Radford Athletics 2/22/2023 11:28:00 AM

The 2023 "Champion Her Future" Women's Leadership Dinner Provided Connection and Inspiration

RADFORD, Va. – Radford Athletics and The Highlander Club held the second annual "Champion Her Future" Women's Sport Leadership Dinner on Friday night inside Kyle Hall on the campus of Radford University.

The evening featured a LinkedIn head shot station, a Q&A with a panel of distinguished guests, a catered dinner, and a speech from keynote speaker Sara Toussaint. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Women's Sports Leadership Fund. This fund will not only provide new and additional programming for our young women but will also assist in scholarship support.

"This year's Women's Sport Leadership Dinner was a special opportunity for all of us," said Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Support Services Allison McCoy. "I am so grateful to each and every person who volunteered their time and energy to inspire, celebrate, and encourage our female student-athletes."

The panelists in the Q&A portion of the event included…

Sandra "Sandy" Cupp Davis
Sandra is the former owner of BCR Real Estate and Property Management and a graduate of the School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia. A long-time donor to Radford University, Davis is the namesake of the Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis College of Business and Economics and the Sandra C. Davis and William C. Davis Performance Hall in the Covington Center. Her late husband is the namesake of the Patrick D. Cupp Memorial Stadium, and she established the Patrick D. Cupp and Sandra C. Cupp Track Scholarship in his memory. Davis is a former Radford University Board of Visitors member and currently serves as the TOGETHER Campaign Steering Committee chair.

Nancy Artis '73
Nancy graduated from Radford in 1973 with a Bachelor's in Biology and an Honorary Doctor of Science in 2021. She is an avid supporter of Radford University students and their success. She and her husband are the namesakes of the Artis College of Science and Technology and the new Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity. They have established the Artis Endowed Scholarship Fund and are the benefactors for the Artis CST Outstanding Faculty & Student Awards, Artis Distinguished Scholars, and the Artis Endowed Scholars.

Additionally, they support Radford Athletics and scholarships in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Artis formerly served on the Radford University Board of Visitors and Radford University Foundation Board of Directors. Currently, she serves on the TOGETHER Campaign Steering Committee and Artis College Dean's Advisory Council.

Lara Ramsey '90
Also an alumna of Radford University, Lara graduated with a Bachelor's in both Psychology and Economics and a Master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The Ramsey family are Highlanders through and through. Lara's husband is a long-time employee of Radford University and her son is graduating this Spring with a degree in Geospatial Science.

Lara Ramsey has been with National Bank since 1996, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Administration where she led the bank's Investment, Human Resources, Marketing, Training, and Corporate Secretary functions. She is also a graduate of the Virginia Bankers Association's School of Bank Management, the American Bankers Association's Stonier Graduate School of Banking, The New River Valley Leadership program, and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

2023 WSLD Crystal Hubbard

Radford women's basketball alumna and current Assistant Director of Annual Giving for Radford University, Crystal Hubbard '00 & '08, moderated the panel.

2023 WSLD Table Setting

Thank you to Chartwells for providing a wonderful dinner for all attendees.

Keynote speaker Sara Toussaint closed the evening with a speech, sharing her wisdom as a woman in the sports industry.

2023 WSLD Sara Toussaint

Sara is a partner at underdog venture team, a social media impact enterprise that offers strategic marketing services and invests in underrepresented founders in sports, entertainment, and wellness. She is also a board member of The Marketing Jersey, a boutique agency representing global soccer talent.

She most recently led Wells Fargo's Major League Soccer and Mexican National Team sponsorship efforts. She has worked with teams such as the Boston Blazers, Major League Soccer, and Major League Baseball. Sara is also co-owner of the NWSL North Carolina Courage. In 2018, Sports Business Journal named Sara to the 2018 class of Game Changers. She currently serves as president of UChicago alumni board as well as the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida.

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