For the past 32 years Jon has been the executive director of the Sports Backers, a nonprofit group that inspires active living in all corners of the Richmond region. The organization hosts events including the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, Dominion Energy Riverrock, Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, CarMax Tacky Light Run and more than a dozen other events each year. The organization has some of the nation’s largest training teams, a kids fitness program with tens of thousands of participants, 60 free fitness classes every week in challenged communties and an active infrastructure advocacy effort that leads the 43 mile long Fall Line trail among other bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects. In 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2016 the Sports Backers were voted America’s Best Sports Commission by Sports ETA. As an athlete, Jon won five individual and seven team world championship titles in whitewater canoe slalom and was 4th in the 1992 Olympic Games. He has been elected to the International Whitewater Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.