2006 to 2007 – National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators
Joan Cronan’s time as president saw tremendous milestones for the organization as the inaugural Leadership Enhancement Institute was held, the Judith M. Sweet Commitment Award and the Administrator of Tomorrow Award were implemented, and Joan encouraged members to share their stories and put their values to work.
“We, as administrators, have a huge responsibility to establish a value system in our athletics departments and stick to it. Decisions we make on a daily basis to uphold these values are not always applauded, or popular, or sometimes even fair. Oftentimes, something as simple as ‘sound advice’ or our own life experiences are the best tools to help us to reinforce the values and ideals we wish our athletics departments to embrace” (NACWAA Spring Issue 2007).
The Leadership Enhancement Institute was designed as an additional leadership development program for women in intercollegiate athletics administration—specifically as a “level 2” program for NACWAA/HERS (IAA) graduates.
The inaugural Leadership Enhancement Institute (LEI) was held in Denver, CO, in conjunction with the NACWAA/HERS West Institute. The original institute was “framed around the major areas of career mapping, management/leadership, budget/finance/fundraising, and skills for the future. The format involved more in-depth practical applications such as scenarios, case studies, role-play activities, etc.” (NACWAA Winter Issue 2007).
The Leadership Enhancement Institute continues to serve as an integral program for the organization and is still going strong today.
Other major accomplishments from NACWAA during this time:
- Trademarked the NACWAA logo
- Collaborated with Division ll Conference Commissioners to increase professional development opportunities for women at their institutes
- The Legacy Gift Program donor list grew to 21
- Worked closely with the NCAA on Diversity & Inclusion
NACWAA continued to be committed to recognizing the achievements and successes of administrators working in athletics. Click here to view all NACWAA/ Women Leaders in College Sports award winners.
NACWAA Board Members 2006-07
Kim Allen, Smith College
Jennifer Alley, Ex-Officio, NACWAA
Susan Bassett, Carnegie Mellon University
Tina Cheatham, Southland Conference
Julie Hermann, University of Louisville
Katie Hickey, Rutgers University
Dr. Christine Hoyles, Pacific-10 Conference
Jean Lenti-Ponsetto, Past President, DePaul University
Roxanne Levenson, Pepperdine University
Germaine McAuley, Spelman College
Mary McElroy, Georgia State
Bernadette McGlade, Atlantic Coast Conference
Monique “Toni” Morgan, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Carol Reep, Butler University
Julie Soriero, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Judy Sweet, Ex-Officio, NCAA
Kathy Turpin, Barry University
Carla Williams, University of Georgia
Joan Cronan
University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Joan Cronan is known for her role as the University of Tennessee-Knoxville women’s athletic director from 1983 to 2012 and holds the emeritus title in her retirement. Under her leadership, the Lady Vols became one of the most visible and respected programs in the country. They won ten NCAA National Championship titles, 46 top five finishes, 80 top ten finishes and 53 SEC conference championships.
Joan worked tirelessly to grow and promote women’s opportunities across the nation for women in intercollegiate sports. Prior to Tennessee, Joan served as the Director of Athletics at the College of Charleston for ten years. She has also worked closely with the NCAA as a former Executive Committee member, Management Council member, and Championship Cabinet member.
Over her career, Joan has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, NACDA Hall of Fame, SHAPE Hall of Fame, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Fellowship of Christin Athletes Hall of Champions, LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction, The College of Charleston Hall of Fame, and the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
In addition to her administrative career, Joan has served as chairman to the Pat Summitt Foundation Board, Leadership Knoxville, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, United Way Campaign and the Executive Women’s Association as well as on the East Tennessee Foundation Board and Pat Summitt Leadership Group Advisory Board. Joan also serves on the Board of Trustees at Carson-Newman University and on two corporate boards; First Tennessee Bank and Strata-G. Joan is actively involved with the Baptist Hospital, YMCA, Leadership Knoxville, and is a fellow of Christian Athletes in Action.
Joan’s legacy has been honored through a number of awards including the Women Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award, James J. Corbett Memorial Award Winner, NCAA Pat Summitt Award, Lead1 Homer Rice Award and an Honorary Doctorate from the United States Sport Academy.
Joan has also authored a book titled “Sport is Life with the Volume Turned Up”.
Learn more about Joan in her Women Leaders Podcast episode.
World News
Pratibha Patil, India’s first female president, was sworn in on July 25th of 2007. This was the result of a vitriolic campaign which undermined the symbolism of the appointment and raised doubts about Pratibha Patil’s suitability for the ceremonial role as a woman. The then 72-year-old took the oath of office inside parliament’s packed and ornate central hall, promising to uphold the constitution and devote herself to the people of India.
“Today India stands at the threshold of a new era of progress,” Patil said. “We must make sure that every section of society, particularly the weak and disadvantaged, are equal partners and beneficiaries in the development process.”
Additional news in 2007:
Nancy Pelosi broke new ground for women in U.S. politics. After the Democrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections, Pelosi was chosen to become the first woman to take the post of speaker of the House in 2007.