INDIANAPOLIS - The Great Midwest Athletic Conference has developed a Women’s Leadership Series as a resource for women administrators and coaches throughout the league to connect and grow in their leadership. 
 
The series has reached over 50 women throughout the Great Midwest from assistant coaches to Athletic Directors since it launched in May. 
 
The most recent session in the Women’s Leadership Programming, “Dress for Success and We Are Not Talking about the Clothes You Wear”, covered how to present yourself and show up with a positive attitude. It was presented to the membership by Jill Willson, Dr. Roberta Page and Angela Tressel. 
 
All three women have extensive backgrounds in NCAA Division II athletics. 
 
Jill Willson, President of Double L Consulting, works nationally with Division II athletics, with a focus on community engagement and game environment initiatives. She works for the Division II Membership Committee, assisting schools that are making a transition from NAIA or Division III to Division II. She also works closely with the Governance group and the Division II Festival team, and she previously served on the Division II Management Council.
 
Roberta Page is the Director of Championships for the NCAA, a position she has held since 2009. She has direct oversight of Division II Field Hockey, Women’s Basketball and the Men’s & Women’s Tennis championships. 
 
Angela Tressel, Associate Director of Academic and Membership Affairs at the NCAA, serves as an academic and membership affairs education lead in designing and implementing education and outreach efforts for the Division I membership.
 
Tressel joined the NCAA in August 2015 after spending three years as the Associate Commissioner for Internal Operations and Senior Woman Administrator at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
“Listening and learning from such great leaders like Jill Wilson, Dr. Roberta Page and Angela Tressel was motivational, said Tiffin Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach, Erica Brown. “Hearing how women in leadership roles in college athletics make decisions and their thought processes behind those decisions was informative. Knowing that you are able to show up every day and be effective to those around you is something special.” 
 
Page and Tressel kicked off the virtual programming with their presentation on developing an “elevator speech,” a brief speech that can be used to create interest in a project, idea, or in yourself. The participants were then divided up into smaller breakout rooms to practice giving their speeches. 
 
“The recent Women’s Leadership Program, ‘Dress for Success and We Are Not Talking About the Clothes You Wear’, presented by the Great Midwest office was engaging and informative,” said Sandy Rowley, Associate Athletic Director/SWA/Director of Compliance at Ohio Dominican. “Roberta and Angela offered great suggestions to anyone looking to create or improve their ‘elevator speech’.  Their presentation gave participants real hands on tools to use for future reference.” 
 
Willson then presented to the group on bringing a positive attitude to each day and the importance of communication in leadership. She covered “dressing” the inner you and the responsibilities we have as leaders. 
 
“Jill’s presentation was inspiring and creative addressing how we can work to have a positive attitude in our work life as well as our personal life,” said Rowley. 
 
“There was something in the program for those who are just starting their collegiate career as well those who have been involved with college athletics for numerous years. Their positive, humorous personalities made the program very enjoyable and rewarding,” she added.
 
Micki Stewart, Ursuline’s Compliance Coordinator said, “A great presentation encompassing many different mental aspects of how to become more successful, communicate better and grow into an overall better, more positive individual and leader.”
 
The next session in the Women’s Leadership Series will be held January 6-7. This session will be on Real Colors® a fun, interactive workshop that helps leaders discover how the four temperaments common to all people (identified as Blue, Green, Orange and Gold) impact communication and relationships. 
 
The first session will include a brief introduction to temperament and why understanding it matters for leaders. Participants will then receive a link to take the Real Colors® assessment online. Session two will include group interactions that give attendees insights about how each “color” affects relational dynamics. The common language of Real Colors® gives each person a deeper understanding of themselves and others, as well as tips for effective communication.