Kansas City, MO - The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) recently announced that two CoSIDA members - both from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) - were selected to attend the 2011 NCAA/NACWAA Institute for AdministrativeAdvancement.
Elizabeth City State University Sports Information Director April Emory and
Kentucky State University Sports Information Director Danielle Wright will be attending the Institute in separate locations. Emory will attend the conference June 2-6 at the Inverness Conference Center, Englewood, CO. Wright will attend the June 12-16 session at the Dolce Atlanta Peachtree Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition, Wright received a
NACWAA Development Grant to attend the Institute. Both are sports information Directors at NCAA Division II institutions and are among a select group of 80 women nationwide who will participate at the Institute.
The NCAA/NACWAA Institute for Administrative Advancement will be in its 17th year in the summer of 2011. The Institute brings athletics administrators representing all NCAA divisions and pioneers in women’s athletics to conduct informative and interactive sessions related to the history of women in athletics, Title IX, legal issues, diversity, managerial leadership, and fundraising.
Emory is in her 10th year as Elizabeth City State University SID. This past summer, Emory completed a five-year term on the CoSIDA Board of Directors. Emory has been a trailblazer as the first female President of the CIAA-Sports Information Directors Association (2005-2009) and holds the distinction as the first African-American female to sit on the CoSIDA Board of Directors.
Emory was awarded CoSIDA's College Division "Rising Star" Award in 2009. This award is presented to a College Division member with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution and service, dedication; energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a “rising star” in athletic communications.
She is an active member of CoSIDA's Female Media Relations Executives group (FAME) and the Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BCSIDA). In June of 2010, Emory was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) with the Grant Burgur DII Atlantic Region Media Award for her promotion and advancement of the sport of volleyball.
Emory began her career with a two-year stint as SID at her alma mater, Saint Paul's College, prior to moving to ECSU in 2002.
Wright is in her first year at Kentucky State University where she serves as media contact for 13 Division II sports and is the webmaster for KSU's new athletics website (
www.ksuthorobreds.com). She serves as the advisor for KSU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and co-advisor for KSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Wright previously served as SID at Clark Atlanta University. She also worked as a media relations assistant with the Mid-America Conference.
“This is a great honor and I am excited to attend the Institute with other female athletic administrators,” said Wright. “The mission of our department is to provide a comprehensive program that emphasizes academic, athletic and personal excellence; attending the Institute is another step for me to hone the skills needed to wholeheartedly fulfill our mission.”
“We are extremely proud of Ms. Wright. It is an absolute delight to have persons on staff that value and take advantage of professional development opportunities,” stated KSU Director of Athletics Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks. “Ms. Wright is truly helping KSU move onward and upward united as one team with one vision.”
Both Emory and Wright are products of Virginia HBCUs. Emory is an alumnus of Saint Paul's College, while Wright received her bachelor's degree at Hampton University.
NACWAA has grown into a powerful force in college athletics, advocating for increased athletic and administrative opportunities for women, and promoting progressive and positive attitudes toward women in sports. NACWAA now boasts nearly 1,700 members from universities, colleges, conferences and affiliated organizations across the country.