New York, July 20, 2015—New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced the promotions of four key executives today—Linda Franken, James Grooms, Jim Heim, and Bari Greenfield. Franken has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance; Grooms has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Legal & General Counsel; Heim has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Event Development & Production and Technical Director of the TCS New York City Marathon; and Greenfield has been promoted to Vice President, Strategy, Planning & Organization Operations. Heim’s promotion includes a notable new role for him as technical director within the organization’s premier event, the TCS New York City Marathon. NYRR also named Michael Schnall to the newly created position of Vice President of Community Engagement Initiatives. The promotions and new appointment were announced today by Michael Capiraso, President and CEO of New York Road Runners, and Peter Ciaccia, President of Events for New York Road Runners, and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon.
 
“We are thrilled to promote four core New York Road Runners senior leaders, all of whom have been invaluable assets in our organizational growth,” said Capiraso. “Linda, James, Jim, and Bari play a lead role in supporting and enriching the mission of NYRR, and we look forward to their continued successes in their new roles. We are truly grateful for the talent, dedication, and passion of all of our staff who work tirelessly to fulfill our mission of helping and inspiring people through running.”
 
“As Senior Vice President of Event Development & Production and the new technical director of the TCS New York City Marathon, Jim will use his expansive event expertise to lead the technical production of all NYRR events, and most notably, the world’s largest marathon. Jim has been instrumental in the growth of our key events, and as a whole, has elevated our event planning," said Ciaccia. “We are also very fortunate to have Michael join our executive team. His years of important and complementary community engagement experience are synonymous with the needs and growth associated with NYRR’s community initiatives that help get more and more New Yorkers moving towards a healthier lifestyle.”
 
Franken has made a significant impact on the organization since joining the senior leadership team in 2011 as Vice President, Finance. In her elevated role, she will continue to manage the organization’s finances, real estate, and investment matters, a high level of NYRR Board of Directors responsibilities, including being an Officer and serving on several committees, as well as oversee NYRR’s International Travel Partner program. Franken will continue to report to Michael Capiraso.
 
Grooms, who previously held the title of Vice President, Legal & General Counsel, will continue to oversee the organization’s legal matters and elevate its legal function. In his role, he is responsible for providing legal advice and expertise in a variety of areas, including business transactions, litigations, compliance, and risk management, as well as managing the negotiation of contracts and development of organizational policies and procedures. Grooms manages NYRR Board of Directors governance and processes, and serves as an Officer for the organization. Grooms will continue to report to the NYRR Board of Directors and Michael Capiraso.
 
Since joining the organization in 2007, Heim, who previously held the title of Vice President, Event Development and Operations, has been pivotal in the growth and development of key event properties, including the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, and Airbnb Brooklyn Half. He will continue to use his expertise to lead the organization in the areas of event development, logistics, race scoring, experiential events, hospitality, and security, as well as take on leadership of event operations and all technical production of NYRR events. Heim will continue to report to Peter Ciaccia.
 
Greenfield, who previously held the title of Director, Strategy & Planning since 2013 serves multiple functions in her role at NYRR, including strategy formulation, business opportunity assessment and planning, growth plan execution, and project implementation. She will continue her critical work on the organization’s strategy, goals, new community initiatives, and the next phase of business planning. Greenfield will continue to report to Michael Capiraso.
 
Schnall, will be joining NYRR in the new role of Vice President of Community Engagement Initiatives and will be responsible for launching new programs that will enable running and walking opportunities throughout New York City communities designed to get them moving towards a healthier lifestyle. He will report to Peter Ciaccia.
 
Schnall comes to NYRR from NYC Parks, where he recently served as Staten Island Chief of Staff, cultivating working relationships with all of Staten Island's elected officials, community boards, civic associations, and many other organizations, clubs, and school-based entities. At NYC Parks, he secured capital improvements for all 7,200 acres of Staten Island's parkland, and worked to enhance the park user experience with improved access to recreational amenities. Prior to this, Schnall served as the Director of Government Relations for NYC Parks, responsible for developing the agency’s legislative agenda on the City, State, and Federal levels. He began his career in City government in 2002 with the NYC Council, working as a Legislative Financial Analyst for the Finance Division, and then running the City Hall legislative office of an NYC Council Member. Schnall was a Binghamton University undergraduate and has a JD from Brooklyn Law School.