money Tom Grilk is the voice of the Boston Marathon finish line. Here's what he's doing next
Tom Grilk isn’t retiring. He’s transitioning.
The continuation of a process started more than 40 years ago.
The former longtime Boston Marathon finish line announcer who has been an integral cog for the Boston Athletic Association since joining its Board of Governors in 2003 is again pivoting.
A change in titles mirrors the shifts the Marathon has encountered over the past decade — from the bombings in 2013 to the more recent cancellations due to the coronavirus.
Grilk, the B.A.A.’s executive director since 2011, will become a senior adviser beginning May 1, nearly two weeks after the Marathon returns to its usual Patriots Day running for the first time in three years.
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Chief Operating Officer Jack Fleming will serve as acting CEO until a permanent replacement is hired.
Grilk said in an interview with the Daily News that his new role will involve the continuation of a transition to new leadership within the B.A.A.
“It’s not a sudden change,” he said. “That generation of leaders is here and we’ve been putting them in place over the past few years. The people who we’ve installed in recent years are carrying the organization forward and have been for a while. It’s just another step forward.”
Grilk served as race announcer from 1979 to 2013 and in his role as executive director, the Marathon’s Official Charity Program and John Hancock nonprofit program surpassed the $400 million mark — growing by more than $300 million during his tenure.
Also under his watch, the B.A.A. has launched: a High Performance Team in 2013, where athletes have represented the United States on the international level; and the Boston Running Collaborative, which seeks to expand access to running and walking in communities of color across Boston.
The B.A.A. also became a founding member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and in 2021, the Marathon was the first major marathon to offer prize money for para-athletes.
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The growth occurred despite the race’s absence in April over the past two years, with a virtual option taking its place. A scaled-down version of the Marathon returned in October.
Grilk is pleased with the B.A.A.’s ability to thrive under less-than-ideal conditions.
“It’s just a good feeling that things go on, that people aren’t deterred. It’s the same kind of resilience that we saw here in the wake of tragedy back in 2013,” he said of the finish-line bombings that killed three spectators and injured hundreds. “People said that they were going to live their lives the way they choose no matter what happens, which became sloganized by Boston Strong. It’s the same thing with the pandemic. People will find a way to live their lives fully.”
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In a press release, Dr. Michael O’Leary, chair of the B.A.A.’s Board of Governors, cited Grilk’s “impactful vision in creating and navigating a path of success for the organization. He guided us during the aftermath of the 2013 terror attack on the City of Boston to most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Additions to the B.A.A in the past decade include Director of Race Operations Lauren Proshan; Senior Accountant Tierney Carey; Market Director Scott Stover; and Communications Director Kendra Butters. Also in the mix is longtime B.A.A. member Barbara Sicuso, of Hopkinton, who switched from director of registration to director of athlete services.
Grilk referred to her as “a change leader.”
“Sometimes you think of people who have been veterans and have been around for a long time, (they) have a hard time changing. She keeps reinventing herself as a newer generation of leader.”
Grilk, 74, said he does not see his new role as a path to retirement.
“If you do something that you like and it’s tremendously engaging and gratifying, you’re never looking for an end to it,” he said.
The former corporate lawyer realizes how fortunate he is to have served in his many positions over the past five decades.
“To go from dealing with mergers and acquisitions to daily life in a leadership role with the B.A.A. is terrific. Who gets to do this? People will say to me, ‘How’d you get that job?! I want that job!”
His response:
“Step in the path of something good, it might come your way.”
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Follow Tim Dumas on Twitter: @TimDumas.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: BAA executive director Tom Grilk changing jobs after Boston Marathon
