MEET THE BOARD
Executive Director
Parker Karnan
Karnan Associates, LLC
Woodinville, WA
Parker founded and manages Karnan Associates, a consultancy that works closely with executives and owners of businesses to help them achieve their business vision and goals. Karnan Associates recently launched a Retail Dashboard program which displays key metrics and allows retailers to know their overall business health at a glance. Parker has spent most of his career in the sports industry, where he spent a number of years with Brooks Sports, Inc. While at Brooks Parker was Vice President of Sales and led US sales efforts for 4 divisions of the company. He also directed the apparel brand’s reposition from parity to premium over a 3 year period, increasing the annual margin by 1300 basis points and establishing the business as a profitable unit of the company. Parker received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in English and holds a graduate degree from the University of San Francisco in Sports Management. While at Dartmouth he met his wife, Miquette. They have been married for 13 years and live with their 3 kids outside Seattle, WA.
Regional Directors -- Effective April 22, 2010
North East: NY, NJ, ME, NH, VT, MA, PA, RI, &
Jenn Wohlgamuth
Second Sole
Pittsburgh, PA
Jenn Wohlgamuth has been in the Running Specialty business for approximately 7 years with Second Sole as an apparel buyer, director of operations and an owner. Prior to working with Second Sole, Jenn operated a marketing company specializing in event planning. These skills came in handy as she was able to blend her passions and interests into a very fulfilling career. Jenn's experience both as a buyer and as an event planner will be invaluable to the IRRA Members. Jenn will be able to present fresh ideas in both marketing and in sales that you as a retailer can use to grow your business.
Southwest: CO, TX, OK, MO, UT, AZ, NM, AZ, KS, WY, MT & AR
John O'Neil
Colorado Running Company
Colorado Springs, CO
John O' Neil and Jeff Tarbert started their business in 2000 with the goal of putting shoes on every set of feet in the Colorado Springs area. O'Neil says of Colorado Running Company: "We have yet to meet our goal but we continue to try. The competition, some think big box athletic, are really the retailers who sell a sedentary lifestyle. We running specialty retailers sell the best commodity; a longer and more productive life."
John started running in High School, as a sprinter and continued thereon pursuing this lifestyle. From placing 5th in the Texas State High School Championships 100/220 yard events to becoming an All-Conference XC runner in California has led ro many different outlooks.
John concludes "In adulthood from being a "thought I might" to realizing I'm a "never was" makes me appreciate any customer who walks in my store with a goal."
Southeast: FL, GA, NC, SC, KY, AL, LA, VA, WV, TN & MS
Renee Grant
Runners Depot
Davie, FL
Runner’s Depot has been open since, 2000 and now has three stores and one franchise.
Runner’s Depot has grown 20-30% each year since its inception. This past year, Runner’s Depot expanded its original location and gave it a complete facelift. This past year, the store reported record sales despite the flailing economy. The company’s mission emphasizes ‘growing’ the sport of running in South Florida. To these efforts, Runner’s Depot began an RRCA-based running club, the Gold Coast Runners, which now has 485 members, a marathon and half-marathon training program with over 100 members, a triathlon training team and triathlon club, and a women’s only run/walk program.
Grant’s experience includes two years as an IRRA Board Member at Large; Owner/President of New Moves, Inc., a dance a fitness specialty retail store for six years; owner of Grant Printing, Inc., an offset printing business for18 years, and four years as Commercial Loan Officer at Barnett Bank/Nations Bank, Miami.
West: CA, NV, HI, WA, OR, MT, ID & AK
J. D. Denton
Fleet Feet Davis
Davis, CA
J.D. came of age during the 50s and 60s on the plains of West Texas, but has spent all the years since then living elsewhere. He earned a B.A. in Communications from Wichita State University in Kansas in 1973, then lived in North Carolina for a number of years before moving to California in 1993 with wife Chris. A professional retailer since 1975, J.D. has managed jeans stores, general sporting goods stores, and since taking over Fleet Feet Davis in 1993. During those rare times when he’s not working at Fleet Feet, J.D. burns out heart rate monitor batteries on his elliptical trainer or sprawls out on his couch to root for the Denver Broncos. He’s also active in the Davis Chamber of Commerce, the Davis Rotary Club, and the Davis Downtown Business Association. As a senior writer for Running Times, he writes “Shoe Guy,” a monthly column on the adventures of runners and their shoes. In 2008, J.D. was elected to the Specialty Running Hall of Fame by the members of the Independent Running Retailers Association
Midwest: IL, IN, OH, MN, MI, WI, SD, ND, NE & IA.
Mark Rouse
Runner's High N Tri
Arlington Heights, IL
Rouse is the operating partner of Runner's High 'n Tri Arlington Heights, Illinois. He opened the business 18 years ago. Rouse was born and raised in Detroit, graduate of Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor and then received his criminal justice degree from Ferris State University. Rouse ran his first marathon in 1978 and participated in his, first triathlon in 1981. Rouse continues to participate. He is married with one daughter.
At Large Directors
Rich Wills
FitNiche
Lakeland, FL
Rich Wills is a life-long runner and triathlete who opened his store, FITniche, three years ago in Lakeland, FL. The store is specialty running store at its core but exists to service the general mainstream fitness market as well. In three years, FITniche has grown from a bootstrap start-up to a store recognized as one the 50 Best Running Stores in America at the 2008 Running Event. Rich's mission for the store is to help people get fit, be healthy and have fun doing it.
Helping and working with the people who come through the store, including employees, is Rich's natural and first passion. The behind- the-scenes mechanics of the business and the influences of the larger market and other running retail channels have become increasingly important focuses of Rich. Rich believes that understanding the larger market forces at work is ultimately going to be very important to the continued ability of the run specialty market to thrive. Rich has been married to Jill Wills for 13 years. Their three children, Emily, Alexander, and Erikson are 9,6 and 4.
John Clark
Skinny Raven Sports
Anchorage, AK
Clark has lived in Anchorage, AK since 1968 worked at Skinny Raven since 1996.
He coached high school cross country running, skiing, track for 20 before retiring in 2007. Clark coached Chris Clark Olympic Trials champ in 2000. Clark continues to run and compete and has run 20+ marathons from Alaska to London.
Clark currently manage the running side of business and other logistics at Skinny Raven which is a multi-dimensional business that has running area of about 2500 sq. ft, casual footwear area of equal size and a smaller women’s boutique across the street that also houses its warehouse/receiving area. Says Clark of Skinny Raven’s: “Because of our location and general environment we have very unique challenges and needs we deal with.”
Paul Epstein
Running Wild
Pensacola, FL
Paul founded Running Wild in Pensacola Florida in 2000 along with his wife Cherie. After 8 years of consistent growth and hands on management the couple was able to purchase a 6000 square foot facility, which currently houses the continually expanding retail, athlete training and race management divisions of Running Wild.
Paul received hus undergraduate degree at the University of Florida while also earning a commission in the US Army and served several years as a helicopter pilot, paratrooper and cavalry platoon leader in Desert Storm. Paul met his wife while stationed in West Texas, they have been married for 12 years and live in Pensacola with their three daughters.
irra MANAGEMENT
Mark Sullivan
Great Neck, NY
As a business journalist, Mark Sullivan has covered specialty running stores for more than 20 years. He has been a writer and editor for SportStyle, Footwear News and Sporting Goods Business. In 2005 along with three partners, he founded Formula 4 Media, LLC, which publishes the Running Insight newsletter and owns The Running Event expo and conference. Mark has a journalism degree from Syracuse University and lives in New Jersey with his wife Gwen and two children, Devlin, 7 and Claire, 4.
Jeff Nott
Great Neck, NY
