TEXAS 4000 Announces New Executive Director and Expansion of Its Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2015

CONTACT: Jenifer Sarver
Jenifer@SarverStrategies.com
512-577-9099

TEXAS 4000 ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND EXPANSION OF ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AUSTIN— Texas 4000, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating student leaders and engaging communities in the fight against cancer, today announced David Chayer as its new executive director. Chayer steps into the role to replace outgoing executive director, Jen Thomas, who is relocating to Denver. Also today, the organization announced the expansion of its board of directors, including Wes Carberry, Michael Lu, Danielle Oxford, Kerry Rupp and Denise Silverman. The new leadership and expansion of the board of directors will allow the organization to strategically broaden its reach, and have a greater impact in the fight against cancer.

“We are pleased to have so many people stepping up to support this incredible organization as we continue to grow our role in the fight against cancer,” said Jenifer Sarver, chairman of the Texas 4000 board. “Each new Texas 4000 board member brings a tremendous network and a range of skills and resources to bear on behalf of this amazing organization. We are delighted to welcome David Chayer to the team and look forward to his leadership of the Texas 4000. We wish Jen Thomas happiness and success in her future endeavors, and are grateful for her leadership of this organization.”

The centerpiece of the Texas 4000 is a 70-day, 4,500 mile bike ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska in which UT Austin students participate each summer. Day one for the team kicks off with the Atlas Ride, in which the community is invited to participate, and then the riders split into three routes: Sierra, Rockies and Ozarks. They reconvene in Alaska and cross the finish line together in Anchorage after a life-changing, inspiring and challenging summer. Along the way they exhibit the organization’s core values of hope, knowledge and charity. Back in Austin, they are welcomed with the annual Tribute Gala, another opportunity for community participation.

“Texas 4000 has such a great mission and I am honored to be part of it,” said David Chayer. “With continued support and growth, we can do even more to develop tomorrow’s leaders and expand our impact on cancer research, awareness, and support programs.”

David Chayer joins the Texas 4000 with over 16 years of nonprofit leadership experience, including Executive Director roles at The ALS Association Texas Chapter and the American Red Cross.

Wes Carberry is the Partner & Technology Market Segment Lead at Sense Corp, working at the company for over 12 years. He has advised many clients from start-ups to the largest companies in the world on establishing IT departments and assessments of their ongoing infrastructure. He works to communicate challenges and proposed approaches in simple to development teams and executive levels, right up to the Board of Directors.

Michael Lu is the Chief Operating Officer for The DRIVEN Group, their family of brands (including DRIVEN Golf & DESTINY). He oversees operations, production, and supply chain logistics for all of their subsidiary and sister companies. Lu specializes in operations, management and efficiency training.

Danielle Oxford is a Law Clerk at the Texas Attorney General in the Criminal Prosecutions Division. She is candidate for a Masters of Global Policy Studies at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She has worked with a variety of organizations in law and international affairs including Fowler Rodriguez LLP, Travis County Attorney and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Danielle was a Texas 4000 rider in 2013.

Kerry Rupp is an Innovation & Strategy Consultant at Kerry Rupp Consulting and a Venture Partner at True Wealth Innovations. She is an active startup coach who is asked to judge at startup competitions nationwide and is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, innovation and early-stage investing.

Denise Silverman is the Principal, event planner and owner at CLINK Events. She has been planning events in Austin since 2002 when she launched her first company Soirée. The company grew to produce about 75 events a year and merged with CLINK in 2009 to allow for departmentalization of social and corporate events. The company’s social events department plans and designs weddings, galas and social gatherings, including the annual Texas 4000 Tribute Gala.

About Texas 4000

Texas 4000 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting cancer and cultivating the next generation of leaders. Each year a team of dedicated University of Texas at Austin students brave the elements to complete a more than 4,000-mile bike ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska sharing Hope, Knowledge and Charity along the way. Over the course of their 18-month involvement with Texas 4000, riders train, fundraise and develop as leaders and volunteers in the community. As the flagship annual program, the Texas 4000 70-day summer ride is the longest annual charity bike ride in the world. To date, Texas 4000 has raised more than $4.5 million for the fight against cancer and made grants to organizations such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, the LIVESTRONG Foundation, and UT Austin’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. In addition to developing tomorrow’s leaders, Texas 4000 organizes and performs numerous charity events throughout the year including the ATLAS Ride send-off and the Texas 4000 Tribute Gala. Find us at www.texas4000.org, www.facebook.com/texas4000 or https://twitter.com/Texas4000.

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