NE10 Celebrates a Big Night with Women in Sports Panel

Posted: Feb 07, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nearly 650 Participants Attended the Panel on Zoom.

MANSFIELD, Mass. - Last Thursday was a memorable night for the Northeast-10 Conference, as it presented the "Women in Sports Panel" to celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) and the Title IX 50th anniversary to student-athletes, coaches and administrators throughout the league.

Adelphi Associate Athletic Director Emily Dorko moderated a panel featuring seven NE10 alumnae - headlined by keynote speaker Dr. Donna Lopiano - who work in the sports industry, both collegiately and professionally. Panel members shared their experiences as student-athletes and discussed how the opportunities they received as a result of Title IX helped to prepare them for their future careers.

Nearly 650 participants joined the "Women in Sports Panel" via Zoom and were greeted by NE10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert, who made opening remarks. Dorko gave a quick welcome and introduced Dr. Lopiano for her keynote presentation, which was followed by an introduction of the panel and a Q&A session with the moderator. The full list of panelists is below:

Barbara McHugh, Senior Vice President, Audience Development & Marketing Operations for Major League Baseball –Le Moyne '01 - Women's Basketball & Cross Country
Kristen Hutchison, Head Women's Basketball Coach, AIC - American International '02, '04- Women's Basketball/Softball/Soccer
Cassaundra Thorpe, Assistant Director of Career and Leadership, University of Wisconsin - Saint Anselm '08 - Women's Basketball
Kelly Mannix, Associate Director of Athletics/Business Operations, Johns Hopkins - Adelphi '15 - Women's Basketball
Ali Palma, Digital Editor & Producer for Washington Mystics - Franklin Pierce '16 - Women's Basketball
Sierra Whitlock, Associate Director, Championships & Operations America East - New Haven '19 - Softball

Participants then had the opportunity to join one of four breakout rooms to get a deeper look into the roles and responsibilities of the panelists. The breakout rooms were designated for Coaching, Professional Sports, College Administration and Conference Administration. After about 15 minutes, all participants reconvened for final thoughts from the panelists before the end of the event.

To watch the full "Women in Sports Panel", please view the video below or visit the NE10 YouTube page. Please visit the Conference's Title IX landing page for more information, resources and interviews regarding the milestone 50th anniversary celebration.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.