Bios

Knight Commission

Co-Chairs

Pamela Bernard
Former Vice President & General Counsel, Duke University

Len Elmore
Attorney, Television Commentator, Former NBA Player and Former Men’s Basketball Player, University of Maryland

Members

Jonathan Alger
President, American University

Dr. Eric Barron
President Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University

Kevin Blue
CEO and General Secretary, Canada Soccer

Jill Bodensteiner
Vice President and Director of Athletics, Saint Joseph’s University

Bob Bowlsby
Former Commissioner, Big 12 Conference

Beth Brooke
Director, The New York Times Company, eHealth, Lehigh Valley Health Network, SHEEX, and
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC)

Dr. Christine Copper
Faculty Athletics Representative and Professor, United States Naval Academy

Dr. Wayne Frederick
President Emeritus, Howard University

Dr. Kim Harmon
Professor, Section Head of the Sports Medicine Section, University of Washington School of Medicine

Amy Huchthausen
Chief Operating Officer, Stavvy

Shanteona Keys
Educator and Head Girls Basketball Coach, Cambridge High School, Former Women’s Basketball Player, Georgia College

Jacques McClendon
Vice President, Football Coaching Operations at WME Sports

Jessica Mendoza
Television Analyst, ESPN; former Softball All-American, Stanford University

Kim Ng
Former Major League Baseball Team General Manager

Dr. Judy Olian
President, Quinnipiac University

Charles Olson
Trustee, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Jill Pilgrim
Managing Attorney, Pilgrim & Associates Arbitration, Law & Mediation LLC

Peter Roby
Former Director of Athletics and Recreation, Northeastern University, Senior Consultant to the NCAA

Kirk Schulz
President, Washington State University

Kendall Spencer
Associate, Ropes & Gray, Former NCAA Board Member, Former Men’s Track and Field Athlete, University of New Mexico

 

Member, Ex-Officio

Maribel Pérez Wadsworth
President and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

 

Founding Co-Chairs (photo)

Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.
President Emeritus, The University of Notre Dame, Founding Co-Chair, 1989-2001

William C. Friday
President Emeritus, University of North Carolina, Founding Co-Chair, 1989-2005

 

Past Chairs/Co-Chairs

  • Thomas K. Hearn Jr. – Chair, February 2005 – May 2006
  • Clifton R. Wharton Jr. – Co-Chair, May 2006 – April 2007
  • R. Gerald Turner – Co-Chair, May 2006 – Dec. 31, 2015
  • William E. “Brit” Kirwan – Co-Chair, April 2007 – Dec. 31, 2015; Chair, Jan. 1, 2016 – Dec. 31, 2016
  • Dr. Carol A. Cartwright – Co-Chair, Jan. 1, 2017 – Dec. 31, 2020
  • Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher – Co-Chair, Jan. 1, 2021 – Dec. 31, 2022
  • Arne Duncan – Co-Chair, Jan. 1, 2016 – Dec. 31, 2023

 

Staff

Amy Privette Perko
Chief Executive Officer

 

Consultants

JoJo Rinebold
Chief Operating Officer

Sandy Hatfield Clubb
Managing Director for Strategic Initiatives

Peyton Barish
Coordinator for Policy and Special Projects

Gabe Feldman
Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program and Tulane University’s Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance

Shoshanna Engel Lewis
Founder, VH Consulting

Todd Turner
Founder & President, Collegiate Sports Associates

David Whitman
President & Founder, Whitman Wordsmithing & Communications