SPOKANE, Wash. — A major shakeup for the Lilac Bloomsday Association. Race Director Jon Neill and the organization are going their separate ways. Neill was promoted to Race Director in 2019 and has been with the group for nearly two decades.
In a statement provided to KREM 2 News, Neill said he was recently informed that he would not continue as Race Director and moved to another job with fewer responsibilities.
"This unexpected news, accompanied by the resignation of two key Board members including our chief legal counsel, were significant factors leading to my departure," Neill said.
Neill’s tenure as race director faced many challenges because of the Pandemic. The Bloomsday race had to be postponed several times before it transitioned to a virtual race format.
"It was an honor to serve as the Race Director for what I consider to be the best race in America," Neill said. "I have no other plans or new employment as it was my intention to continue to lead this race and Jr. Bloomsday for many years to come."
On Monday, Lilac Bloomsday Association President Dori Whitford sent KREM 2 a statement about the change:
We agree with what so many have already said: Bloomsday is bigger than any individual. It is a beloved community event that is about the 1000’s of volunteers, the 100’s of sponsors, and the tens of thousands of runners, walkers, and wheelchair athletes who have crossed our finish line for the past 46 years. Bloomsday is an anchor to the community of Spokane; it is part of what makes Spokane so unique.
The current board is working well together and is looking forward to a great Bloomsday 2023 that Spokane can be proud of. We are also excited to welcome Scott Ward back to the board.
All of us at Bloomsday would like to thank Jon Neill for his service. We accept his resignation and wish him the absolute best in his future.
Here is the full statement from Jon Neill to KREM 2 News:
It is with great sadness that I have stepped away from Bloomsday. I love the race, the participants, the volunteers, and Spokane community. I was informed very recently that I would not continue in the role of Bloomsday Race Director but instead fill some other unspecified job with fewer responsibilities. This unexpected news, accompanied by the resignation of two key Board members including our chief legal counsel, were significant factors leading to my departure this past Tuesday morning. It was an honor to serve as the Race Director for what I consider to be the best race in America. I have no other plans or new employment as it was my intention to continue to lead this race and Jr. Bloomsday for many years to come.
When asked about the board member resignations Neill mentioned in his statement, Whitford responded with the following statement:
Bloomsday has a policy not to discuss employment issues. Therefore, I have no further comment than the email update I sent last night.
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