RRCA National Office Staff

Who should I contact for membership and insurance questions?

Club leaders and event directors should contact Mike at [email protected] for membership, insurance, nonprofit status, and music licensing questions.

I’m a Certified Coach, who should I contact?

All RRCA Certified Coaches should contact Erica at [email protected] with questions about renewing membership, insurance, coach’s listing – only after reviewing/following information about maintaining certification.

Who should I contact for other needs?

Please allow 72-hours for staff to respond due to the volume of calls and emails received from members.

Jean Knaack

CEO – Jean Knaack : 703-525-3890 : [email protected]

Jean Knaack is the Chief Executive Officer of the Road Runners Club of America where she has served in the role since 2005.  She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay with a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Nutrition. She earned a Master’s of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from George Mason University. She has extensive skills in organizational and financial development, board and member relations, and program planning and implementation.  She finished the inaugural Ironman Louisville (2007), Ironman France (2009), Ironman Coeur D’Alen (2010), and DNF’d Ironman Maryland (2017).

Mike Webb

Membership Manager – Mike Webb : 703-525-3890 : [email protected]

Michael graduated from The Ohio State University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Sports Management. He earned his Master’s degree in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University in 2015. Michael is responsible for the day-to-day interactions with RRCA members. He counsels prospective members, manages insurance inquiries, maintains the RRCA’s nonprofit group exemption list with the IRS, and manages the annual renewal process.

Erica Gminski

Youth and Coaching Program Manager – Erica Gminski : 703-525-3890 : [email protected] or [email protected]

Erica completed her Masters in Sports Industry Management at Georgetown University in 2014. She earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Marketing Management and Spanish in 2005 from Virginia Tech. Since embracing the sport in her late 20s, she has completed numerous ultramarathons, marathons, half marathons, and 5ks. Erica is responsible for all things Kids Run the Nation and she handles the administrative side of the Level I and Level II Coaching Certification program.

Andy Smith

Program Manager – Andy Smith : 703-525-3890 : [email protected]

Andy has a background in sports communications. He earned his master’s degree at Georgetown in 2009 in Communication, Culture and Technology and his undergraduate degree from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY in American Culture. He is responsible for coordinating all activities related to RRCA programs including Championship events, Race Director Certification, Runner Friendly Community, National Running Awards, RUN@WORK Day, and much more.

Board of Directors

George RehmetPresident: George Rehmet – Daly City, CA – [email protected]

George Rehmet, of Filipino descent, is the first AAPI (Asian-American Pacific Islander) President of the RRCA. He is a special education teacher for students suffering from severe mental health issues. To date, George has run over 1500 races, including over 160 marathons and ultras. His long-term goal is to run in all 50 states, which he is expected to complete in 2023. George was an RRCA State Rep from 1999 – 2004 and 2008 – 2015, being the only person awarded Outstanding RRCA State Representative of the Year twice (2001 and 2009). He was elected Western Region Director in 2015, appointed RRCA Vice President in 2018, and elected RRCA President in 2020 and 2022.  He is a member of Dolphin South End Running Club and Pamakid Runners.

Lisa Rippe Empowering Everyone to Run March 2023Vice President: Lisa Rippe – Minneapolis, MN – [email protected]

Lisa served as the RRCA State Representative for Kentucky (2005-2007) and Minnesota (2011-2018) before joining the board in 2019. She is an RRCA Certified Coach and Race Director, as well as a member of the Northstar Running Club. She coaches adults training for marathons and shorter distances, and she enjoys running and pacing numerous events every year. She has completed over 145 marathons, including one in every US state, each of the seven continents, and the world majors. Lisa has over twenty years of experience in sales and marketing.

 Barb JewellTreasurer: Barb Jewell – Racine, WI – [email protected]

Barbara has held leadership positions with the Badgerland Striders and the Racine Area Running Club including president, treasurer, and race director. She became the RRCA Wisconsin State Rep in 2007.  In her role as a member of the RRCA Finance Committee, she had the opportunity to learn about the financial operations of the RRCA prior to being elected as Treasurer. Barb retired in 2017 after a 40+ year career in accounting.  She is now a full-time Assistant Professor of Accounting and Finance at Carthage College. She has a B.S. in Accounting and an MBA in Finance.

Lionel AdamsSouthern Region Director: Lionel Adams – Atlanta, GA – [email protected]

Lionel is an RRCA Level 1 Certified Coach with years of experience in racing distances from 10k to ultra marathons. Running has allowed him to see and experience parts of the country that he would not have seen otherwise. As a resident of Charleston, his home club is the Lowcountry’s Park Circle Pacers.  He has been the RRCA South Carolina State Rep for several years and RRCA At-Large Board Member from 2021 to current.  Professionally, Lionel is a Human Resources Specialist with US Department of Veterans Affairs. He takes pride in being able to serve our nation’s heroes. As an avid Veterans advocate, he takes comfort in knowing that our freedom to run is protected daily by our brave Service members.

Mickie Sander-JauquetEastern Region Director: Mickie Sanders-Jauquet, Ithica, NY – [email protected]

Mickie has been an active member of the Finger Lakes Runners Club since 2014, holding board positions such as President and VP of Roads.  Mickie is an RRCA-Certified Race Director and RRCA-Certified Coach.  She directs two FLRC races and sits on race committees for two others while volunteering as needed for many other FLRC events.  Mickie has been the New York State Rep since 2017 and received the Outstanding State Rep of the Year Award for 2021.  Mickie has spent the last 15 years in the field of philanthropy as a board member/officer for various nonprofits, donor advisor at several foundations, and founder of the Ujeni Foundation.

Bonnie SextonCentral Region Director: Bonnie Sexton, Kalamazoo, MI – [email protected]

Bonnie Sexton resides in Mattawan, Michigan and serves as Board President of the Kalamazoo Area Runners (KAR).  She is an RRCA Certified Coach and race director of the Kalamazoo Klassic. Bonnie was selected as the 2013 RRCA Outstanding President of the Year and received the 2011 Star Community Leadership Award.  Bonnie has run 46 marathons including the Boston Marathon 5 times. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from Liberty University, and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Mercy College.  She is currently employed as the Director of Human Resources and Community Relations for MRC Industries, Inc. a non-profit organization providing services for individuals with disabilities. 

Hans WongAt-Large Director:  Hans Wong – Houston, TX – [email protected]

Hans considers himself a steady and slow-paced runner. He started his running journey in his late 20s to stay healthy and has completed over 60 races. He has held various leadership roles in the Houston community. Currently, he is a committee member of the Houston Area Road Runners Association (HARRA) and a club member of the Houston Striders. He is a past president, past secretary, and board member of the Houston Striders. He is also a past co-executive director and marketing and sponsorship director for the Houston Half Marathon & 10K. Professionally, he works in the energy industry. 

Sarah KozulAt-Large Director:  Sarah Kozul – Lakeland, FL [email protected]

After running her first half marathon and moving to a new city, Sarah got involved in her local running community. She joined the Galloway run/walk/run program, and after her first training cycle, she became a pace group leader. In 2013, she was selected as the program director, organizing the weekly group runs and growing the program. She became active with the Lakeland Runners Club (LRC) middle school cross-country team in 2015 and became head coach in 2016. In 2017, she was elected to the LRC Board of Directors where she has served as: Vice-President, President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Sarah is an RRCA Certified Coach and Certified Race Director. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Missouri and worked as an engineer with Anheuser Busch for 10 years.

Marcus GrunewaldAt-Large Director: Marcus Grunewald – Dallas, TX – [email protected]

Marcus has been associated with the Dallas White Rock Marathon for over 25 years, starting as a volunteer on the course and working his way up to his current position as the paid Executive Race Director. He’s been active with the Dallas Running Club for decades, having served on their Board of Directors from 2015 – 2020 as head of their Race Director team. He was instrumental in the local management of the 2016 RRCA National Convention in Dallas, and he’s served as the North Texas RRCA Rep from 2015 to the current date. While Marcus’s passion is running, he has a background is financial management, having been a Wall Street investment bank contractor/consultant from 1986 – 2007.

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