GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS FOR 2024 CELEBRATING WOMEN IN SPORTS LUNCHEON PRESENTED BY ORLANDO HEALTH JEWETT ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE

Doris Burke, Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA analyst on ESPN and ABC, will speak at the luncheon that honors local women for their distinguished service within the Greater Orlando sports community

ORLANDO, Fla. (August 6, 2024) – The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) has announced five award winners that will be honored during the 2024 Celebrating Women in Sports luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. The 6th annual luncheon will be hosted at UCF’s Addition Financial Arena on Wednesday, September 25 at 11:00am.

The luncheon will recognize the honorees in three categories: Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak (UCF Athletics & USWNT), Angela Suggs (Florida Sports Foundation), and Joanne Wallen (USTA) will receive the Women in Sports Leadership Award, while Grace Burr (USTA) will receive the Rising Star Award and Pennie Parker (Rollins College) will receive the WISE Greater Orlando Women of Inspiration Award. Honorees were voted on by panels made up of GO Sports and WISE Greater Orlando Board Members, respectively. A complete list of past Celebrating Women in Sports award winners is provided below.

“We are honored to recognize Tiffany, Angela, Jo, Grace and Pennie for their passion, leadership and dedication to Greater Orlando’s sports community,” said Sharon Line Clary, Chairman of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission Board of Directors and Senior Vice President of Community Impact & Partnership Engagement at AdventHealth. “We are also thrilled to welcome Doris Burke as this year’s keynote speaker, continuing our tradition of offering insight and inspiration from some of the most noted female athletes and executives in U.S. sports history.”

“Congratulations to this year’s class of winners. We’re excited to host this annual event and continue to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women in our sports community,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “Thank you to Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute for their ongoing support as our presenting sponsor.”

In addition to Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute returning as the presenting sponsor, Florida Blue returns as the sponsor of the fireside chat with featured speaker Doris Burke, and VyStar Credit Union will sponsor the VIP Meet & Greet. This year’s award and event sponsors include the City of Orlando, First Horizon Bank, Holland & Knight, LMG, LPGA, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Orlando Cleaners, Orlando Magic, Orlando Valkyries, Universal Destinations & Experiences, and WISE Greater Orlando.

The Women in Sports Leadership Award recognizes leaders who have helped make the sports industry in Greater Orlando the success it is today. It is an honor reserved for those who have given their time, energy and passion to improving the industry and taking it in new directions.

Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, an Olympic gold medalist in 1996, a women’s World Cup champion in 1999, a two-time NCAA champion, and a professional league champion for the Carolina Courage in the WUSA, is currently the head women’s soccer coach at the University of Central Florida and was a part of the coaching staff that helped the USA win the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship in Mexico. Roberts Sahaydak spent more than a decade in the U.S. National Team player pool from 1994-2004, earning 112 caps with 62 starts. She debuted for the USA in 1994 when she was just 16 years old and was one of the youngest players ever to suit up for the U.S. Women’s National Team. She played in her first FIFA Women’s World Cup a month after her 18th birthday and won Olympic gold before she was out of her teens. She is a four-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the Knights, and UCF have earned five NCAA Tournament bids and four American Athletic Conference championships under her guidance.

Angela Suggs, President and CEO of the Florida Sports Foundation, is a highly accomplished professional in the sports industry with decades of experience. Suggs leads the organization’s efforts to advocate for Florida’s sports industry that generates over $70 billion in economic impact annually; assist communities with securing, hosting, and retaining sporting events and sports-related business through the Foundation’s grant programs; provide participation opportunities in the Sunshine State Games and Florida Senior Games; and assist national and state governing bodies to promote amateur sport development. She has played a pivotal role in fostering partnerships with sports organizations, professional teams, and governing bodies, leading to the establishment of training facilities, sports academies, and athlete development programs across the state. Under Suggs’ leadership, the Florida Sports Foundation has witnessed remarkable growth and success.

A native of England, Joanne Wallen played for 14 years on the International Tennis Federation and Women’s Tennis Association tours, winning 15 events and achieving a world #252 ranking in singles and a #179 ranking in doubles. In 2005, she began her journey at the Lexington Tennis Club in Kentucky as the Director of Junior Development. Her dedication led to a promotion to General Manager in 2009. Through her tenure, she achieved certification as a USTA High-Performance Specialist, honing her skills in preparing top junior players for elite competition and college recruitment. In 2016, Wallen transitioned to the USTA where she orchestrated adult tournaments and led the Wheelchair Tennis program, earning distinction as the Tournament Director for the US Open Wheelchair Championships. On January 1, 2023, Wallen assumed the pivotal role of General Manager at the USTA National Campus. In this position, she orchestrates racquet sports programming including Tennis, Pickleball, and Padel, along with managing over 300 events.

The Rising Star Award recognizes a young female professional in the sports industry who has demonstrated strong leadership, initiative, and exceptional contributions early in their career. The award is intended to support and encourage the next generation of female sports industry leaders who will take sport to new heights.

Currently serving as the Senior Manager of Growth and Development at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Grace Burr leads marketing efforts, oversees food and beverage vendor management, and contributes to strategic planning for the growth of the campus. Her role has led to significant impacts on the business, including the introduction of new products and support for major events such as the NCAA Championships and the Billie Jean King Cup. Burr is an accomplished partnership facilitator and nonprofit professional with 9 years of experience driving impactful results. She has a proven track record in developing and implementing nonprofit initiatives and designing programs and events that foster community engagement and generate revenue. Previously, as the Assistant Director of the Office of Business Engagement at the University of Georgia, she coordinated innovation programs, built industrial partnerships, and led initiatives to increase research funding.

WISE (Women in Sports + Events) is dedicated to recognizing women who achieve a standard of excellence in sports business, lead by example and support other women. The WISE Women of Inspiration Award, determined and awarded by local WISE chapters, honor women in chapter markets who exemplify the spirit of the WISE mission and are making a positive impact on the business of sports while serving as positive role models and mentors for other women.

Since joining Rollins College in 2002 and being named Director of Athletics in 2006, Pennie Parker has led the Tars to an era of unprecedented success. Parker was appointed to the Division II Athletic Director’s Association (ADA) Board of Directors in 2011 and she served as the president of the association in 2016-17. During her tenure on the board, she was the liaison to the Division II NCAA mentoring program for many years. Her passion for mentoring has continued throughout her career and she currently serves as the Division II liaison for the distinguished NCAA Pathway Program. Parker’s efforts were recognized by her peers in 2013, 2017 and 2021 as she was named Under Armour Division II Athletics Director of the Year. In 2020, she was selected as the Nike Administrator of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sport. Under her leadership, Rollins has won three NCAA Division II National Championships, 22 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) titles, 13 SSC tournaments and five SSC Mayor’s Cup All-Sport trophies.

Registration and networking will begin at 11:00am and the luncheon will begin promptly at Noon. Table Sponsorships are $2,000. To purchase a table for the event or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Kalinich at Michael@greaterorlandosports.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date and may be purchased at GreaterOrlandoSports.com/Celebrating-Women-in-Sports.

2024 Featured Speaker, Doris Burke, is a Hall of Fame broadcaster and the lead analyst for the NBA on ESPN and ABC. Recently, Burke became the first woman to serve as a game analyst on television for a championship final in one of the four major professional U.S. sports leagues. During Burke’s ESPN tenure, she has served as a top commentator on several significant ESPN properties, including the NBA, women’s and men’s college basketball and the WNBA. Prior to the 2017-18 NBA season, ESPN named Burke to the position of national NBA game analyst, making her the first woman to serve full time in that capacity. She has covered basketball for ESPN since 1991 and has been the recipient of several awards and honors, including the 2017 WISE Women of the Year Award. A former basketball standout at Providence College who held seven records upon graduation, Burke finished her career as the school and conference all-time assists leader (602), Providence’s single-season leader in assists (224), and single-season (152) and career (440) leader in free throws.

Celebrating Women in Sports History – Featured Speakers and Award Winners

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2019

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ABOUT THE GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION
The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) is a private, non-profit organization established to attract and manage sports-related events, conferences and activities that drive positive economic development in the City of Orlando, Lake County, Orange County, Osceola County, and Seminole County. Founded in 1992-93, the organization has hosted or co-hosted more than 1,660 events in the Greater Orlando area with a total economic impact exceeding $3.3 billion in spending within the community. For more information, visit www.GreaterOrlandoSports.com.