THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ron RuhS
PRESIDENT
THE HITCHCOCK EXPERIENCE
A perennial back of the packer, Ron enjoys spending time on the trails with friends. The highlight of each year has been race directing the Hitchcock Experience 13.1/50/100 mile races where he and all the volunteers get to help runners accomplish their goals. Whether playing guitar in a punk band or trying to finish another ultra, he’s glad for the friendships made in the trail community. Ron currently serves as treasurer on the GOATz board.
Brady West
Community Partnership
SOCIAL MEDIA & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Originally from Nebraska and raised in Florida, Brady’s running career reignited after college and the birth of his son. What started with the Lucky Bucket 5K quickly escalated into a full-blown obsession. After transitioning from the Omaha Half Marathon to the trails at the 2015 Dizzy GOAT, Brady found his true passion in ultra-endurance.
Brady has evolved from a road runner into a seasoned ultra-athlete, conquering increasingly grueling distances:
50K & 50-Mile: Mastering the grit and nutrition required for all-day trail efforts.
100K: Pushing through the 62-mile mark, solidifying his status as a long-range specialist.
Beyond the miles, Brady is the creative engine behind the GOATz swag and branding. His dual perspective as a dedicated runner and a long-time supporter makes him the perfect fit for the team. An eco-conscious "outdoor lunatic," Brady brings unmatched energy and authenticity to the board.
John Orr
Trail Maintenance
John was a scholarship track hurdler in college and began running 10K races after college in the 1980s. Having moved to the country in the 1990s, John took up hobby farming, trail riding horses and baling his own hay. He enjoys clearing and mowing trails, donating the use of his tractor and equipment to keep the trail open to enjoy. He likes to volunteer to mark trails for GOATz races and manning aid stations. He is always looking for volunteers to help on trail clearing days.
Jody Green
Vice President,
Community Partnership
Supporting the running community is very important to Jody. She volunteers with the Omaha Running Club, Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation board, and is a longtime board member and volunteer of the GOATz. You just never know where or when Jody will show up. Her best friends are GOATz and bugs (she’s an entomologist). Though she does t run very many races anymore her favorite race is Hitchcock Half!
Photo credit: Cornbelt Maverick
TJ Ernst
Secretary
TJ is a husband, father and aspiring trail enthusiast. Many years ago, he landed on the GOATz board because he printed a couple hundred hoodies. He is a glorified fundraiser by day and a professional enabler by night. TJ once finished a 50 miler in a blizzard, but now he runs like the winded. His brainchild is the GOATz Gravel Classic, an event recommended by 8 out of 10 people who recommend things.
Bruce Barnhart
Trail Maintenance
Bruce Barnhart has been involved with the GOATz board since 2013 and provides legal counsel. He is a winter-loving, adventurous GOAT, who is usually off in the mountains of Colorado. Bruce is an exclusive trail runner, gravel road cyclist, cross country skier, ice skating, chilled out dude. You might know him as the GOAT who first introduced the group to the hidden dirt trails right under our noses at Lake Z. By day he’s an attorney, by night he’s probably climbing a mountain. One thing is for sure: if you get to hang with Bruce, it’s always an adventure.
Joan Miller
Treasurer
Joan’s bio and headshot will be coming soon. Just know that she is INCREDIBLY appreciated for her work on the GOATz’ accounting!
Mindy Coolman
Community Partnership
CROWN OF THE CREST
Mindy is one of the race directors of Tails ‘n Trails, with her primary role being designing and marking for race day. Mindy also assists with course marking of other GOATz races, and is the Hitchcock Experience course expert. Mindy is also an ultrarunner herself, completing over 50 ultras with 9 of those (so far) being 100s. Mindy is also a dietitian and takes great pleasure in fielding questions related to nutrition and ultrarunning. Mindy sits on the GOATz board as part of the Community Partnership subcommittee.
Vanessa Urbach
Communications
FEAST & FEATHERS
Vanessa Urbach has been part of the GOATz community since its founding in 2012 and has loved watching Omaha’s trail running scene grow over the years. What started as a way to challenge herself and relieve stress quickly turned into a passion for community, volunteering, trail advocacy, and giving back through running.
Since 2012, Vanessa has also served as co-race director for Feast and Feathers Trail Races, Omaha’s only Thanksgiving race where 100% of proceeds benefit Food Bank for the Heartland. Through the race, she has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of pounds of food to support local families facing hunger.
Vanessa is also actively involved with Safe Trails Initiative Omaha, working alongside community members and local leaders to advocate for safer, more connected, and more accessible trails throughout the Omaha metro area.
A longtime runner and trail advocate, Vanessa has completed six Chicago Marathons, several 50Ks, served as a 2015 MS Run the US Relay runner, and continues to be a passionate advocate for Omaha’s growing trail and running community.
She values the friendships, opportunities, and sense of purpose that running has brought into her life and is committed to helping Omaha’s trail community continue to grow for future runners.