Board of Directors
Tommy Leonard is an honorary
member of the board of directors. The founder of the race, Tommy is its most
ardent and enthusiastic supporter. He dreamed and conceived of the race after
watching the 1972 Olympic marathon, the last time that an American citizen,
Frank Shorter, won the men’s marathon in an Olympic Game. An enthusiastic
runner most of his life, he dreamed that someday he would see the Olympic
champion run and win in Falmouth. With his unflinching persistence, calling on
friends and connections in the fledgling running community, he charmed Shorter
into coming to Falmouth for the first time in 1975 and the rest is history. Tommy’s
dream not only has become a reality, he admits that the success and popularity
of the race has far surpassed anything that he ever envisioned. Tommy has
become a legend on his own right in the running community and beyond: his
biography was written a few years ago and, most recently, Runners’ World
magazine ran a feature article on his life in the August, 2011 issue. Tommy
can’t run any more, but his enthusiasm and support for the race remains
steadfast and true. Tommy, we thank you and love you!
Karen L. Bissonnette was appointed to the race board in 2008. She is the
chief development officer of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod. She
previously held the position of executive director of the Falmouth Hospital
Foundation. A resident of Falmouth, she graduated from Falmouth High
School, where she excelled as a member of the track team. Karen
graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL where she
attended on a track and field scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in
Political Science and Sociology. In 2000 she was elected to the Falmouth
High School Athletic Hall of Fame and now serves on its committee. Karen
also serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod. She lives in
Falmouth with her two sons Andrew and Gregory. Email.
Carl F. Cavossa Jr. has served as
vice-president of the board since December 2008. He is the founder and
president of Cavossa Excavation, Disposal and Safety Transportation of
Falmouth. He is a former chairman of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce board of
directors, serves on the board of the Police Athletic League and is a past
member of the Falmouth Education Foundation. He and his wife Kristen have four
children and live in East Falmouth. Email.
Scott Ghelfi joined the Road Race
Board in June of 2010. A lifelong resident of Falmouth and frequent competitor
in the Falmouth Road Race, Scott and his wife Wendy are owners of Ghelfi’s
Candies and Ice Cream (in Falmouth and Mashpee) and of Caline for Kids in
Falmouth. Scott was a member of the Falmouth High School cross-country and
track teams. He captained the teams his senior year during which they won
State titles all three seasons. Scott is a 1985 graduate of the University
of New Hampshire where he competed in cross-country and track. Scott stays
competitive by playing tennis, golfing and running. He is also very
involved with Falmouth Youth Hockey as a coach. Scott and his wife have two
children, Durham and Hannah. Email.
Geoff Nickerson joined the board of the
Falmouth Road Race, Inc. in May, 2011. An associate attorney in the
Office of Jeffrey W. Oppenheim in Falmouth, Geoff's practice is focused on
transactional law as well as estate planning and estate administration. Geoff is a 2000
graduate of Dartmouth College and a 2003 cum laude graduate of Villanova
University School of Law. While at Dartmouth, Geoff was a member of the cross country and track and field teams, serving as co-captain of
both in his senior year. A redshirt athlete as an undergraduate, Geoff
used his remaining NCAA eligibility at Villanova as a first-year law student competing for the University's track and field
team. Geoff lives in Falmouth with his wife Kristin and their daughter,
Charlotte. Email.
Donna M. Tocci joined the board of directors of the Falmouth Road
Race, Inc. in the fall of 2010. Donna is Vice President, Group Director for the
integrated brand agency Digitas, where she leads the social marketing practice
in the Boston office. Previously, Donna was Director of Web/New Media for
Ingersoll Rand and managed all public relations and media for the
Kryptonite brand. She is a 20-year volunteer for the road race where she
has been in charge of the press tent. Donna has also worked as an event
organizer for SportSmith, DMSE and the Boston Athletic Association. Email.
