Frances
Mennone, Executive Director
Frances Mennone's rowing career began in High School when she
rowed with the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club (CJRC) under coach
Todd Jesdale. She later became a coach for the same program
in 1995 where her recruiting efforts boosted the team enrollment
from 30 to a 120 rowers. During her time as a coach with CJRC,
the crews were national champions four times. Frances also spent
several summers coaching and managing the United States Junior
National Team Development and Selection camps. These teams later
competed at the international level as Junior Rowing representatives
for the United States.
Her successes in the greater Cincinnati area caught the attention
of a newly forming team in Chicago, IL. In the Fall of 1999,
Frances was hired as the Head Coach and Program Director for
the Lincoln Park Juniors (now named LPJ Chicago). The LPJ Chicago
program, which was started from scratch with seed monies from
the United States Olympic Committee, was created with the sole
purpose of providing rowing opportunities to any high school-aged
child, regardless of their social or financial background. Under
Frances' direciton, LPJ Chicago later went on to provide scholarships
to more than 30% of the membership on an annual basis and is
now operating at a team-size of greater than 90 athletes.
In 2002, Frances and Bruce H. Smith guided, directed
and managed a grant award from the State of Illinois to develop
a boathouse on the Chicago River. More than three years later,
and working with the Federal, State, County and City governments
(18 agencies in total), the boathouse was completed in 2005.
This new structure would later be realized as the first boathouse
built in Chicago in 100 years and the only floating boathouse
in the City.
Nancy
Wiley, President
Nancy has been the Chairman for the Hamilton Vision Commission
since 2004. The commission is an arm of the City consisting
of a group of nearly 40 volunteers charged with overseeing and
implementing the Citys Vision 2020 plan. The commission
is currently working on Riverfront Development to encourage
new individuals and companies to relocate to Hamilton. Nancy
feels the GMRC will greatly contribute to bringing activities
to the Great Miami River.
In addition to her role as Commission Chairman, Nancy has remained
actively involved with various sub-committees, including Image,
Riverfront Development and Zoning. She has been involved with
Vision 2020 from the start, serving as co-chair, with the Fitton
Centers Rick Jones, of the Lifestyles and Lifestyle Choices
subcommittee during the initial planning process.
Nancy, and her husband Frank, are the owners of Magnitude Marketing,
LLC, a small Marketing and PR firm. Nancy is also an event coordinator.
Tim
MacDonald, Vice President Mr. MacDonald is another City of Hamilton Vision Commissioner.
He is very proactive in the community and sits on the Main Street
Association and Rossville Historic boards as well. He chaired
the Vision Commissions committee on rowing before the Great
Miami Rowing Center was formed autonomously. A fairly new resident
of Hamilton, Mr. MacDonald works for the Mason-based firm of
Luxottica (owner of LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, etc.) and sees
great potential for the City of Hamilton, with rowing as a key
ingredient in reviving this historically rich community.
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The Great Miami Rowing Center
does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed,
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