Lehigh Athletics host conference to promote women’s leadership

Lehigh hosted a conference to serve as a platform for female athletes in the greater Lehigh Valley community to hold meaningful discussions about the importance of female leadership and network about women’s leadership.

The conference, which was titled Raise Your Game: The Power of Female Leader On & Off the Field and was sponsored by Coordinated Health, Lehigh Athletics and Lafayette Athletics, occurred April 2.

The idea for the conference came out of discussion between Lehigh’s Director of Athletics Joe Sterrett and the Athletics Leadership Development team. Headed by Julie Ammary, the director for athletics leadership development, and Anna Patterson, the assistant director for Athletics Leadership Development, the department aims to promote leadership awareness and development of skills to contribute to the success of Lehigh’s athletic teams.

By partnering with organizations in the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh was able to welcome many accomplished female leaders to address female student athletes and speak on panels regarding female leadership in the workplace.

One of the goals of the conference was to give female student athletes real examples of female leaders in the professional world. Mimi Griffin, ’79, is the president, CEO and founder of MSG Promotions — an event management and marketing firm. Griffin gave the closing keynote of the conference and Patterson said the presentation left her feeling moved and inspired.

“(Griffin) was very authentic, very vulnerable, very passionate and excited about the potential of the people in the room,” Patterson said.

Members of collegiate sports teams from Lehigh, Lafayette College and College of the Holy Cross were present at the conference.

Student athletes at the conference were able to attend breakout sessions on the power of women leaders in the fields of business, law, education, healthcare and STEM.

“We were excited to bring together a group of strong, passionate women leaders with great potential, with mentors who really empowered them to step into their own confidence to lead,” Ammary said.

Following the first session, attendees were able to converse with panelists including Tinabeth Piña, a Lafayette grad and founder of CUNY-TV; Jen Roeder, ’96, the vice president of Clinic Operations (Coordinated Health); and Ali Linsk, ’06. Students were able to discuss topics ranging from developing professional leadership skills to balancing the environment in the workplace with everyday life.

“We left the convention feeling extremely encouraged,” said Kayla Burton, a junior on the Lehigh women’s basketball team. “I think we left that convention knowing, ‘Yes, it’s important to make connections with other people. Yes, it’s important to do your work and be efficient, but the most important factor is believing in yourself.’”

After Griffin’s keynote, Burton said she learned about the importance of confidence and self-assurance that athletes acquire in the team setting and they can then transfer to the workplace environment.

Burton, along with her fellow members of the women’s basketball team, said she left the conference understanding drive and self-awareness in relation to college athletics and the professional world.

The skills developed in college athletics — especially for women — such as team building and inclusive leadership, is a major advantage when entering the workforce.

The Raise Your Game conference is just one example of the range of programs and events the department for athletics leadership development plans throughout the year. By holding different events in conjunction with the leadership academy, the department is able to shape student athletes into leaders both on and off the field.

“Having a comprehensive approach to leadership development is important to our overall effectiveness,” Ammary said. “It’s why we do this work day in and day out.”

Following the conference, the athletics leadership department distributed a survey to attendees asking them to evaluate the success of the conference.

According to the survey, 86.1 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the leadership topics covered at the conference were relevant and beneficial. Additionally, 83.4 percent responded that they learned transferable leadership skills.

The conversations between student athletes and professionals along with the feedback from attendees of the conference speak to the dedication of female student athletes toward the development of leadership skills through life.