Leadership Transition FAQ

2020 Leadership Transition at Running USA

On July 23 Running USA announced the departure of Rich Harshbarger as its CEO, effective August 1, 2020. A full statement can be seen here.

Rich Harshbarger has been a valuable leader for Running USA since 2014. As the second CEO in the organization's history, he created initiatives that enabled growth, drove a meaningful increase in sponsorship revenue, expanded the scope and scale of our flagship Annual Conference, secured industry-leading additional benefits for our membership and positioned Running USA as a key leader in industry education.

The organization is well-positioned for our next phase of growth, which we feel requires a different skill set from a leader. Given the existential threat of COVID-19 and its impact on our membership and the endurance industry as a whole, we are committed to providing the critical resources, education and guidance necessary to champion a return to racing.

Below are answers to some questions you may have.

Who will take over as CEO?

As our industry is rapidly evolving, it is important that we take time to solidify our immediate and long-term strategy and find the right leader to drive the organization. We will be conducting a three-phased approach to this transition in order to ensure we can address immediate priorities and secure permanent leadership.

• Phase 1: Transition

Driven by Kyle McLaughlin, Matt West, Jeff Matlow and Lonnie Somers

Goal:

• Ensure seamless transition of current initiatives

• Support staff, partners and membership

• Identify an interim CEO to support day-to-day leadership of key initiatives

• Deliver forward-looking strategic plan, focused on providing meaningful benefits to members and supporting a return to safe racing

• Phase 2: Interim CEO

Interim CEO evaluation is underway

Goal:

• Support staff and day-to-day operations through Q4 2020

• Begin implementation of key goals and initiatives in the strategic plan

• Conduct nationwide search for permanent leadership

• Phase 3: New CEO

New CEO search is expected to begin in September

Goal:

• Usher in the new phase of growth for Running USA and our members

• Solidify our position as the leading industry authority and education source for the running community

Have changes been made with other staff members?

No. Our dedicated staff are all valuable parts of Running USA, and they will be supported in their roles.

Current roles are:

• Christine Bowen (Vice President of Programming, Partnerships and Operations)

• Brian Lyons (Director of Membership)

• Leah Etling (Director of Marketing and Communications)

• Nicole Sparrow (Education and Expo Coordinator)

• Lisa Flannery (Billing and Accounting)

• Kimi Hahn (Accounts Receivable)

When will a new CEO be announced?

As of now no fixed date has been set. The Board is working to ensure we define a refreshed strategic vision for the organization that reflects the current realities of our industry and identify the right talent to lead it. We expect to know more as we reach Q4 2020.