These Ambassadors are an excellent group of dedicated, experienced individuals who are available to speak at national, state or school district forums on the proven benefits of low cost running-based fitness programs. Some of them may also be available to train or inspire personnel for new programs.
Sharon A. Barbano, M.Ed.
Sharon Barbano, Vice President of Public Relations, Events and Athletes for Saucony, Inc., has been a key player in sports and fitness marketing for over two decades. A recognized industry leader, Barbano has appeared worldwide on television, radio and in print as a consumer marketing expert, brand spokesperson an d sports commentator.
Barbano is a nationally recognized fitness expert and developer of a wide variety of sports and fitness training programs followed by millions. She is the creator of Hasbro Toys' "Get In Shape, Girl!" fitness gear, tapes and programs for children.
Barbano was presented with the 2008 Women's Trailblazer Award by Running USA, the national organization for running in the United States. Barbano is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Women's Sports Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Women's Sports Foundation President's Award and the National Association of Women in Education Woman of Distinction Award.
Barbano has been the official announcer for many of the nation's top running events as well as twenty-year lead analyst for WBZ Radio's award-winning coverage of the Boston Marathon.
A former world class distance runner who participated in the Olympic Marathon Trials, Barbano is past winner of the Finland and Long Island Marathons, the U.S. 50K Trail Running Championship and the Women's International 10K Championship, among others. She is also a winner of the Blackburn Challenge, one of the nation's most prestigious open ocean kayak races and has a black belt in Chinese Karate. Barbano has a B.A. in Sociology from Gettysburg College and an M.Ed. in Psychological Services from Springfield College.
Michael Dove
Michael Dove is the developer of the award winning JUST RUN youth running and fitness program. He received the National Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2008. Mike retired in 2004 after 32 years with the Defense Department and received the highest Civilian Career award for Distinguished Service. In 2007 Mr. Dove was Running USA's Youth Program Contributor of the Year. He currently is devoting his volunteer hours to being Director of Training programs for the Big Sur International Marathon and is on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Dove is a noted speaker on health, fitness, and running issues, and writes a column on Running in the Monterey Herald. He is a nationally ranked master and senior runner and holds age group course records in several marathons. He is also President of the USATF club, the Monterey Bay Wednesday Night Laundry Runners. He has a BA in Economics and MBA in Finance from the University of California at Berkeley, where he also played on the golf team.
Len Goldman
Len has been a life long runner and started running competitively as a youth. He has raced at every distance from 100 meters to the marathon and is currently ranked as one of the top age group distance runners in the U.S. Len is the President of the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders running club based in Oakland, and two years ago started their monthly "Kid's Races" featuring medals and snacks for all the participants. Currently, he is coach of the Piedmont Middle School cross country program, which he started three years ago, and prior to that he founded the Orinda Intermediate School cross country program. He also coaches middle school track and field in the Spring.
Len has worked on behalf of "Girls on the Run Bay Area" for the past three years as a grant writer and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for their program. In 2001, Len received the RRCA's Kurt Steiner award for "Children's Development Running" for his work with "Students Run Oakland, " a marathon training program for at-risk teens.
Tina Klein
As Director of Community Outreach and 'Kilometer Kids' for the Atlanta Track Club, Tina Klein has all the tools to effectively fight the obesity war. She has a very caring and supportive manner with the youth she assists in the local Boys and Girls Clubs and loves to make them healthy snacks and desserts. But she also has a strong, disciplined side that has experienced combat, jumpi ng from airplanes and an expertise in missiles. Her post-army professional stints at the Department of Justice and a pharmaceutical company as a women's health, diabetes and neuroscience specialist have added even more dimensions to her resume.
Klein believes that one of her strongest assets for working so effectively with youth and what gives her extra passion is that she has lived the same life as her young participants - "as a minority in a very low socio-economic neighborhood". "When they tell me 'you don't know what it's like to be or go without', my comeback is 'there's a way to make it in life, nothing beats a failure but a try'. And one of the things I tell kids is that the best gift anyone could ever give them is the 'I believe in YOU Gift'".
"I've used my work experiences to develop a program and reach youngsters who are affected by childhood obesity. Through fitness and running, we (Atlanta Track Club) are educating youth in many areas, such as types of physical training, mental awareness, stress relief, even a knowledge of math (i.e. kilometers to miles conversions, etc) and nutrition - a vital key element. Running is a sport we can do throughout our lifetime, and we want to instill this in the early stages of youth running."
Klein's life of adventure and service began with an army tour to assist in paying for a bachelor's degree in Biology and Communications. While stationed in Germany she earned a Master's in Public Administration specializing in Administrative Law.
Klein's own running and fitness history is impressive beginning with the Army's 10 mile team, a German Marathon team and currently as a member of the Atlanta Track Club's Competitive Women Master's Team and the Mizuno Racing Team. She is a certified running coach and a pilates instructor. In her 'free' time she and her husband rescue former pure-bred greyhound racing dogs who otherwise would be inhumanely disposed of at a very young age.
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy is president and founder of GO! St. Louis, which was formed in 2000. Over the last eight years she has guided the organization from an upstart marathon weekend event, to an organization that today is a year-round community wellness leader. Her vision to create a weekend event that included fitness activities for all ages and abilities, has helped the event grow 700% since its inception. In addition, Nancy has created innovative programs and events that have received national acclaim, while inspiring thousands of people to get fit. Programs such as: Read, Right & Run Marathon(r), Mature Mile and Mile-by-Mile Marathon, continue to support the organization's overall mission.
Her past volunteer experiences include: Race Director for "Race For The Cure" and Event Director for Senior Olympics. Now, Nancy trains young women to run at Girls, Inc. where she serves on the Board of Directors. In addition, she is a member of St. Louis Forum and is a founding member of a new organization: St. Louis Partnership for Girls & Women in Sports affiliated with the Women's Sports Foundation. In 2004, she was invited to participate in the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay in St. Louis.
When not encouraging others in their pursuit of fitness, watch for Nancy on the roads. She has completed six marathons and dozens of triathlons, including an Ironman. She enjoys traveling and hiking. Most recently she fulfilled a dream by summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with her daughter, Elissa.
Prior to starting GO! St. Louis, Nancy spent 20 years working in health care management in St. Louis. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received a bachelor's degree from Penn State University. She has been a teacher and social worker.
Susan Love
Susan Love has an extensive background in education, public speaking, fitness and running. She is the administrator of the Big Sur International Marathon's youth fitness program JUST RUN, a highly acclaimed program that won a Gold Medal from Governor Schwarzenegger's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Love's degree in biology and education led to teaching positions in Monterey, CA and Geneva Switzerland. She has worked with children of all ages. A member of the National Speakers Association, Love is a motivational speaker whose engagements have included training clinics and pre-race seminars at the Big Sur, Twin Cities, Marine Corps, and Portland marathons.
Love speaks to numerous groups of children, encouraging them to make fitness and running a vital part of their lives. Love and here colleague, Mike Dove, were honored in 2007 as the Youth Fitness contributors of the Year by Running USA. Love is a 38-year veteran of the sport, has completed 34 marathons, and is a top competitor in her age division.
Cliff Sperber
Cliff Sperber became executive director of the New York Road Runners Foundation in January of 2001 after having served Pathways for Yourh, a large community based organization in the Bronx, New York, for 32 years. During Cliff's tenure at NYRRF, revenue has increased more than twenty fold and service population 500 fold to more than 50,000 children a week locally, nationally and internationally. Coming from a family of runners and fitness buffs, Cliff has been a recreational runner since childhood, committed to the physical and psychological value of fitness as a cornerstone of a fulfilling life.
A devoted husband and father of two young adults, Cliff believes "in the power of determined people and organizations to effect meaningful change through the provision of social services." It is his conviction that involving youth in the sport of running has a highly beneficial impact on children's physical health and emotional well-being and serves as a vital change agent for personal development and societal betterment.
Susan Weeks
Susan Weeks is the CEO for Running USA. This national, non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the status of distance running and road races in the United States and its membership includes major road races, members of the athletic industry, and the media. Susan oversees a staff of four and a membership base of 250. She has been in the position since March 2008.
Previously, Weeks was involved in the Olympic Movement and held various positions in marketing and business development at the US Olympic Committee, USA Swimming, USA Field Hockey and the Association of Blind Athletes. Once a retail specialty running store owner and multiple-time race director, Susan is firmly entrenched in the running industry both personally and professionally. She has consistently trained and competed in running events since the 1980's. She attributes her success in fighting breast cancer to her regular running regime; she is a 3 1/2 year cancer survivor.
Born in Anderson, Indiana, Susan received a BA from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in physical education. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband Mark who is a high school track and field and cross country coach.