HARRA Presents New Board

Posted this week on the HARRA (Houston Area Road Runners Association) website is the following announcement: "Our nominating committee has been hard at work assembling a slate of volunteers to serve as the HARRA Board for 2005/2006 and are pleased to announce that the following will be running for HARRA Board positions:

President: Tom Stilwell
VP - Clubs: Roger Boak
VP - Road Race Management: Katrina Price
VP - Communications: Doug Spence
Secretary: Scott Michelman
Treasurer: Audrey Christiansen
Membership: Bill Crich
Webmaster: Geoff Guenther
At-large Member: Annie Hadow
At-large Member: Jo Ann Luco
At-large Member: Noah Matthews
At-large Member: Randy Carlson
At-large Member: Esme Fantozzi

A fellow runner and I were discussing Sunday morning out at Terry Hershey Park our disappointment that Steve Shepard was not going to be continuing as President for another term. Their comment was that "Steve has professionalized everything that HARRA does" and I seconded that.

When I started running, my primary purpose for being a HARRA member was the "Footprints" publication. The information in it was very helpful and useful in getting acquainted with the Houston and Gulf Coast running scene. But guess what happened? The newsletter editor position wasn't filled. The website was hardly ever updated, if at all. There really didn't seem to be a HARRA presence at all (from this rookie runner's perspective).

I obviously know Steve because I'm a member of the Houston Striders. I've been made to feel at home and included even though the only time I'll ever see a 20-minute 5K is in my dreams. I joined the Striders for some of the same reasons that I did HARRA. The club's communication vehicles were (and are) excellent. I've said this before that the biggest benefit, other than the Race for the Quarter remibursements, is the fact that the club does a Longest Long Run of the marathon course three weeks before. What better way to mentally prepare, especially if you've never run it before. It's a no-brainer.

Steve and his wife, Barbara, who will also be leaving the Membership position, are as ethical as they come as well as being as inclusive as humanly possible. Steve makes a proactive pitch to everyone he comes into contact to about HARRA and encourages them to become a member and I've specifically heard him say, "Now, let me take off my HARRA hat. Do you belong to a running club?" And then goes on to make a pitch for the Striders.

I've seen the posts on the RTN message board about Steve's motives being questioned, etc. In the short two years that I've been a runner and have tried to learn about how the landscape is painted around here, Steve's efforts the last two years have been monumental, will be missed and will be a challenge for others to continue to strive to.

As far as the communications go, I know that Doug Spence will continue the professional presentation and exposure that HARRA has obtained through its partnership with Inside Texas Running. HARRA couldn't have a bigger platform than that right now. And with Geoff Guenther manning the website, HARRA has the same professional look and feel as the spirit and structure that Steve has embodied.

Steve's contributions are going to be sorely missed, I think, and my only hope is that they are continued and exceeded in the next two years!