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,
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Photo credits: Genma Holmes, OVC, UT Knoxville
