Tracy Zeman has been named executive director of Girls on the Run of Central Illinois, succeeding Deb Shultz, who has been the executive director of GOTR since its inception in Springfield. Shultz assumes the position as chairman of the Board of Directors.

Tracy & Deb after their recent half-marathon!

Zeman joined GOTR in July 2010 as Program Coordinator. She formerly was a writing instructor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. From 2007-08 she was a Veteran School Coordinator at Communities in Schools of Chicago. From 2005-07, Zeman was Writer-in-Residence for the poetry-in-the-public-schools program at the Poetry Center of Chicago, later becoming Program Coordinator for all the programs at the Center. A native of Peoria, Zeman earned a bachelor’s degree in English from DePaul University in Chicago, IL and a master’s degree in Creative Writing from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

The Girls on the Run of Central Illinois Board of Directors are Chair: Deb Shultz, Vice President: Lauren Lurkins; Treasurer: Susan Akers; Secretary: Barbara Seidman; Board Members: GerriAnne Graham, Karen Carlson.