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 $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.