Genma Speaks

Entrepreneur/ Writer/ Radio-Host

Saturday, March 29, 2014

UT's Joan Cronan and OVC's Beth DeBauche Discuss 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week."  Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week."  In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month."  Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month.  Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”
 Living Your Best Life Radio with Genma Holmes celebrates the strength, courage, and boldness of women who embrace life to the fullest and have not let others "no" determine their destiny in life. Join us to hear the from women who are seasoned with success and who believe in mentoring other women to become trailblazers as they empower, inspire, and motivate us to live our BEST life.

On Saturday, March 29, 2014, tune in to hear the Joan Cronan, the University of Tennessee AD Emeritus, and Beth DeBauche,the Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference, discuss the exciting road to the 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four, the largest women event to be hosted in Nashville.

Listeners will hear from the legendary AD Emeritus, Joan Cronan, as she shares what drives her to give 1000%, how she pushes others to be the best they can be, how sports shaped her leadership skills in the game of life and what are the "B.E.L.L.S" she rings daily. Hear her share her passion for the University of Tennessee Women Athletics and her love of women supporting women. She will also share about hiring Coach Pat Summit and the mission of the  Pat Summit Foundation. 


Commissioner DeBauche will discuss her path trajectory from being a divorce attorney to her leading the Ohio Valley Conference. Hear her share her strong beliefs in mentoring relationships and the role mentors have played in life. Commissioner DeBauche will give listeners an insiders' view of working with twelve universities and with over 4,000 college athletes and how the OVC is helping students prepare for success beyond the OVC. She will also share the exciting events planned for the 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four, the economical impact to the Nashville area, and how important volunteers will be at the 2014 Women's Final Four.

You will not want to miss this show. Two amazing women, Cronan and DeBauche, sharing their passion for the highest women’s collegiate sporting event in the country.

Tune into 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In, streaming live online at UStream.TV, and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am CST. 

More About UT's Joan Cronan


Joan Cronan has been a leader in collegiate athletics for almost four decades. She has served as the Director of Athletics at the University of Tennessee since 1983 and has developed the Lady Volunteers into one of the most positive and recognizable brands in intercollegiate athletics.

Cronan severed on the 2010 NCAA Division I Leadership Council and previously was selected by her peers as the president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of athletics (NACDA) in 2008-09 and president of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) in 2007-08. Additionally, Cronan has served on the NCAA’s Executive Committee, Management Council, as well as the NCAA’s Council, and is a member of the NCAA Championship Cabinet. She also has been a member of the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee.

Cronan makes her home in Knoxville and is the mother of Kristi (Mrs. Rhett Benner) and Stacey (Mrs. Kent Bristow), both 1994 graduates of UT. She is the proud grandmother to three grandsons, Chase and Reed Bristow, and Quinn Benner; and two granddaughters, Reese Lauren Benner and Larkin Ann Bristow. She lost her husband Tom, in August 2006, after his valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.

 More About Commissioner Beth DeBauche 

Elizabeth (Beth) DeBauche was named Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference on July 29, 2009 and began her duties with the league in September 2009.

DeBauche is the seventh full-time Commissioner in the 63-year history of the OVC. DeBauche is one of just eight females to be the head of a Division I Conference in 2013-14.

DeBauche will serve as the Chair of the Nashville Local Organizing Committee (NLOC) for the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four. The Ohio Valley Conference will serve as the host institution of the event which will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on April 6 and 8.

Under DeBauche, the league started an extensive strategic planning and branding initiative which led to the development of the league’s first tagline of “Inspiring Excellence Since 1948.” The project also produced the league’s first 30-second PSA commercial in over a decade as well as a longer feature video highlighting the Conference.

In her four years with the league, the OVC has seen postseason success men’s basketball as Murray State topped Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2010, Morehead State beat Louisville in the second round in 2011 and Murray State bested Colorado State in the second round in 2012. Overall the league has won NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games in four of the past five years, including four-straight years (2009-12) for the first-time in league history.

In 2012-13 DeBauche helped spearhead a year-long celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Title IX. As part of the celebration, each of the OVC's 12-member institutions identified a pioneer in women's athletics and gender equality from their school to be honored during the year and celebrated at a home athletic event on their campus.  The celebration was capped in May when those honorees were recognized at a special luncheon as part of the OVC Spring Meetings.

DeBauche currently serves on the NCAA Committee on Athletic Certification, the NCAA Division I Leadership Council and the NCAA Rules Working Group.

More About the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four


From April 6 – 8, 2014, in partnership with the Ohio Valley Conference, the Nashville Sports Council and the city of Nashville will be hosting the NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four.
The NCAA Women’s Final Four is the conclusion of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, which runs for three weeks in March and April. The main attraction will be the three basketball games played over two days at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, including the two National Semifinals on Sunday, April 6 and the National Championship game on Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

The Final Four® weekend experience is “More Than Just Three Games®.” Throughout the week of the Championship, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Convention, community engagement and legacy programs give the event its exciting pulse. It is a time for everyone to celebrate and experience women’s college basketball at the highest level.

If you would like to receive information and updates from the NCAA, sign up to receive email newsletters.

Photo credits: Genma Holmes, OVC, UT Knoxville
Share:

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice and Traci Otey Blunt on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week."  Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week."  In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month."  Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month.  Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” 
 Living Your Best Life Radio with Genma Holmes celebrates the strength, courage, and boldness of women who embrace life to the fullest and have not let others "no" determine their destiny in life. Join us to hear the from women who are seasoned with success and who believe in mentoring other women to become trailblazers as they empower, inspire, and motivate us to live our BEST life.

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice
Traci Otey Blunt
On Saturday, March 22, 2014, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, the newly appointed President of Morehouse School of Medicine – the nation’s first African-American woman to lead a free-standing medical school and Traci Otey Blunt, Senior Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for RJL Companies will share about shattering the glass ceilings and how women leaders are changing the cultural of business as usual in higher education, medicine, entertainment, and the media.

Tune in to hear these dynamic women discuss current issues in their fields, how to build partnerships, and their advice to young women who are on their journey to becoming Women of Influence.

Tune into 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In, on streaming live online at UStream.TV, and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am CST.

More About Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice


As incoming president of Morehouse School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2014, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice will also maintain her role as the school’s dean. When she was announced, Dr. Montgomery Rice was the first African-American woman named to lead a freestanding medical school. She is a renowned infertility specialist and researcher, as well as current dean and executive vice president of Morehouse School of Medicine where she has served since 2011. In this role, she oversees Morehouse School of Medicine’s widespread academic and clinical programs in health sciences and leads strategic planning initiatives for both patient care, research and community engagement. Her current research includes a partnership with the University of Zambia, which focuses on the development of a vaginal microbicide for the prevention of HIV.

She is the founder and former director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., where she had previously served as dean of the School of Medicine and senior vice president of health affairs. The Center for Women’s Health Research is one of the nation’s first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately impact women of color. Dr. Montgomery also held numerous administrative and faculty appointments at the University of Kansas School of Medicine prior to joining Meharry Medical College.

Dr. Montgomery Rice’s dedication to healthcare research, preventative care and mentoring are manifested in every aspect of her work and life. As such, she has been honored with membership in the Society for Women’s Health Research Board Member (2012- 2013), executive committee (2013), National Institute of Minority Health and Disparities and Office of Women’s Health/NIH Board Member (2013-), March of Dimes Board Member (2012-), Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans Administrative Board Member (2012-), FDA Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs (2011-), Scientific Committee, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2007-2011), President’s Commission on White House Fellowships Regional Panelist Selection Committee (2010), Strategic Planning Committee, Office of Women’s Health Research, NIH (2010), Every Life Matters, Every Dollar Counts Campaign - chair, National AIDS Fund Board of Trustees (2009 – 2010), National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel (2009),National Aids Fund Board of Trustees (2007-2011), Wal-Mart Healthcare Insights Panel - chair (2007-2010), Wal-Mart External Advisory Board (2006-2008) and American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, board examiner(2007-).

More About Traci Otey Blunt
The Network Business Journal March 2014
Traci Otey Blunt, a veteran media, political and public affairs specialist, is Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. In this role, she is responsible for media strategy and communications, government relations and public affairs on behalf of The RLJ Companies. Prior to joining RLJ, Traci served as a Deputy Communications Director for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Traci has more than 18 years of experience leading public relations and public affairs efforts for corporate, local, state and federal governments, as well as non-profit organizations.

Traci has experience in the fast-paced world of politics and government, having served as a media specialist on Capitol Hill, with the District of Columbia government, and in mayoral, state legislative, gubernatorial and presidential campaigns.

Prior to joining the Clinton campaign, Traci served as a Vice President and Deputy Director for the multicultural practice at Ogilvy Public Relations in Washington, DC. As Deputy Director for the agency’s multicultural communications, Traci provided the day-to-day management and oversight of several high-profile accounts and public affairs campaigns, including the African American Medicare Prescription Drug Campaign for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Readiness Initiative and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

As the Director of Communications for the District of Columbia’s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in 2002, Traci was responsible for planning economic development-related events, as well as leading all communications efforts related to development in the city. She also served as Press Secretary for the 2002 reelection campaign for Mayor Anthony Williams. In 2000, Traci served as the Communications Director for the Tennessee coordinated Gore/Lieberman campaign. She also served as a Communications Specialist at the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and worked on legislative issues in the United States Senate.

Traci is a 1990 graduate of Tennessee State University where she received her degree, cum laude, in Criminal Justice. She currently serves on the following boards: the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBCLEO) Foundation; the College of Public Service and Urban Affairs Board of Advisors at Tennessee State University; ColorComm, a professional organization for women of color in communications; Washington Women in PR (WWPR); and Malaria No More, a non-profit dedicated to ending malaria deaths and providing life-saving tools and education to families across Africa.


Share:

Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Original Harlem Globetrotters Kick off March Madness on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Whether you are a sports fan or not, the arrival of March means spring is near and basketball binging will begin. Watching March Madness events surrounding the single-elimination Division I college basketball tournaments performed each spring are a rite a of passage for many. The main tournaments involved are the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship. Nashville, Tennessee is the host city for 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four.

During the month of March, Living Your Best Life will go behind the scenes to hear from several who worked tirelessly to bring the NCAA 2014 Final Four tournament to Nashville, women who are trailblazers in sports, the origin of Title IX and those who have played collegiate and professional basketball.


On Saturday, March 8, 2013 tune in to hear from Mark Johnson, the son of  Andy Johnson, an original Harlem Globetrotter and NBA player. Hear him share how his father and the Original Globetrotters, were U.S. Ambassadors who traveled the world promoting American pride and patriotism. Hear him tell how their lives as Ambassadors contrasted drastically with their lives in the U.S. where segregation and discrimination were the laws of the land, off the courts, and in the locker rooms.

Joining Mark Johnson will members of the Original Harlem Globetrotters team, Carl Green and Bob Showboat, who will share their HIStory as they give us a glimpse into the world of sports from the past and the similarities found in the business of sports today.

This show will give you a piece of American History that is often left out of history.

 Tune into 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In, on streaming live online at UStream.TV, and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am CST.

More About the The Andy Johnson Harlem Globetrotter-NBA Story


 The Andy Johnson Story is filled with extraordinary tales from behind the scenes of the early Original Harlem Globetrotters.  It is loaded with a wealth of historical information never disclosed regarding the slow, quota-based inception of African American athletes in the NBA. This book clarifies the role of the Original Harlem Globetrotters which made the NBA the multi-billion dollar organization it is today.

It is also a fascinating and inspirational story that weaves the heart-wrenching account of a young boy who became a man through the lessons of basketball. He grew up watching his family working in the cotton fields of Louisiana to playing basketball in the streets of Hollywood in his bare feet. His education was under-valued in high school.  He was considered a basketball star only. By the time a major university recruited him, his hopes for a decent education were lost, as well as the opportunity to receive a college degree. Special interest individuals and corporations saw this as an opportunity to put him in the “professional basketball auction block” where he had no ability to negotiate his contract, pay, or where he would play. These unfortunate events occurred three times in his professional career. However, Andy Johnson turned every devastating event into an opportunity by staying positive in the game of life.

Share:
Blog Design Created by pipdig