Oct. 14, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - With the growing success of the WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State, head coach Coquese Washington announced that the organization has hired Miriam Powell as the executive director and has become a registered 501c3 non-profit organization. Additionally, the WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State has named an 11-member board of directors.
The 11 board members are Mimi Barash Coppersmith, Eric Bodnar, Ned Book, Nan Crouter, Joel Diamond, Linda Gall, Aileen Galley, Jenn James, Susan Leath, Bob Levy and Coquese Washington. Washington will serve as Pink Zone at Penn State president, while Levy will serve as treasurer and James will act as secretary. "I am excited about the leadership that we have joining us on Pink Zone," Washington said. "We have had tremendous volunteers in the past and now with us going into this direction with an executive director and a board of directors that have strong ties in the community and strong experience in leadership, it is just going to elevate what we can do with Pink Zone to another level."
"I am really, really thrilled about Miriam Powell as our executive director," Washington added. "She has a ton of energy, she's really passionate about Pink Zone, she's passionate about women's basketball, in general, and Lady Lion Basketball, specifically. Her passion and her energy are going to help continue to elevate our Pink Zone."
Powell begins working with Pink Zone at Penn State after volunteering at the Mothers and More of State College, Women's Leadership Initiative and American Cancer Society "Race Day Soiree" over the last two years. She was the entertainment chairperson for the inaugural Race Day Soiree in Boalsburg this past June to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Powell also spent four years as an advisor for Mini-THON at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High from 2005-08 where she helped the organization raise more than $50,000 for the Four Diamonds Fund.
The native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota spent 10 years as a high school social studies teacher at several schools, including The Milton Hershey School and Mechanicsburg Area School District. Powell also coached boys and girls cross country, girls basketball and boys and girls track during her high school tenures.
Powell graduated from Gustavus Adophus College in St. Peter, Minn. with a bachelor's degree in geography. She also has her post-baccalaureate teachers licensure in social studies education from the University of Minnesota. Powell and her husband, Jim, reside in Port Matilda with their two sons, Michael (4) and Joseph (2). Jim Powell is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Mount Nittany Medical Center.
The 2012 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 as the Lady Lions take on Minnesota in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated nearly $200,000 for breast cancer causes. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone. The WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pinkzoneatpennstate.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.