LA Marathon Team
Russ Pillar, President
Russ never goes halfway, and the LA Marathon is no exception. He’s fully committed to the success of the event, even if it means coming out of running retirement to train for and complete both the Chicago and New York Marathons this year. Russ’s broad range of experience, including stints running the Virgin business in the Western Hemisphere as well as Viacom Interactive, comes in handy as he leads the team building the LA Marathon. Because a full day of sports management isn’t enough, Russ also enjoys coaching his two sons in soccer, baseball and tennis.
Nick Curl, Race Director
A passionate veteran who has race directed more than 14 LA Marathons, Nick is always happy to engage in a detailed discussion of “Road Cone 101” or other arcane subjects. Thank god we have him on our team. Someone needs to be the voice of reason in our staff meetings, and that’s Nick. When not making the event happen, he can be found in a moving van hauling his son or daughter off to college.
Peter Abraham, Creative Director
Whether climbing mountains or racing his bike, Peter has always found satisfaction outdoors. He divides his time at the office among our many communication needs, from the website to social media, and from apparel to sustainability. Peter’s diverse background includes producing the Wilco film I am Trying to Break Your Heart as well as thousands of TV commercials. He lives with his wife, two children and a dog.
Dave Klewan, Director of Partnerships
While we do hold a grudge against Dave for being a Yankee fan, his energetic approach to business is a huge asset around the office. As a 7-year veteran of the AVP Pro Volleyball Tour, Dave brings a wealth of experience to the LA Marathon. You may run into Dave along with his wife and young son during one of their forays out to the beach or sampling ethnic food in Los Angeles.
Stacy Embretson, Director of Operations
Stacy’s idea of a perfect Sunday is a 15-mile trail run followed by a long bike ride up the coast. And that’s before breakfast. As our resident Boston qualifier, Stacy manages an enormous amount of detail and keeps many balls in the air. Stacy graduated from Long Beach State’s sports management program and has worked with both the Long Beach Marathon and the ING Georgia Marathon.
Ginger Williams, Director of Community Relations
Ginger has run 10 marathons. Having also managed the AIDS Marathon training program, she is eminently qualified to helm our community outreach. Whether orchestrating our charity strategy or organizing dozens of on course entertainers, Ginger handles it all with quiet confidence.
Mario Lainez, Controller
Mario is a lifelong Dodger fan and our only true LA native. When not dominating the local softball league from his second base position, Mario is the financial mind in the office. With an MBA and previous experience at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, he knows how to keep the rest of us in line.
Theresa Brennan
As our utility infielder, Theresa handles a slew of tasks around the office. From providing sales support to creating the best looking proposals in the office, we’d be lost without Theresa’s attention to detail. She lives near the beach, and she and her husband can be found walking their dog most weekends.
Megan Cavan
Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Megan is an expert equestrian show jumper. She also manages many of our social media programs and collateral production while simultaneously studying for her Masters degree in sports management from Long Beach State. Impressive!
Manon Levenberg, Volunteer Coordinator
We are all in awe of Manon. Who else could get 6,000 volunteers to come out at 5:00 am on a Sunday. 6,000! She’s a veteran of many, many running events and performs a herculean task here at HQ.
Beth Liberty, Marketing Coordinator
A recent USC graduate, Beth works with Peter on a range of communications projects. In addition, she manages our sustainability program, so feel free to ask her about compostable cups or corn-based plastics. As someone who has worked on the X Games and played soccer her whole life, a job here at the Marathon mixes business with pleasure for Beth.
Sean Ferguson, Sales Coordinator
It’s good to know we have someone in the office who’s spent 4 years traveling the world on a Navy Guided Missile Cruiser. Now that he’s in the private sector, Sean keeps busy working with Dave on our many partnerships and sales efforts.