Thursday, April 14, 2016

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Running point for one of college basketball's biggest events

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Jacqueline McWilliams landed her dream job four years ago when she became the first female commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

The CIAA conference, based in Charlotte, N.C., consists of 12 Division II historically black colleges and universities. The annual CIAA basketball tournament, the largest of 16 CIAA championships in a variety of sports, features 22 men’s and women’s games in the same week. It generates more than $55 million in economic impact for the city of Charlotte, totaling more than $325 million in the 11 years the tournament has been in the city.

Williams, 47, earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Hampton University, where she played basketball and volleyball. She earned a master’s in sports management and administration from Temple University, and went on to work as a college coach and administrator for the NCAA. Williams is on several boards, including the NCAA, the National Association of Collegiate Women in Athletic Administration and Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards.

I spoke with Williams about how she got the job, learning to say no and the mentor who taught her to always move up.

CONTINUE READING 

No comments: