Friday, February 2

• Panel Discussion 2:30 p.m

“Sports in a Democratic Society”

Pamela Noakes

Pamela Noakes is the executive director of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS), a century-old organization dedicated to education, research and advocacy in support of girls and women in sport. NAGWS began as a committee for women’s basketball and expanded into various areas, including Title IX education and advocacy. As one of five national associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) headquartered in Reston, Va., NAGWS has the ear of more than 20,000 professional members.

Prior to joining NAGWS, Noakes worked as a teacher, coach and administrator in education and the non-profit world. She spent 15 years at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, as director of recreation and assistant dean of community relations, and she actively participated in the planning and development of a large self-contained youth sports complex. Noakes did her undergraduate work at Kent State University and graduate work at Springfield College and Rutgers.

Areas of interest throughout her career have been women in sport, and design and planning of public recreational space. As executive director of NAGWS, Noakes is guiding the launch of six new national initiatives in 2007.