

So that’s my vision for the club - an open, democratically-driven dialog in which we work together to build a plan for who we want to be as a club. I believe that our potential is greater than we recognize.

Meet Wendy (Wen) Norvell

 

What prompted you to start running?

 

Growing up, I had the itch to run. I just did not know what that really meant until years later. I loved the outdoors and while camping with family would sprint back and forth on trails with my twin sister waiting for the rest of the family to catch up with us. I ran cross country in high school to improve my endurance for soccer. In college, I began to go on long runs as a means to escape stress. After college the runs turned into hours long adventures that would take me all over Charlotte as I explored the city on foot. It was then that I realized my love for running and have been doing it ever since.

 

What is your most memorable running moment?

 

There have been many memorable moments that include experiences with friends such as in relay races or encouraging each other for PRs or new distances but running my first marathon, The Charlotte Observer Marathon in 2004 definitely stands out to me. It was a new year’s goal that I would misguidedly pursue a week later. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. I look back on that now and it seems kind of silly but having goals no matter how big or small and the drive to go after it will always provide a lasting memory!

 

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running/experience wise)?

 

I enjoy all things running and seeing others accomplish goals. With that passion I would like to give back to the running community by providing fresh ideas from the perspective of an average runner.

 

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

 

I would like to see this club unite Charlotte and ALL its runners. We have the potential to become a club recognized by the country. Charlotte has many types of runners: road, trails, those looking for their first 5k, and so on. We should provide a means for all runners to achieve their goals no matter what that is. This could be done in keeping in better contact with the average runner and listening to their feedback. I would also like to see us move down the path of better serving our community with fundraising events and volunteer opportunities with charities in the Charlotte area.

Meet Brad Belfiore

 

What prompted you to start running?

Started running freshman year of college to lose weight (was offensive linemen in high school). Became more more and enamored by the sport and pushing my body to different limits and distances. Started becoming involved with Running community in Raleigh (where I attended college) and fell in love with the camaraderie of group running and the relationships made on and off the road. I love the opportunities running presents to see various landscapes all over the country/world. I love the sense of accomplishment it provides which is why I continue to do it.

What is your most memorable running moment?

Most memorable running experience would be finishing Boston marathon 2012 after being strapped to a stretcher at the 26 mile marker. Was determined to get up and finish and did just that. Also running the last half of Richmond Marathon with my mother in 2010 was very memorable and helping her achieve her goal (despite her less than lovely language towards me in the later miles).

What will you bring to the Charlotte Running Club (personal/running/experience wise)?

I believe I will bring someone who is educated about the sport and can communicate to a wide variety of individuals with varying skill sets. I started as a Galloway runner so I know what its like to run a 4:00 hour marathon and train just to finish. I can relate to people from all skill sets as I believe running is all relative.

What direction would you like to see the Charlotte Running Club take in the coming years?

 I would like to see the club continue to grow and reach out to as many people as possible. For me personally running has helped in my academic career making me a hard working more dedicated individual and I believe that can be applied to anyone. I like the running works idea and assisting homeless people and giving them that "drive" that running provides. Another idea I would like to follow through on is group run from bar/restaurant. For instance in Raleigh, Tir Na Nog Pub has a 3 and 5 mile route on monday nights that weekly draws a couple hundred people ranging from 5:00 milers to walkers. They follow run by 1 dollar pasta bar, beer specials, and some sort of game (usually trivia). This allows runners of all different to interact which often times does not happen.