Schmidt, St. George Join Grandma’s Marathon Board of Directors

October 19, 2020

(DULUTH, MINN.) – Grandma’s Marathon – Duluth, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristi Schmidt and Louie St. George to the organization’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.

“Our Grandma’s Marathon Board is comprised of a dedicated group of community leaders,” Executive Director Shane Bauer said, “and this addition only strengthens that connection we have in the area. We are excited for the opportunity to channel Kristi and Louie’s talent, passion, and energy into continuing the mission of Grandma’s Marathon for years to come.”

The two additions make 17 members of the Grandma’s Marathon Board of Directors, which is currently chaired by Laura Johnson.

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Kristi Schmidt, a former staff member at Grandma’s Marathon, has served since 2019 as the Corporate Relations Officer for the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). She has more than 25 years of marketing and public relations experience, including stints at Essentia Health, Visit Duluth, and the Duluth News Tribune.

A member of the Duluth News Tribune’s inaugural 20 Under 40 class, Schmidt has always been an active member of the community. Besides serving on the Board of Directors for the Greater Downtown Council, Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, and Visit Duluth, she also served until recently as a Hermantown City Councilor and is active in the UMD and College of St. Scholastica (CSS) mentorship programs.

“Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with Grandma’s Marathon as a staff member, volunteer, sponsor, participant, spectator, and Young Athletes Foundation (YAF) donor,” Schmidt said. “This involvement has led to a great passion for the organization and its mission. I’m thrilled to bring that passion and my experience with the organization to the Board of Directors.”

Schmidt has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from CSS. She and her husband, Brian, live in Duluth and have two adult children, Taylor and Brandon.

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Louie St. George, a former Duluth News Tribune reporter, is now the Media Relations Specialist at Essentia Health. Besides running Grandma’s Marathon six times himself, St. George was a popular figure on marathon weekend during his time with the newspaper as he covered six race weekends starting with Dominic Ondoro’s record-setting performance in 2014.

“Whether I was running the marathon or writing about it, my favorite day of the year always has been the Sunday kicking off Grandma’s week,” St. George said. “I love the anticipation and excitement leading up to race day, how this community comes to life. That we can put on a world-class event right here in the Northland is a testament to the tireless work of so many people, going back to the 1970s.

“I’ve run races all over the Upper Midwest. None of them compare to Grandma’s. So I couldn’t be more excited to join the Board of Directors for this iconic event.”

St. George was born and raised in Duluth and has a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) along with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

He and his family, including wife Marisa, are currently living in Duluth.

For more information, please call our office at (218) 727-0947 or visit grandmasmarathon.com.

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ABOUT GRANDMA’S MARATHON

Grandma’s Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. There were just 150 participants that year, but organizers knew they had discovered something special. Grandma’s Marathon is now a self-governed nonprofit organization with a 17-member board of directors. Grandma’s Marathon weekend draws more than 18,000 participants for its three-race event each June.

The race got its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma’s Restaurants, the first major sponsor of the Marathon. Over time, the level of sponsorship with the restaurants changed, but the name stayed the same. Grandma’s Marathon-Duluth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization with a 17-member Board of Directors and a small, eight-person staff.