Sport & Entertainment Corp. of Maryland Announces Leadership Updates for the Maryland Cycling Classic

The Sport & Entertainment Corp. of Maryland’s Chairman Terry Hasseltine has announced the following leadership changes for the the Maryland Cycling Classic, America’s top professional race.

“We continue to build our team here at the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland,” said Hasseltine. “We’re adding to our already exceptional leadership team with some of the best and brightest in their areas of expertise in sports and cycling. The future is bright for the Maryland Cycling Classic.”

John Kelly, the event’s chair added: “I’m glad to see the Sport & Entertainment Corp. of Maryland has strengthened its resources to help make the Maryland Cycling Classic even better, and to accomplish their mission of attracting and developing world class sporting events for the state of Maryland and their partners.”

Hasseltine provided the following leadership and management updates:

  • Steve Brunner, who has been involved in a senior management role on the project since its inception in 2020, has been named Executive Director. Brunner comes with more than 30 years of world-class international sport promotion and management, including senior executive positions at the U.S. Olympic Committee and Turner Sports before founding his company KOM Sports Marketing, where he worked in senior roles for many of the top U.S. cycling races: Tour of California, USA Pro Challenge (Colorado), Tour of Alberta, Colorado Classic, Tour of Missouri and Tour de Georgia.
    • Contact: steve@sportcorpmaryland.us
  • Jim Birrell, who has more than 35 years of elite sports management, has been named Race Director. Birrell’s vast experience spans all levels of event race management for many of America’s biggest bike races over the past three decades, including the Tour of California, USA Pro Challenge (Colorado), Tour of Alberta, Tour of Missouri, Tour de Georgia and the Tour DuPont and Tour de Trump that routed through Maryland. He also has worked and fostered growth for numerous cause-related charitable rides.
    • Contact: jim@sportcorpmaryland.us
  • Bill Schoonmaker joined the Sport & Entertainment Corp. of Maryland staff as Chief Commercial Officer in November 2024, after serving on the company’s Board of Directors. Bill will help lead sponsorship efforts for the Maryland Cycling Classic while enhancing the overall commercial value of corporate partnerships across SECMD’s growing portfolio of world-class events. Most recently, Schoonmaker was Vice President, Sales & Development for Sport Fishing Championship and Founder of Motivate Sports Group.
    • Contact: bill@sportcorpmaryland.us
  • Joanne Kiesnowski has been named Competition Manager for the women’s race. She will be responsible for team and competition management services, including working on team invitations. Kiesnowski is a three-time Olympian in road cycling for New Zealand and a long-time pro. She was most recently a director for the Human Powered Health team.
    • Contact: joanne@marylandcyclingclassic.us
  • Bobby Julich has been named Competition Manager for the men’s race. He will be responsible for team and competition management services, including working on team invitations. Julich is an Olympian in cycling, winning a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Games in the individual time trial. He was a podium finisher at the 1998 Tour de France. As a long-time professional, his first major race at age 18 was the 1990 Tour de Trump, which raced through Baltimore. He finished 5th overall in the 1991 Tour DuPont, then the biggest races in the world.
    • Contact: bobby@marylandcyclingclassic.us

Hasseltine said additional event details around the 2025 event will be coming in the next few weeks.

The Maryland Cycling Classic is America’s biggest and highest-ranked road race. It is owned and operated by the Sport Corporation of Maryland and chartered as a 501(c)-3 non-profit organization and located at 351 Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md. The Maryland Cycling Classic was contested in 2022 and 2023.. The 2025 event returns September 6.

January 16, 2025