2022 GGRC Board Platforms & Voting Link

[GGRC President]

Hello GGRC! 

I am happy to announce that our nomination period for the 2022 GGRC Board has concluded, and we have most positions secured with just one position you'll get to vote on! Included below are all the submitted platforms for officer candidates for the 2022 GGRC Board.

We have one position that requires a club vote: Coach

We have two fantastic candidates for 2022 Coach. Please read the platforms below before casting your vote as per the instructions below.

Voting Instructions:

• You must be a paid member to vote; only one vote per member.
• Not a paid member but want to vote? Go here to pay your dues!
  
• Voting will end at midnight on Sunday, 11/21.

Platforms for Coach:

--> Voting Link <--

Brent Nowak

I enjoy track so much that I'm going to stand out there during the cold foggy nights and yell at you to run faster! On a more serious note, I want to help new and seasoned runners next year get back on the race course - anything from a mile time trial to a longer trail race. I plan to tailor the track season as a companion to our (hopefully) busy 2022 race schedule and will always try to keep the practices as an interesting addition to your training routine.

Takashi Mizohata

Hello fellow runners! My name is Takashi Mizohata, I've been a member of GGRC for 5 years and I'm running for coach! Here are a few things I'd like you to know about me:

- Growing up, I struggled a lot with my weight and fitness, but since joining GGRC, I have grown a lot.

- My longest marathon took about 5 hours. Now, I'm down to 3:00:06 and working on those last 6 seconds!

- I used to hate trail running, but I've grown to love it through GGRC runs and Urban Coyotes races.

GGRC has meant so much to me these past 5 years. It has improved my relationship with fitness, made me a faster and more diverse runner, and given me so many wonderful friends. Now I want a turn to give back to the club. If elected as a coach, I will focus on:

- Incorporating stretching and cool down sessions after track to help prevent injury. I'm currently injured and don't want to see anyone else in the same position.

- Creating pace groups, so new runners know who to run with.

Above all, my goal is for everyone who comes to track to enjoy running. Thanks for your support!

U​n-Contested Position Platforms (Congratulations!):

President - Gabrielle Leyden

I’m throwing my hat in the ring for president, because I love GGRC - the people most especially, the happy hours, track workouts, planks, morning run crew, the time we got up at 6 am and filled hundreds of tiny cups of water for the SF marathon - and want to pay that love forward. GGRC got me out of my post-lockdown funk this past April and made me love running again (and got me into trail running for the first time!). I feel like I’ve found my people; y’all are awesome. I want to be a part of making the club an even more fun, welcoming, motivating, not-too-serious place to run, race, and socialize next year, and I think I'd be good at it because I feel passionately that GGRC is the best run club in San Francisco!

Treasurer/Membership Coordinator - Ari Frankel

I’m Ari Frankel. I’m a relative newcomer to the club, but have been a regular attendee of track nights, Sunday runs, and various social events. It’s been a great experience sharing those many miles with such a friendly and diverse group of runners, and I’m eager for an opportunity to give back to the club. I’d be a great fit for treasurer/membership chair with my organizational skills and punctuality. My goal would be to continue making sure that the financial backend for the club operations continues to run smoothly, that new members are on-boarded promptly and given a friendly introduction, and that members’ voices are heard in board meetings, all while continuing to join the club for those miles and social events regularly.

Social Chair - Yi 

As a newcomer to San Francisco, I'm grateful for all the friends that I've made through GGRC. I would like to continue the current momentum GGRC has with the following additions.

1. Introducing more informal interclub events (fun runs, mixers etc)

2. Having more informal beginner-friendly runs whether it is a 5k fun run or just a casual 2-3 mile afternoon run followed by drinks.

Communications Chair - Chamila Amithirigala 

Hey everyone! My name is Chamila and I would love to be your Communications Chair next year. I joined GGRC this year, coming back from an injury, and the GGRC community has been a really fun way for me to ramp back into running post-injury. It’s been wonderful to get to know everyone, and I’d like to give back to the community next year as a board member.

As your Communications Chair, I would run all the GGRC social media and website/blog. I had a similar role for the Society of Women Engineers (also a non-profit) a few years ago, so I am very comfortable with taking photos for an organization and using social media to share important info, promote events, get community engagement, and keep things fun!

In this role, I plan to bring back monthly member spotlights, as well as collaborate with other board members to introduce some virtual activities (like Strava club runs). I will also use my website & design experience to update and modernize the GGRC website.

Anyway, enough about my experience — it’s been a blast being part of GGRC this year, and I can’t wait to bring the HYPE to our social media and runs next year!

Merchandise - Taylor Eth

Hey GGRC! I'm running for Merchandise Coordinator for 2022. I've been in GGRC for 3 years, and if you've come out to banquet, happy hours, or seen my emails you know I'm the 2021 Social Chair.

I've had the privilege to learn about how GGRC works on the inside, and been able to get to know many of you. Please consider me for Merchandise Coordinator – I promise there will be lots of fun merch and that I'll be an experienced voice on the board for next year.

Race Coordinator - Jakob Walter

Race Coordinator is a position I have developed an interest in over multiple years of participating in GGRC club races. 2021 was not the full year of racing any of us had hoped for, and as such I would like another year to get a chance at leading the club through a full suite of annual racing.  This past year warmed me up, and now I am ready for the main event.

Assistant Coach (#AssCoach) - Jeff Ward

Congratulations to our wonderful new board members! The official hand off will take place at the post-Christmas relays party on Sunday, December 19.

-- President "Almost Done" Renee

[GGRC President]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to those of you who have cast your vote already. We are closing the voting polls, as we have had a change to our nominations.

After thoughtful consideration, Brent has decided to step out of the running for coach next year. Thank you Brent for your phenomenal work as coach this year, we appreciate all that you've done!

With that, I'd like to congratulate and welcome our new coach for 2022 - Takashi Mizohata! We look forward to having you take the lead as coach this coming year!

Thank you!
Renee