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In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, WIN for KC welcomes a panel discussion of advocates, trailblazers, and champions of gender equity in sport. Join us to commemorate the impact of Title IX, learn the history, and be empowered to keep moving sport forward.
#EVERYDAYFORWARD
NETWORKING RECEPTION: 5:00 - 5:30PM
PANEL & Q+A: 5:30 - 7:00PM
Location
Metropolitan Community College: Penn Valley Campus Education Center
3201 SW Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64111 US
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About the Moderator
DIA WALL
KSHB Anchor/Reporter, Dia Wall, will be the moderator for the event. Wall joined KSHB in April 2015 after previous stints with KLTV in Tyler, TX, KXII in Sherman, Texas and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. In 2016, Wall won an Emmy Award for Morning Newscast.
About the Panel
KC ATCHINSON
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY & TITLE IX, UMKC
KC Atchinson has had a passion for antidiscrimination work since law school, starting with an internship for the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR), which led to a fulfilling career in the field of legal compliance. KC worked at MCHR investigating discrimination and harassment complaints in employment, housing, and public accommodations for four years before moving into the higher education arena.
In 2018, KC joined the University of Missouri – Kansas City as an Equal Opportunity Investigator; a few months later she became the Title IX Compliance Specialist for the University. Named UMKC’s Manager of Investigations and Supportive Measures in October 2020, KC went on to be selected as UMKC’s Title IX Coordinator and Director of the Equity & Title IX Office in June 2021. She currently oversees investigations into and compliance with UMKC’s Equal Education and Employment Opportunity policies, as well as the prevention and education efforts housed in UMKC’s RISE office (Resources, Intervention, Support, Education).
LORI THOMAS
COMMISSIONER, HEART OF AMERICA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Lori Thomas was hired as the first female commissioner in NAIA history in 2014. She is from Kansas City and is in her 9th year as the commissioner for the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Lori also serves as Vice President for the United States Sports Federation where she is involved in the World University Games (the Olympics for college student-athletes). She is a presenter for Proactive Coaching, a collegiate volleyball official and a coach for MAVS KC club volleyball.
She started her career as a college volleyball assistant coach for 3 years at Missouri State and 2 years at the University of Tulsa. She then went on to work the NAIA for 16 years ending her tenure as Senior Vice President for Membership and Character Initiatives.
Lori began her college education at Johnson County Community College where she played volleyball and basketball and was recognized as a Junior College All-American in volleyball in 1988. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Idaho State University in 1992. She played volleyball for the Bengals for two years and finish her student-athlete experience as a basketball player in her 5th year.
Following graduation, Thomas moved to Kieldrecht, Belgium to play professional volleyball for a year before starting her coaching career. She was also a member of the Kansas City Lightning women's professional volleyball team in 1996.
Lori has been inducted in 3 Halls of Fame: The National Junior College Athletics Association - Volleyball, Johnson County Community College– Volleyball, Idaho State University – Volleyball and Basketball.
MARIAN WASHINGTON
FORMER KANSAS UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S ATHLETIC DIRECTOR,’74-’79
AND HEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH,’73-2004
Marian E. Washington has always been a trailblazer for women in sports as a player, coach, athletics director and international pioneer. While attending West Chester State University, Marian played on the first intercollegiate women’s basketball team to ever win a national tournament title, and went on to be one of the first two black women to play on the United States National Women’s Basketball Team (1969-71).
Marian arrived at the University of Kansas in 1972 as a graduate assistant in the health, physical education, and recreation department where she taught several classes and coached women’s basketball, all while training for the Olympics in the discus. She was also a member of the first U.S. Olympic Handball team.
During her 32-year legacy at KU, Marian was named the Head Women’s Basketball Coach in 1973. In 1974 she was appointed as the first and only Women’s Athletic Director. She founded the KU Women’s track and field program and under her leadership, several of KU’s sports programs grew to national prominence. As Athletic Director, Marian implemented the first athletics scholarships for women.
In 1982, she became the first African American woman to serve as the coach of the United States international team. She is also the first to coach on an Olympic women’s basketball staff, serving as an assistant on the 1996 gold-medal winning team.
Marian was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004 and has earned the distinguished Black Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award.