Challenge Penticton hired two familiar faces to its team, Steve Brown and Kelly Hopkins, to fill very specific roles. In early October the board did not renew their contract with former general manager Barb Haynes and race director Laura Carleton.
(SHANNON QUESNEL / iNFOnews.ca)
November 08, 2013 - 2:48 PM
PENTICTON - Challenge Penticton 2014 gives top spots to two familiar faces, Steve Brown and Kelly Hopkins.
Brown returns in 2014 as race operations director which builds on his previous work in 2013. He is the owner of Peach City Athletics, has a background in financial management and has been responsible for organizing races in the region, including large-scale events like Ultraman.
Hopkins will be the events and marketing manager after leading a professional field program last year. She is a fitness professional and former triathlete, has a background with event production for local community events in sport, wine and not-for-profit sectors.
"They have proven skills in specific concentrations," Challenge Penticton president Paulette Rennie said. "When we combine this with their passion for the sport and dedication.. it's a recipe for success."
The two were hired in the wake of two others who were let go. Former general manager Barb Haynes was hired for the first Challenge Penticton's inaugural year but released from employment in early October. Also let go was race director Laura Carleton.
Rennie said staff changes were made to reflect the changing nature of the business.
"Obviously, when your business grows or changes you have to make changes structurally," she said.
Also joining the team is Peter Byrnes, Challenge Penticton's new board member. He brings with him his business background in airline marketing and experiences with the Hog's Breath Coffee Company. He also finished the iron-distance in 2010, and was a finisher in the inaugural Challenge Penticton Canada race in 2013.
To find out more go to Challenge Penticton Canada. www.challenge-penticton.com
To contact a reporter for this story, to send photos or videos, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065, send tweets to @shannonquesnel1 or @InfoNewsPentict. You can also check out Shannon Quesnel or Infotel News on Facebook.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013