2025 was a year of significant growth for Women Leaders in Sports. Under President Gloria Nevarez’s leadership, we advanced through the next phase of our brand evolution by strengthening our programming and expanding the community we serve. 

 Women Leaders refined its Leadership Experiences by centering them on five core pillars (Performance, Presence, Influence, Mindset, and Career Strategy) and transformed programming to strengthen the support available to women at every stage of their career. This evolution was reinforced through a refreshed website and newly rebranded offerings. We also partnered with industry leaders to offer member-exclusive access to advanced development opportunities including Leadership U (from Korn Ferry) and the Collective Impact Cohort (from Wasserman). 

“Women Leaders in Sports is continually innovating to support its members and the broader community of women leading in sports,” says President Gloria Nevarez. “In such a fast-moving industry, their work is more important than ever. I’m proud to be part of this organization and inspired by its vision for the future.”

The Women Leaders in Sports National Convention remains a best-in-class gathering for more than 1,200 professionals leading and shaping the sports industry. Held October 12 -14 in Kansas City, home to our national office, the event delivered dynamic programming and impactful networking opportunities. Building on last year’s theme, In Every Room, this year’s content centered on what it means to make an impact once you’re in those rooms – how to truly OWN IT. Highlights included keynote sessions with Erin King and Henna Pryor, a dynamic conversation about how to OWN IT by “Leading Boldly in the Business of Sports” and engaging sessions featuring a variety of topics across sports business. 

 During Convention, Women Leaders proudly honored several Nike Executives of the Year, BSN Sports Awards recipients, and the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award winners, leaders who have owned their influence and opened doors for others to follow. In alignment with our commitment to expanding our powerful community, we added four new categories (Organization of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Resilience Award and Woman to Watch) AND broadened the nomination process to include submissions from both members and non-members. 

 In addition to the convention, Women Leaders hosted 17 national events and 7 member-organized networking gatherings. Women Leaders maintained a strong presence in national events such as the NWSL Championship, the College Football Playoff, the NCAA Women’s Final Four, the USOPC Assembly and other major events.  New events we participated in included the WNBA All Star B.O.S.S. Summit, and the USOPC Assembly.  

 Women Leaders in Sports continues to work hard to expand our reach and deepen our impact. Through strategic programming, meaningful partnerships, and a vibrant, engaged community, we are equipping women to lead with confidence, influence, and purpose at every level of the sports industry. Looking ahead, Women Leaders remains committed to fostering opportunities, amplifying voices, and creating a community where women can continue to thrive, make an impact, and shape the future of sports. 

2025 by the Numbers

• Increase in overall membership by 7.4%, resulting in the highest membership in organizational history with over 5,700 members and counting
• Launched Enterprise Memberships, welcoming eight new enterprise partners and expanding our community by more than 900 members.
• Women Leaders social media doubled in growth across all platforms and was the most-engaged year on record
• 77% of members used our virtual community platform, ENGAGE 
• Hosted 77 Circle Calls with more than 2,300 participants 
• Allocated 124 scholarships to members through the Foundation Fund, 68.50% of which went to women of color 
• Engaged over 1,160 individuals at the Women Leaders National Convention in Kansas City, MO.

Gloria Nevarez, President, Mountain West Conference
Jennifer Williams, President-Elect, USA Basketball Foundation
Meg Stevens, Past-President-Elect, Arizona Athletic Grounds
Keri Becker, Grand Valley State University
Janna Blais, Northwestern University (Ex Officio NCAA DI Board Appointee)
Renee Bostic, SUNY New Paltz  
Jennifer Fraser, NCAA (Ex Officio NCAA) 
Portia Hoeg, Centennial Conference
Lesley Irvine, Colorado College
Candace Campbell Jackson, Syracuse University 
Nina King, Duke University 
Danette Leighton, Women’s Sports Foundation (Ex Officio) 
Chrissi Rawak, Wingrove Academy  
Desiree Reed-Francois, University of Arizona
Diana Sabau, University of Maryland
Tracy Warren, Legal Counsel (Ex-Officio)

A 28-year veteran of intercollegiate athletics, Gloria Nevarez is in her third year at the helm of the Mountain West Conference. In addition to representing the MW as a member of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee, she sits on the Board of Directors for Women Leaders in Sports, having recently finished a one-year team as president.

Nevarez embarked on her current career in athletics administration at San José State University, where she served as the first full-time Director of Compliance in school history. From there, she moved on to roles at both the university and
conference levels with stops at the University of California, the University of Oklahoma, the Pac-12 Conference and the West Coast Conference (twice). Her second stint at the WCC saw her move into the commissioner’s chair for the first time.

A graduate of the NCAA Fellows Program and the NACWAA Executive Institute, Nevarez also completed five years as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco’s Sport Management Master’s program, teaching sport law.
Nevarez received her Juris Doctorate from the University of California. A four-year scholarship athlete and letter-winner in basketball at the University of Massachusetts, she graduated cum laude from UMass.