News and Knowledge

Rachel Luizza and Sarah Rodis recently joined OAR as RUN FOR AUTISM coordinators. A lifelong runner, Luizza comes from a family of marathoners and says she never gets tired of being around distance runners. Rodis also loves running. She has run more than 25 marathons and just completed her seventh 50-mile race.

Before moving to Northern Virginia in October 2016, Luizza lived in Fort Collins, Co., where she was the marketing and event coordinator at Green Events Colorado. The small nonprofit organization organized environmentally friendly 5ks, 10ks, and half marathons in the Northern Colorado area and donated the proceeds to partnering local charities.

Rodis was born and raised in Reston, Va., and recently returned to the area after living for four years on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Before taking on the job with OAR, she worked for SHAPE America, a national association for P.E. teachers. Her position focused on professional development training. After she was laid off from that job, she worked as a running coach and helped teach fitness classes for kids.

She is looking forward to helping RUN FOR AUTISM runners achieve their racing and fundraising goals. “We went to the Pittsburgh marathon this past weekend to cheer on our OAR runners and it was awesome to see how happy and enthusiastic everyone was.”

Luizza is happy to have joined a team that “works so hard every day to further its mission of enhancing the quality of life for individuals with autism. Small nonprofits that make a huge impact on the community they serve are something that I want to be a part of.”