Meet our Board of Directors & Volunteers
Stacey Hicks, President
Stacey is President of Team Hoyt Denver. Stacey founded the American Cancer Society’s annual gala in Denver and served as Chairwoman of their endurance athlete fundraising program for many years. Leveraging this experience, her work for Team Hoyt Denver includes fundraising, building partnerships, volunteer outreach, athlete recruitment and ensuring the mission is carried out effectively.
Stacey has a passion for fitness and running. She has completed 10 marathons, including a Boston Marathon qualifying time, and raced in hundreds of other races. She looks forward to bringing the transformative power of running to all athletes, regardless of ability.
Ali Bowling, Vice President
Ali is the Vice President of Team Hoyt Denver. As Vice President, she oversees all aspects of the organization's activities and supervises the affairs of the chapter, Board of Directors, and its officers.
Raised in Denver and graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder, Ali is passionate about the active and healthy lifestyle Colorado promotes. She spends her weekends enjoying the outdoors with her husband and dog, exploring the various trails and parks in and around the Denver metro area. Her dedication to an active lifestyle stemmed her commitment to the Team Hoyt Denver mission of providing an inclusive environment for all to participate in running events.
Cara Frangipane, Secretary
Cara is Secretary of Team Hoyt Denver. Cara is a passionate athlete who believes everyone should have the opportunity to be active outdoors. She finds the outdoors to be therapeutic and healing from the stresses of everyday life. The Hoyt brothers are cousins of hers and she spent many holidays and family gatherings with Rick, Russ and Robbie growing up. They have always inspired her to be kind, welcoming and to stay active.
Over the years Cara has completed numerous half marathons and varying distances of road and trail races. You can also find her hitting the Colorado ski slopes in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. It's been a dream of hers to build a Team Hoyt Chapter in the front range of Colorado for years, and she's thrilled the opportunity is finally here!
Lori Deacon, MBA, Treasurer
As a charter school founder, Lori Deacon has been involved with nonprofits and school development for thirty years. She and her team currently manage the financial activities for 22 charter schools combined with her primary concentration as an outsourced CFO/Business Strategist. Through her partnerships with School Districts, the Colorado League of Charter Schools, and the Charter School Institute, she is strengthening the business models, financial service teams, and financial practices for schools and Districts throughout Colorado. Since leaving the school she opened in 2006, Lori has been involved with more than 50 charters and nonprofit organizations.
Allie DaCar, Race Manager
Allie is a California native who has fully embraced the active lifestyle that Colorado has to offer. While never much of a runner growing up, she did play just about every team sport imaginable. She settled on lacrosse and was a lacrosse goalie through college. She has fully immersed herself in the Colorado running scene since she moved to Denver in 2022. She’s done two marathons, an Ironman 70.3 and a few half marathons.
She started running with the Achilles Denver chapter when she moved to Denver and has made some of her best friends through Achilles. She has always been passionate about service but Achilles helped her discover a passion for making running an inclusive sport for athletes with disabilities. This passion drew her to Team Hoyt Denver. Allie is helping THD build their race calendar and working with race organizers to equip THD runner and rider athletes with the tools they need to be successful on race day. When she’s not running, you can find Allie either cuddling or XC skiing with her big fluffy malamute.
Erik Carrera, Racing Chair Specialist
Erik was born in San Antonio, TX , but raised in New Orleans, LA. He studied at Baylor University and received a BS in Mechanical engineering. He then moved to CO in 2020 and received his MS in Biomedical engineering at CU Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus. Erik grew up playing baseball, but injury ended his career early which led to his discovery of CrossFit. He has remained active in CrossFit and concurrently trains distance running for Spartan Races! Fitness has always been an integral part of his life and he wants everyone to be able to enjoy it. Ever since he discovered Biomedical Engineering, he knew he wanted to help those with “extra challenges” overcome them and have the ability to be a part of a fitness community! Team Hoyt Denver is a blessing and he is excited to use his knowledge, skills, and physical abilities in service of others. When he's not working he is either training for his next CrossFit competition, Spartan Race, or exploring CO’s many outdoor activities!
Mary Kossa, Rider Athlete Manager
Mary is an occupational therapist with a deep passion for inclusion and empowerment through movement. She began her running journey in January 2024 with a Couch to 5K program and completed her first marathon at the Houston Chevron in January 2025. Her background includes 10 years working at Camp CAMP, a camp for children and adults with disabilities, where she witnessed the transformative power of adaptive recreation. Outside of work and running, Mary loves hiking, reading, and playing board games. She's excited to support Team Hoyt Denver’s mission and help create unforgettable racing experiences for our rider athletes.
Maggie Merlino, Marketing Manager
Maggie is a rising senior at the University of Kansas and a Colorado native! She has a passion for the outdoors and inclusivity is extremely important to her. She is so excited to be a part of Team Hoyt this summer, and can't wait to help this incredible foundation grow!