Lugbill retiring from Sports Backers in June

Jon Lugbill, the founding and executive director of Sports Backers, has announced his plans to retire from the organization in June after 31 years of leadership.

The organization, dedicated to promoting active living in Richmond, has evolved into a key player regionally in that space, with events and programs that attract hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators annually

“Our achievements over the past three decades are a testament to the incredible teamwork at Sports Backers,” said Jon Lugbill. “From our professional staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes, to our volunteers who give their time and energy, to our high-performing Board of Directors, and the donors that help fund our programs, as well as the long-term persistence of local government partners, it’s the collective effort that has made our vibrant active living movement possible. I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people and to make active living a part of our region’s DNA.”

Prior to his time with Sports Backers, Lugbill won five world championships as a whitewater canoe slalom race in the Men's Individual C1 competition between 1979 and 1989 and finished fourth in the whitewater canoeing competition in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Under Lugbill's leadership, Sports Backers has received numerous awards and accolades and was named the best sports commission in the country four times by the Sports Events and Tourism Association and awarded Bicycling Magazine’s People’s Choice Advocacy Award. The Kids On the Move program was also honored as Youth Event of the Year by Running USA.

Lugbill's legacy will be tied not to a specific event, program, or trail, according to Sports Backers Board Chair Roy Grier, but rather to the culture of excellence he has instilled in the organization — along with a sense of fun and impact that keeps everyone engaged and active.

The search for Lugbill's successor has begun and will be managed by the Warren Whitney firm.

By June, Sports Backers will have completed its move to Henrico County's Spring Park in a former bank site on the Fall Line Trail, secured funding for its five-year strategic plan, started 20 miles of construction on the trail, and returned its events and programs to record levels, according to organization officials.

“We have been fortunate to have a founding leader with the vision to guide our organization and our region through an incredible transformation over the past 31 years," said Sports Backers Chair-Elect Dan Gecker. "As we look ahead, the foundation laid by Jon and the entire team sets the stage for the next leader to build on Sports Backers' already storied history.”