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Todd Howard Chairs Tour Des Fleurs For Arboretum Board On September 20

Todd Howard, th+a architects president and Dallas Arboretum board member, has been appointed chairman of the 2014 Tour des Fleur, a 10K and 20K race benefitting the Dallas Arboretum. Assisting him will be Logan Burgess who coordinates race mechanics and participation.

An East Dallas resident, Howard has been active in the Dallas community for many years including a former board member of Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake. A former president of the board of the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, he created the Emerging Leaders Program, which later received a national AIA award. He is also the former president of the Dallas Architectural Foundation and is active with the Texas Society of Architects. 

Having organized the staff effort for Tour des Fleurs since the race’s beginning days eight years ago is Park Cities resident Karen Reardon. This year, she is literally hanging up her tennis shoes and passing the baton to staff newcomer Dana Murrell who is in charge of the garden’s public events. Reardon, who is special projects director and the Hoffman Family Gift Store buyer, will still continue to work at the Arboretum in the latter roles.

“Eight years ago, Dallas Arboretum President Mary Brinegar asked me to coordinate the promotion, printing, budgeting, in-kind donations, volunteers, etc. for this new run, which benefits the Arboretum’s programs,” said Reardon. “I’ve been doing this for so long, but it’s now time for me to pass the baton to Dana because with recent stress fractures in my legs, I must be temporarily off my feet.”

Those who have ever attended a member’s event at the Dallas Arboretum, such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Goblins in the Garden, the Caroline Rose Hunt Society Dinners or a Friends of the Arboretum Dinner, have probably seen Karen Reardon hard at work making sure everything would run like clockwork. But her days of running the Tour des Fleurs are coming to an end.

Tour des Fleurs has become a tradition for more than 2,800 runners, and registration is now open for the September event. This year’s 9th annual Tour des Fleurs, presented by Dave Perry-Miller & Associates, is September 20, and the race starts and ends at the Dallas Arboretum, 8617 Garland Road.

The race also kicks off the opening of Autumn at the Arboretum, which features the nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village featuring houses created out of 50,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash along with Cinderella’s carriage and storybook houses.

 This 10/20K race around the beautiful White Rock Lake starts at 7:00 a.m. and is followed by a post-race celebration with food and beverages at the Dallas Arboretum’s Martin Rutchik Concert Stage and Lawn overlooking the picturesque White Rock Lake. The after-party band is the Good Times Van Band. Visit http://tourdesfleurs.org/ for more details, including registration.

Reardon is also staying off her feet because that’s what the doctor ordered. Her husband, Dr. Will Reardon, who is a cardiologist, will be sure she complies so that she can continue working at the garden. Karen and Will have two grown children, Mollie and John. Mollie is a NICU nurse in Austin, and John owns Deep Ellum Brewery.

 

Tour des Fleur
Tuesday, 26 August 2014