Meet The Board
Meet the Holiday Streakers Board, the five of us who are heading this up and making this awesome. This is the best team you could ask for as a Streaker.
Eric Weichers, PresidentNick May, Social Media SpecialistAnthony Monsees, VP of TechnologyJim Mann, TreasurerJosh Lundahl , Secretary
Eric Weichers | President
I am Eric Weichers, I am the President and I suppose you could call me the founder of Holiday Streakers. I live in Ankeny, Iowa with my wife, Andrea, my son, Garrett, and my daughter, Leah. I was born and raised in Iowa, and we have been in Ankeny for more than a decade after a few years in the Minneapolis area (Lakeville).
Professionally, I am a School Psychologist for Heartland Area Education Agency. I work in several of the Ankeny Elementary schools. I work primarily with special education students who have behavior difficulties, as well as many students on the Autism Spectrum. I don’t do counseling, my role is typically problem solving, supporting teachers with new strategies, or intervention development to address the behaviors interfering with education. I have been in this line of work for almost two decades, and despite the challenges and feeling defeated some days, I absolutely love what I do. Education is a huge priority for me and I believe that all students deserve as close to a “typical” experience as possible. My career has taught me so many valuable skills that I have been able to use to help my own kids be great people. If I have to work, this is definitely the career for me.
Personally, I spend great deal of time with my family. I have the summers off, so I get more time with my kids than the average dad. We have something planned for about everyday. My wife and I are fortunate to come from great families, and we spend a lot of time traveling to Waterloo and Nebraska to see Grandma’s and Grandpa’s. Both of our parents have cabins, so we have a great time on summer vacations, playing with cousins, playing every sport imaginable (Garrett is a sports nut), on the beach, and fishing. We also love camping and get out 4-5 times a year with a great group of camping friends. I am a complete outdoorsman; I do a lot of bowhunting, fishing, gardening, cutting wood, and just about anything that has to do with being outside, in the woods, or on the water. I also enjoy reading (even though I don’t have much time to do it) but I like books that will help make me a better person. No fiction for this guy. Obviously, I spend a lot of time exercising (more on that shortly) but I devote much of my time to being the best dad and husband I can be.
Exercise is a huge part of my life. I started running while playing collegiate baseball and HATED it. When I was done, I swore I’d never run again. Turns out, when you like beer as much as I do, running may very well be part of your long-term future. I mostly ran to stay lean, I am not even sure I enjoyed it for many years (oh, I am also rather compulsive, so when I do something, I typically do it well or at least with everything I’ve got, which means I ran even if I didn’t like it). I began keeping data (cuz I am a psychometricist!) and have ridiculous spreadsheet to that dates back more than a decade. I am proud to say that I have pushed each of my kids more than 1200 miles in a jogging stroller when they were young. I have run 8 marathons and one ultra marathon (also a couple years ago, VP Dave and I ran a 40K on trails in Kansas to celebrate my 40th birthday, VP of Technology Anthony joined us for half, then did an insane bike ride). I REALLY enjoy running. I also lift weights; when we finished our basement my awesome wife allowed me to dedicate an entire room as a weight room. Running/exercise is one of the defining characteristics of who I am.
Based on my nature, spirituality, and religious beliefs, it was only a matter of time before I used the activity I love to try to help others. It started with raising money for my nephew’s foundation (Beau’s Beautiful Blessings) and about two years later, Streakers started to take shape. Whereas Holiday Streakers is like a 3rd child to me at this point, I am also involved in other good causes. I head the main fundraiser for my kids’ school’s PTO and help organize a 5K through our church (started when I taught the Run for God curriculum as a bible study) which raises money for On With Life, a brain rehabilitation center here in Ankeny. I have recently joined another organization called Team RunFree, which pairs runners with significantly disabled kids or adults and we push them in local 5K or 10Ks. I give blood every time I am eligible (proud 10 gallon donor here!). I truly believe that every little bit helps, every prayer helps, every person is worth it, and I will always do all I can for our Streakers and recipients.
So thats it, thats me. I am beyond blessed with my life, both with the people that God has positioned in my life and with the skills and drive I have been given to make the most of opportunities. I am a relationship person; I wish I could meet and know each and every one of you. Streaker Nation is incredibly important to me; you all matter. I hope that you take the time to email me or at some point send me a note to let me know more about you. I always want this to feel like a community, even a family, not just a bunch of loosely tied people crazy enough to take on a challenge with a humorous name. I wish you all the best in your Streak this year; Happy Streaking!
-Eric
Nick May | Social Media Specialist
I’m Nick May.Holiday Streaking transformed my life, leading me to a path of fulfillment, health, and happiness. My journey began on November 26th, 2015, when, at 36, I felt out of shape and fatigued. A turning point came when my wife invited me to join Holiday Streakers, a group supporting her friend, Angie Mann. The challenge: 1+ mile daily running/walking or 15 minutes intentional activity from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Starting at 216 pounds, I embraced the challenge, motivated by fellow streakers and the recipients’ emotional expressions. By January 1st, 2016, I surpassed 100 miles, shedding 15 pounds in 37 days. In 2022, I joined the organization to help with social media management, driven by my passion for this group’s mission and my love for helping those in need. Gratitude is extended to Eric for founding this remarkable organization that continues to inspire positive change.
#HolidayStreakers #TransformationJourney #CommunitySupport
Anthony Monsees | Vice President of Technology
Hi, I’m Anthony and I’ve been a Holiday Streaker since 2013. When my friend Dave Basile told me about Streakers, I was fascinated by the dual benefit – service to families in need and an opportunity to keep my fitness in check during a period I normally slack. After a couple years of using a manual process for registration, I offered to build a registration and activity logging web site. We launched the site in 2016 and the tracking portion was completed at 1:30am on Thanksgiving Day! (after a few hiccups were resolved, I was especially thankful) This heroic volunteerism promoted me to the Streaker Board and I now serve as Vice President of Technology.
I have been working in the software development industry since 1994 and started my own company, Devware, in 2005. (https://www.devwareapps.com) We focus on building custom software applications for a variety of industries – better software for better organizational performance.
My wife and I live in Kansas City, Missouri. We love to eat (and imbibe) our way through our travels but try to balance that with being active. I enjoy running and have completed 10+ half marathons. I started doing triathlons about 6 years ago and now have completed 15 triathlons including 4 Half Iron-man races.
The Streaker community offers a way to connect with like minded fitness enthusiasts who want to contribute and help others. Thank you for taking the time to “Streak” and let’s see how we can grow this effort together!
Cheers!
-Anthony
Jim Mann | Treasurer
I am Jim Mann, the Treasurer for Holiday Streakers. I have lived in Ankeny since 2001 with my wife, Sherry, my two daughter (Madison and Kiersten), her two children (Joseph and Leah) and our two Australian shepherds, Mocha and Kalani. Both of my daughters are students at the University of Iowa. I successfully brainwashed both of them and they are huge Hawkeye fans. Fun fact – in 2018 Kiersten was a Kid Captain. Here is a bio on her journey to becoming a Kid Captain – https://uihc.org/childrens/patient-story/kiersten-mann. Sherry’s children are both grown; Joseph lives in Ankeny and Leah is married to Dan and they live in Norwalk.
I have worked for Kemin Industries in Des Moines for over 30 years after graduating with a Chemistry degree from Central College. My current job is focused on providing strategic marketing support to our global teams that supports the pet food and rendering industries. In my job I have been fortunate to travel the globe to support our customers and regional teams – over the last 30 years I have traveled to nearly 50 countries!
Outside of work I probably enjoy too many hobbies. I think about it as practice for retirement! I love the outdoors and spend as much time as I can enjoying the gift of nature. I have a hobby farm that keeps me busy with conservation projects, hunting, fishing and pretending to be a farmer. Away from the farm I enjoy traveling, learning about other cultures, cooking, photography, woodworking, gardening, going to concerts and trying to raise koi fish.
My introduction to Holiday Streakers was probably a bit more non-conventional. I feel blessed that our family was actually a recipient family in 2015 (and again with a “special” streak in 2017). My former wife, Angie, was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, but unfortunately after 25 years of marriage, she passed away in 2017 We are forever grateful to this organization for the amazing kindness that we were given. If you want to read more about our story check out this link: https://holidaystreakers.com/testimonials/#jim-mann
In 2016 I officially joined streakers as a participant, and it has been both a privilege and a life changing experience for me. It helped provide the catalyst and support I needed to start a new health journey. From 2016 to 2018 I was able to lose over 50 lbs, while participating in a dozen 5K races and a relay marathon!
In 2018, Eric asked me to participate on the nominating committee for Holiday Streakers. This was a humbling and rewarding experience. After 3 years, Eric asked me to join the Holiday Streakers board in 2021 as treasurer. Being involved in Holiday Streakers more intimately has helped ignite a passion for the Holiday Streaker mission of creating healthy habits while doing our part to help those in need. I feel blessed by this opportunity and hope everyone can find a connection to Holiday Streaking!
Josh Lundahl | Secretary
I am Josh Lundahl, I am the Secretary and an original STREAKER! I live in Ankeny, Iowa with my wife, Stacy, my 10 year old daughter, Addison and my 8 year old son, Bryson. I am originally from Sioux City, Iowa and have lived in Ankeny since 2001.
I work for Ankeny Public Schools as a School Social Worker and have done so for 9 years. I have served all the buildings in Ankeny at some point in those years and believe it is a great place to be as a professional and for students. My work consists of supporting families and students so that they can be successful in their personal and academic lives. Sometimes this is support with resources, guidance, crisis, and behavioral interventions. I have worked in social work roles since 2001 when I worked in residential treatment with teens, then a few years in child protection, and now in the schools. The schools is a wonderful balance of supporting those in need and seeing huge numbers of successful students each day. The kids making it awesome everyday!
Working for the school also comes with the great benefit of being home in the summer and all breaks with my kids. I have always wanted to be a great father to my children and I struggle like all parents, but I am so glad I get to spend so much time with them. I spend a lot of time coaching. This year alone I coached a house league hockey team, a travel hockey team, and a baseball team. I love being active and creating the love of sports for all kids. I also spend a lot of time around the house doing projects and would like to believe I am capable of doing about anything (or YouTube it and figure it out).
Unlike some of the other members of the board (Eric in particular) I do not love to exercise. I do like to be healthy and I love to play sports, which is how I get my exercise. I still play hockey at least once a week year round and absolutely love it. When the streak comes along each year it is always a great motivator to kick it in gear and do a little running. I typically run the Living History farms off-road race each year so this helps me get moving in the right direction. I loved the idea of the Streak the first time Eric brought it to my attention. As we both work with behavior of students and adults we understand the importance of setting routines and following through with them – we have seen the Streak do this for so many members and it is something to be proud of to help any individual be a healthier version of themselves.
Eric and I have known each other for many years and are driven to help others and this is just another venture he has created and grown with the help of many others. I am excited about some new additions and love the connectedness of the group to serve others. The Holiday Streak is a great reminder to all of us to remind ourselves daily of the blessings that have been sat in front of us. To exercise, to do it with a group to support other individuals in our community. Being a part of the Holiday Streaker community and part of the Board has been a privilege that I am so grateful for. I hope to hear many stories on our journey this year through the streak. Happy Streaking and thank you for being a part of our community.
-Josh