Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Kathleen Francis Appointed W.I.S.E. Chair of the National Board of Directors

Women in Sports & Events (WISE), the resource for professional women in the business of sports and events, appointed Kathleen Francis Chair of the National Board of Directors. Kathleen had previously served as Managing Director, Marketing and Development at the United States Tennis Association and also held senior positions at Major League Baseball and the Meadowlands Sports & Entertainment Complex. Kathleen founded and now leads Oasis Sports Ventures. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

U of Iowa Volleyball and Soccer Teams Play for PINK

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated in many ways by many people. In Iowa this weekend, the University of Iowa volleyball and soccer teams will hold their annual PINK matches. The Iowa volleyball will host Indiana on Friday in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and give free pink Tigerhawk headbands to the first 1,000 fans attending as part of its "Attacking Breast Cancer" match. $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics' Holden Cancer Center. Let us know what your schools and groups are doing. Read more on the dailyiowan.com

University of Connecticut new President Susan Herbst wrestles with Sports

Susan Herbst, who became President of the University of Connecticut on June 1, 2011 and is the first woman to hold that position, has a lot to deal with running a university of multiple campuses, more than 28,000 students, and a total operating budget of approximately $1.4 billion. But sports teams in colleges often create most of a college's press and require complicated decisions. So Susan is faced with questions about which conference UConn should play in which will impact the students' travel times and schedules. UConn is known for its women's teams who almost never disappoint like the champions they are. Read more about the conference choices on usatoday.com.

Donna Orender Hired by PGA of America to Increase Women's Interest in Golf

In an effort to to grow women's golf participation, the PGA of America hired Donna Orender as a consultant to lead Golf 2.0's "Connecting with Her" strategy. Donna had been the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) President from 2005-10. The "Connecting with Her" Initiative is meant to "identify and shape female-specific programming; and create a welcoming environment for more women to enter the game". Read more about it on pga.com.

Michelle Henning Made Vice President, Partnership Marketing and Sales for The Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters appointed Michelle Henning as the team’s new Vice President, Partnership Marketing and Sales. Michelle had been with The Times Square Alliance, developing their sponsorship program for events as the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Broadway on Broadway. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Abby Wambach Scores Again as the U.S. Women's Soccer Team Beats France and Heads for the World Cup Finals.

The U.S. Women's Soccer Team beat France 3 - 1 and will play in the World Cup Finals this weekend! Abby Wambach (pictured) continues to score at just the right time and now the team is ready to bring home the World Cup. Read about the team and see some great pictures on washingtonpost.com.

Update: U.S. played a great game, but Japan eventually won the World Cup. The great thing about sports is - there's always another game down the road!

Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw One of Six Great Women Inducted into Women's Basketball Hall of Fame this Weekend

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame will host its 13th annual Induction this weekend June 10-11 in Knoxville, TN. The Class of 2011 includes Val Ackerman, Ruthie Bolton, Vicky Bullett, Muffet McGraw (pictured), Pearl Moore, and Lometa Odom. Muffet McGraw, the Head Coach of the Notre Dame women's basketball program since 1987, has a great record , including a 100-percent graduation rate for all players. Val Ackerman was the first WNBA President and had been four-year starter for the University of Virginia women’s basketball team and a two-time Academic All-American. Ruthie Bolton played in the WNBA from 1997 through 2004 with the Sacramento Monarchs. Vicky Bullett played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA, after a successful college career at University of Maryland. Pearl Moore played college basketball at Francis Marion and led her team to three AIAW national tournament appearances. Lometa Odom was  a four-time all-American at Wayland Baptist. Congratulations to all these amazing women.

Kids sunglasses startup "Babiators" Makes Newsweek Summer Shopping List

Congrats to new kids sunglasses startup Babiators for making the Newsweek Summer Shopping List of must haves for summer fun, whether you're heading for the pool or for the golf course! Babiators’ lenses offer 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays to protect the eyes of young children. After such a dreay winter and spring, let's hope the sun shines all summer. Check it out on newsweek.com.

"Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports" Initiative by the U.S. Department of State

"Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports" is part of a yearlong initiative to highlight ways in which the U.S. Department of State’s international exchanges can empower society, especially women and girls. In anticipation of Women’s World Cup and the kick-off to the 40th anniversary year of Title IX, the U.S. Department of State launched a series of international soccer exchanges to highlight the value of sports in empowering women and girls. Female soccer players and their coaches from foreign countries came to the United States through the Sports Visitors Program for a 10-day exchange. Also, U.S. Athletes travelled overseas as "Sports Envoys" to teach clinics in their sport. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ International Visitor Leadership Program also had a 10-day international exchange program for six sports management professionals, examining how athletic programs for women and girls promote leadership, teamwork, respect, self awareness and life skills. Read more about these programs in the Department of State press release.

Casey Coffman Joins National Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of America appointed Casey Coffman to its national Board of Directors. Casey is Executive Vice President of Business Development and Operations for Madison Square Garden Sports (MSG), responsible for the daily operational needs for the business, including the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Liberty. Before that, Casey was with Hicks Holdings LLC and Hicks Sports Group LLC, and served as chief operating officer. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Laurel J. Richie Named President of the WNBA

The WNBA appointed Laurel J. Richie President of the WNBA. Laurel, who has extensive experience in building  brands and producing business results, had been Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Girl Scouts of the USA. The women's basketball league will start it 15th season this summer. Read more in the WNBA announcement.

Amanda Rykoff Writes about the Women in Sports And Events (WISE) 2011 Women Of the Year honorees

Amanda Rykoff writes about the women in sports behind the games in her article on espnW, in particular the Women in Sports And Events (WISE) 2011 Women Of the Year honorees. These include Stacey Allaster (pictured), Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Women's Tennis Association (WTA); Lisa Baird, Chief Marketing Officer, United States Olympic Committee (USOC); and Wendy Lewis, Senior Vice President of Diversity & Strategic Alliances, Major League Baseball. Read what Amanda has to say in her article about these women behind the games.

Aspiring Female Sports Journalist Disappointed in Super Bowl Coverage

An aspiring sports journalist looked to the Super Bowl to see what contributions women would make and found that they got only a few minutes of air time. Young women who want to have sports reporting careers can see that women are being kept on the sidelines. If a highschool student is feeling a lack of opportunity, than we really need to do something. Read this amazing story on cincinnati.com written by Chelsea Fricker, a high school student who hopes to be a sports journalist. It's such a great article - and so beautifully written. The NFL should definitely hire her!

Angela Leaney Made Executive Vice President, Brand Marketing of The Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters appointed Angela Leaney as Executive Vice President, Brand Marketing. Angela had been Chief Marketing Officer of Newsweek, and before that was Senior Vice President at Nickelodeon. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

WNBA Players Offered Off-Season Internships by MWW Group

In an effort to offer opportunities to young and determined women, MWW Group, the public relations firms, has created an offseason intership program for WNBA athletes.  The national program provides WNBA players with experience in consumer lifestyle marketing, social media and digital marketing, corporate communications, healthcare and nutrition, media strategies, sports marketing and public affairs.  New York Liberty guard/forward Nicole Powell, a graduate of Stanford University, is the first WNBA player to join the MWW Group team, beginning an internship this October in the firm's New York office. Read more about the program in the prnewswire press release.

Megan Hueter Writes about espnW, the new ESPN site for Women

Megan Hueter, of WomenTalkSports.com, believes that espnW, the upcoming ESPN sports site for women, is a good thing. As I have discussed before, women athletes should get more press coverage which is why I started the NewsonWomen.com "Top Women Athletes" List, so everyone can learn more about women in all sports. ESPN is focusing on women athletes in a new way, but is moving women to a separate page the right thing to do? Read Megan's opinion. What do you think?

Katie O'Donnell One of the "Sportswomen of the Year" Honored by the Women's Sports Foundation

Katie O'Donnell, the University of Maryland field hockey player, was named the Women's Sports Foundation "Sportswoman of the Year" in a team sport. Read about Katie and the other winners on womenssportsfoundation.org.

New Capital One Cup Will Honor Women Athletes as well as Men

Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) announced the Capital One Cup, a  program for NCAA Division I athletes which salutes their cumulative on-field performance across men's and women's sports, starting with the 2010-11 academic year. Thirteen women's sports will be included - volleyball, basketball, softball, soccer, swimming and diving, outdoor track & field, lacrosse, cross country, field hockey, indoor track & field, golf, tennis and rowing. The NCAA Division I men's and women's athletics programs will compete for the Capital One Cup and $200,000 to fund graduate-level scholarships for student-athletes.  The Capital One Cup will have an advisory board of former NCAA student-athletes and current broadcasters, including women's soccer legend Brandi Chastain, and former NCAA basketball player of the year Lisa Leslie. Read more about it in the prnewswire press release.

Student Athletes to be Honored at the White House

Student athletes in the NCAA will be honored by President Obama at a White House reception on September 13, 2010. Athletes from various sports will be congratulated on their accomplishments in the classroom as well as on and off the playing field, and their efforts to give back to their communities. Some of the women's teams invited include: Villanova University Women’s Cross Country (pictured).  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Women’s Soccer; Stanford University Women’s Tennis; University of Oregon Women’s Indoor Track and Field; University of Southern California Women’s Water Polo; and University of Virginia Women’s Rowing. For a complete list of the teams invited to be honored, see the White House press release.

Women's Pro Soccer Team, FC Gold Pride, Holds "Think Pink" Game to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer

With seven games to go in the regular season, FC Gold Pride, the Bay Area franchise of Women's Professional Soccer, is only one point away from securing the team's first playoff berth in franchise history! The FC Gold Pride will host its "Think Pink" themed match this Saturday, August 7, to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer. The first place Pride looks to build on its six game unbeaten streak, the longest in team history. A win or tie this Saturday in the game against the Chicago Red Stars would lock in the team's place in the postseason. The Red Stars are in fourth place in the standings and are one of the few teams to defeat the Pride this season.

 

Join the Pride at Pioneer Stadium on the campus of California State University East Bay as they take on the Chicago Red Stars at 7 PM on Saturday. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink to the match to support the fight against breast cancer. I hear the first 2,000 fans through the gate will receive a free pink Puma hankerchif and pink Pride wristband. Best of luck to the women's pro soccer team and I hope they get a big crowd to watch them on Saturday! (Photo- FC Gold Pride | ISI Photos.)