WASHINGTON – Anucha Browne Sanders, who won a landmark sexual harassment case against Madison Square Garden and now works as senior associate athletic director for marketing at the University at Buffalo, will receive the AAUW/NASPA Women of Distinction Award at the University of Maryland on Thursday, June 4, during the 2009 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders.
At the University at Buffalo, Browne Sanders oversees ticket operations, promotions, and corporate sales efforts. In addition, she serves as the university’s senior woman administrator, overseeing issues of gender equity in athletics. Browne Sanders had worked for IBM for 11 years before joining the New York Knicks, where she became one of the highest ranking female executives in the NBA. In 2003, Browne Sanders was named to the Sports Business Journal "Forty Under Forty" list of 40 top sports professionals under the age of 40.
In 2006, she was fired from that job after complaining of sexual harassment. Browne Sanders sued Isiah Thomas, then-coach of the Knicks, and Madison Square Garden for sexual harassment and retaliation. In 2007, she reached a multi-million dollar settlement with the organization. She called the settlement a victory for all working women.
A 1985 graduate of Northwestern University, Browne Sanders had an outstanding career for the Wildcats’ women’s basketball team. She was Northwestern’s first All-American women’s basketball player and was twice named Big Ten Player of the Year.
In addition to Browne Sanders, the other 2009 Women of Distinction awardees are
-
Diane Rehm, host, The Diane Rehm Show
-
Maj. L. Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
-
Martine Rothblatt, founder, United Therapeutics
-
Melissa Poe Hood, founder, Kids for a Clean Environment.
They join a prestigious group of more than 100 women who have been honored since the award was established in 1985. Presented annually at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, the Women of Distinction Awards honor women leaders who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their professions or their communities and who represent inspiring role models for women student leaders. Past awardees include playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes.
Prudential and the Princeton Review are the Platinum Sponsors of the 2009 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, including the Women of Distinction Awards. Other conference sponsors include the National Panhellenic Conference and the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Since 1985, the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders has provided a platform to help thousands of college and university women to develop leadership skills, network with other student leaders, and interact with women who hold leadership positions. The conference is presented by AAUW and NASPA.
