Bios

Knight Commission (photo)

Co-Chairs

Arne Duncan
Former U.S. Secretary of Education

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

Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher
Chancellor Emeritus, State University of New York

Members

Dr. Eric Barron
President, Pennsylvania State University

Pamela Bernard
Vice President & General Counsel, Duke University

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

Dr. Scott Cowen
President Emeritus, Tulane University; Interim President, Case Western Reserve University

Dr. Wayne Frederick
President, Howard University

Dr. Walter Harrison
President Emeritus, University of Hartford

Dr. Christopher Howard
President, Robert Morris University (Pittsburgh, PA); Former Football Player, U.S. Air Force Academy

Derek Kerr
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, American Airlines

Shanteona Keys
WBCA Manager of Education; Former Women’s Basketball Player, Georgia College

Penelope Ward Kyle
President Emeritus, Radford University

Jonathan Mariner
Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Major League Baseball

Jacques McClendon
Director of Football Affairs, Los Angeles Rams

Jessica Mendoza
Television Analyst, ESPN; former Olympic medalist and Softball All-American

Gloria Nevarez
Commissioner, West Coast Conference

Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson
President Emeritus and Regents Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Jill Pilgrim
Principal Owner, Pilgrim & Associates Arbitration, Law & Mediation LLC

Peter Roby
Interim Athletics Director, Dartmouth College; Former Director of Athletics and Recreation, Northeastern University

Kendall Spencer
Georgetown University Law Graduate, Former NCAA Board Member and Former Men’s Track and Field Athlete, University of New Mexico

Paul Tagliabue
Former NFL Commissioner; Member, Georgetown University Board of Directors

Member, Ex-Officio

Alberto Ibargüen
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

Staff

Amy Privette Perko
Chief Executive Officer

Scott Hirko, PhD
Associate, Communications and Research

Consultants

Michael Cross, PhD
Athletics Administrator, Penn State University and Co-Founder/CEO, Athlete Viewpoint

Sandy Hatfield Clubb
Senior Partner, The PICTOR Group

Jeff Orleans
Attorney, Hirschfeld Kraemer

JoJo Rinebold
Principal, The Rinebold Company

Todd Turner
Founder & President, Collegiate Sports Associates