New
CEO wants to see Crim 'grow'
Gerry Myers is a runner, so he knew he was becoming part of something big when he accepted the new position of chief executive officer with the Crim Festival of Races.
"I was aware of the Crim race and its existence, just from reading about it in magazines and hearing about it," Myers told Journal reporter Bill Khan for a June 26, 2005, article. "It had some national and international flair to it."
But he didn't know how highly regarded the Crim is in these parts until he left Palm Springs, Calif., in March and started settling in to the Flint area.
Whenever he mentioned that he was coming here to work for the Crim, Myers said there was an instant connection with most of the people he met.
"Any time I would mention the Crim, a smile would come to these people's faces. They all had a Crim story. Either they had run the Crim, a family member had run the Crim or they were in the training program. I'd say that was 80 or 90 percent of the people I met. I have not seen a more welcoming community than the Flint community, and I've lived in several places."
Now, Myers is a primary caretaker of one of Flint's greatest success stories.
His job description is different than that of others who have held the top leadership post with the Crim. The Crim has always had one race director who handled most of the details of the race while also overseeing the entire organization.
Myers is a business manager, a fund-raiser and is charged with implementing the Crim's vision of having a greater year-round presence and impact on the health and fitness of Flint-area residents. The responsibility for coordinating the race itself is being handled by another newcomer, Deb Kiertzner.
The organization's board of directors chose to create the distinct positions in an effort to expand the Crim's focus.
"It's a very, very solid organization from the ground up," Myers said. "There are things we want to do, that we want to change, that we want to grow. It's a lot easier to grow something that's so positive and so strong than it is to rebuild things that are broken down. .... Everybody has done what they're supposed to do.
"Now it's that transition to the next level. It's taking this organization and positioning it on behalf of fitness and health, which is a little bit different. I think we can do it. I think we have a brand that is well-respected, that has proven itself. The challenges are there, because they're growth challenges, but those are the good ones, the exciting ones."
Being CEO of the Crim combines many of Myers' strengths and passions.
Myers, 50, began running in 2000 and completed six marathons by June 2005.
He has a strong business background working for nonprofit organizations, most notably in the health care field. He said he turned one organization, which had a $40,000 budget, into a multi-million-dollar operation.
Myers is a staunch advocate of improving children's health through physical fitness, and was pleased during his job interview to learn that has become a major emphasis with the Crim
"What was real key to me was their focus on kids," Myers said. "They wanted us to build programs and services to deal with and provide services for children. They identified the issues of childhood obesity. They knew they had this wonderful brand called the Crim and it was well-positioned in this market. People look to it for fitness."
Getting a position with the Crim brings Myers' career full circle.
Not only is he a Michigan native who came home, but he was a staff member in the state House of Representatives from 1974-80.
During that time, he worked for a Speaker of the House named Bobby Crim. Myers didn't know at the time that Crim's vision led to the creation of the organization he now leads.
"I knew he ran, but I wasn't that tuned in with what he was donig over here," Myers said. "I did know Lois Craig, his assistant. It's interesting how it all comes around."
Gerry Myers is a runner, so he knew he was becoming part of something big when he accepted the new position of chief executive officer with the Crim Festival of Races.
"I was aware of the Crim race and its existence, just from reading about it in magazines and hearing about it," Myers told Journal reporter Bill Khan for a June 26, 2005, article. "It had some national and international flair to it."
But he didn't know how highly regarded the Crim is in these parts until he left Palm Springs, Calif., in March and started settling in to the Flint area.
Whenever he mentioned that he was coming here to work for the Crim, Myers said there was an instant connection with most of the people he met.
"Any time I would mention the Crim, a smile would come to these people's faces. They all had a Crim story. Either they had run the Crim, a family member had run the Crim or they were in the training program. I'd say that was 80 or 90 percent of the people I met. I have not seen a more welcoming community than the Flint community, and I've lived in several places."
Now, Myers is a primary caretaker of one of Flint's greatest success stories.
His job description is different than that of others who have held the top leadership post with the Crim. The Crim has always had one race director who handled most of the details of the race while also overseeing the entire organization.
Myers is a business manager, a fund-raiser and is charged with implementing the Crim's vision of having a greater year-round presence and impact on the health and fitness of Flint-area residents. The responsibility for coordinating the race itself is being handled by another newcomer, Deb Kiertzner.
The organization's board of directors chose to create the distinct positions in an effort to expand the Crim's focus.
"It's a very, very solid organization from the ground up," Myers said. "There are things we want to do, that we want to change, that we want to grow. It's a lot easier to grow something that's so positive and so strong than it is to rebuild things that are broken down. .... Everybody has done what they're supposed to do.
"Now it's that transition to the next level. It's taking this organization and positioning it on behalf of fitness and health, which is a little bit different. I think we can do it. I think we have a brand that is well-respected, that has proven itself. The challenges are there, because they're growth challenges, but those are the good ones, the exciting ones."
Being CEO of the Crim combines many of Myers' strengths and passions.
Myers, 50, began running in 2000 and completed six marathons by June 2005.
He has a strong business background working for nonprofit organizations, most notably in the health care field. He said he turned one organization, which had a $40,000 budget, into a multi-million-dollar operation.
Myers is a staunch advocate of improving children's health through physical fitness, and was pleased during his job interview to learn that has become a major emphasis with the Crim
"What was real key to me was their focus on kids," Myers said. "They wanted us to build programs and services to deal with and provide services for children. They identified the issues of childhood obesity. They knew they had this wonderful brand called the Crim and it was well-positioned in this market. People look to it for fitness."
Getting a position with the Crim brings Myers' career full circle.
Not only is he a Michigan native who came home, but he was a staff member in the state House of Representatives from 1974-80.
During that time, he worked for a Speaker of the House named Bobby Crim. Myers didn't know at the time that Crim's vision led to the creation of the organization he now leads.
"I knew he ran, but I wasn't that tuned in with what he was donig over here," Myers said. "I did know Lois Craig, his assistant. It's interesting how it all comes around."
"Any time I would mention the Crim, a smile would come to these people's faces. They all had a Crim story. Either they had run the Crim, a family member had run the Crim or they were in the training program."
