HTC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES

 

September 24, 2013

 

Board Members Present:  Eric Fritz (President), Harold Tinsley (VP – Communications), Joey Butler (Secretary), Kathy Youngren (Treasurer), Dink Taylor (VP – Races and Equipment), Karen Gelmis (VP – Programs), Jim Oaks (Appointed Member – Past Board Member) and Suzanne Taylor (Appointed Member – Co- Rocket City Marathon Director).

 

The Huntsville Track Club held an executive board meeting on September 5, 2013 at Fleet Feet Sports.  Eric opened the meeting at 7:15.

 

The primary topic of the meeting was the Rocket City Marathon.  Changes for 2013 include the following:

 

·     Adding 3 charities.

 

·     Trying to find more sponsors.

 

·     Adding the Kid’s Marathon.  Monaco is the title sponsor for this.

 

·     Need more spirit teams.

 

·     Runners will have to complete a short survey from the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in order to receive their race packet.  The purpose of the questions is to better understand the economic impacts of the marathon.

 

·     Trying to increase the city’s involvement.  Board members have already met with the visitor’s bureau and plan to meet with Tommy Battle and the GIS commission.

 

Possible Changes for 2014 discussed include:

 

·     Moving the race to a different course.  There were several reasons to look at a different course (construction downtown, the city’s desire to have race go by more of the tourist type areas of town, allowing more participants, etc.). 

 

·     Using the civic center for the expo, start, and finish.

 

·     Using the Space and Rocket Center for the expo, start, and finish.

 

·     Eric and Suzanne presented a couple of course ideas.  All are 2 loop courses (13.1 mile loops).

 

·     **Post race note – It was recently announced that the current host site for the marathon (Holiday Inn) will close on December 15 and the site will be demolished.  A course change will now be required.

 

The next topic was the General Meeting.  The meeting will be October 2 at the Monte Sano Lodge.  Mayor Tommy Battle will be the guest speaker.  We will block off an hour for him to talk and answer questions.

 

Cookie Dash update.  Concern was about parking.  The host church (Rivertree) is adding on and parking will be impacted for the next 16 months.  We are looking to move the course.  Eric and Dink have mapped out a course that starts a Hampton Cove Elementary and runs through Hampton Cove.  Eric will run that idea by the police and Hampton Cove Home Owners Association.  A backup course could be the Running of the Bulls course.  Rivertree church would still be involved with race.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:00.