This Spring we have two fine candidates running for election to the Capital Striders Board of Directors. They are Melinda Urick and Sandy Bowman. We also have three current Board members (Jared Kroese, Brian Benjamin and Jason Kenyon) who are up for re-election. Voting this year will be by electronic ballot on April 20-23. You must be a current Capital Strider’s member to vote and your membership number will be required.
We asked our two new candidates to answer a few questions to help you get to know them. Here are their answers:
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SANDY BOWMAN
1. What area(s) of the club would you focus on as a Board Member?
I would love to blend my expertise as a chiropractor with my decades of running experience to create educational programming that will benefit athletes and help them understand how running can be improved with taking care of their health. Topics could range from nutrition, to injury prevention and recovery, to how to care for your body post-workout, among many others. I think this is a great way to help club members hit their fitness goals and add value to the membership fee. I would be very open to helping in any areas where I am needed.
2. What special skills would you bring to the Board?
I am a chiropractor and own my own private practice. As a business owner, I have developed a number of useful organizational and productivity related skills. I am very goal-oriented and have intentionally developed my abilities in the areas of personal development, efficiency, team training, and communication. I am a very open and warm person and I feel one of my greatest strengths is building strong interpersonal relationships. I am confident I can assist in the areas of planning and strategy as well as budget management and long-term vision of the Striders.
3. How have you been involved with the Capital Striders in the past?
I have been a member for the past few years, although I think my membership lapsed when I was out with an injury. I have participated in a few of the Saturday and Wednesday runs.
4. Tell us about yourself - anything you would like people to know.
I have always been athletic and have been running since I was 16 years old. I joined the cross-country team, then ran one year in college before I got burned out and quit. I was on and off for several years, but always went back to it. I was always a shorter distance runner, averaging around three miles a few times per week. When I moved to Iowa ten years ago, I saw Dam2Dam and decided to try it. I was hooked and started running longer distances and doing triathlons. I got into biking and someone on my RAGBRAI team said I should do a marathon. My reaction was strongly negative that I decided I needed to do it! I completed two and decided I prefer the half distances for several reasons, so I’m focused on that. Health and fitness are huge passions of mine, so I focus on living a balanced, healthy life-style. I work out at OrangeTheory Fitness three days per week, then run 6-10 miles with my running group of friends every Saturday.
I am originally from Louisiana, but after chiropractic college my wife, Angela, and I decided to move to Iowa to be close to our family. I have four nephews and a niece in Iowa, all between 2 and 12 years old, which keeps us very busy! Angela and I do not have children of our own, so we focus on being great aunts, which is very fun. We have two cats, two dogs, and a bird, our own little zoo that keeps life at home interesting for sure. I opened my practice here in June of 2007 and absolutely love my work. I love helping my patients understand the benefits to moving their body well and using less medications.
I am involved in a few groups within HealthSource, including serving on the Franchise Advisory Council and participating in an internal Master Mind, which focuses on both personal and professional development. These are both great opportunities as they allow me to learn from highly successful people and also have an influence on how the franchise develops over time. My Master Mind experience is particularly valuable to me because I have focused heavily on personal development over the past 10 years, which has helped me grow and develop into a person I would hardly have recognized 10 years ago!
In the past, I volunteered as the Special Olympics coordinator at Parker College of Chiropractic, which was very rewarding. I am looking forward to mentoring a young girl through the Girls on the Run program this year. Our office does a lot of money donation, toy drives, back pack drives, coat drives, and that sort of thing, but I want to elevate my level of giving my giving my time to something I am passionate about. Volunteering is something I have identified as a gaping hole in my life, so I see working with the Striders as an opportunity to give back to the community.
5. If you had to run a race in a costume, what costume would you choose? (And why.)
If I had to run a race in costume, I would run in a body suit that won’t cause me to chafe! Maybe one of those cool outfits that shows all of the muscles – then I could educate runners as I pass them on what muscles help with given strides. Ideally, however, I wouldn’t normally dress in costume. I love dressing up for holidays and being silly in my office and with my patients, but I don’t love running in costume. Well, to be honest, I can’t even say I don’t love it because the most I have ever done is wear a tutu! It’s not necessarily that I’m opposed to running in costume, I think it could be a lot of fun, I’m just afraid of chafing and blisters!
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MELINDA URICK
1. What area(s) of the club would you focus on as a Board Member?
I'd like to help out with races (promotion/planning), newsletter and social media, and/or social functions. But happy to fill in where help is needed!
2. What special skills would you bring to the Board?
I have professional (and volunteer/non-profit) experience with web copywriting, blogging, social media and newsletter/digital marketing. I also have experience promoting race events.
3. How have you been involved with the Capital Striders in the past?
I've been a member of the club for 2 years (since moving to Iowa). I join for weekly Striders or Turkeys runs, and I participated in To Grandmother's House, Sycamore 8, and Capital Pursuit the last two years. This past summer, I also volunteered as a "trail buddy" with Des Moines Parks & Recreation trail run series partnership with the Turkeys.
4. Tell us about yourself - anything you would like people to know.
I'm a full-time graduate student, working on my master's degree in sport psychology. I moved to Iowa two years ago with my husband and three cats. I run on both roads and trails. I love winter (and winter running)! I've completed 14 half marathons, 4 marathons, and 1 ultra (50k); I'm currently training for Drake half marathon. I'm about to start my first season coaching for Girls on the Run, and have previously volunteered with their organization as a running buddy. Fun fact: I played roller derby for 6 years.
5. If you had to run a race in a costume, what costume would you choose? (And why.)
I ran a half marathon in Ohio where a guy was dressed as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. He was having so much fun and you couldn't help but laugh when you saw him. I get so much joy when racing is fun like that. It was a great stand-out costume - and I love marshmallows, so why not? :)