Celebrate Her 2025, an event welcoming staff, students, stakeholders, and other members of the community, introduced women who have paved their leadership path from an athletic or business standpoint.
This event was held in the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay’s Weidner Center on February 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. Overall, this annual event has grown in size since its first, making the attendance at the fourth annual event exceed 450 people. Each year, a theme is adopted to represent the event. This year, “Winning Her Way” was chosen to showcase the speakers for the evening.
To kick off the event, there was a performance by the Northeastern Wisconsin Dance Organization. These three performers, Fionia, Natalie, and Seraphina, filled the stage with their talents with a piece inspired by a seed breaking free. NEWDO said, “This performance celebrates the power of leadership, unity and mutual support, showcasing that true beauty on stage arises from the decision to nurture and uplift one another.”
Dr. Pa Lee Moua, Dr. Dawn B. Crim, and Laurie Butz shared their own personal insights on women’s leadership. Butz introduced the keynote speaker, Alicia Pelton.
Pelton is the program director for Coaching Her at the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. With over 30 years of experience in youth athletics, Pelton wants the future generation of girls to break down societal barriers.
Pelton reflected on her past experiences and challenges faced as a woman in sport. She shared her three Cs of change (commitment, choices, and compassion) and said, “I continue to make changes to the game and create new spaces so that little girls can have big dreams too.” After sharing personal stories, Pelton presented statistics on women’s athletics, highlighting minimal progress.
Alicia Pelton has founded multiple groups to empower women in sports, including the Facebook group ‘Scouts of Girls’ Hockey,’ which provides support, coaching, clinics, and tournaments to help young athletes gain visibility.
Pelton aims to increase women’s representation in athletics, emphasizing her commitment to compassionate leadership as a means to drive change and improve visibility in the field.
Pelton introduced another woman leader, Abbey Sutherland, head coach of the UWGB women’s volleyball team.
Sutherland was named Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2018. Sutherland shared her own personal theme, “Choose to believe in females even when they don’t believe in themselves.” Emma Johnson, a current volleyball player at UWGB, said, “Obviously, Sutherland taught me so much just about leadership and how to help lead other women.” Sutherland outlined the volleyball program’s three-tier leadership model: (1) modeling desired standards and behaviors, (2) guiding others along the way, and (3) developing new leaders who can empower and delegate. She said, “I connected these principles to her own challenges, illustrating the path to leadership growth.”
Sutherland said, “We have to set high standards and desired behaviors.” She outlined the essential roles of individual leadership, emphasizing that the ultimate goal is team success. Beyond physical skills, Sutherland emphasized the importance of autonomy and self-confidence, stating, ‘I want everyone on our team to fully embrace who they are.’
Community members gathered to gain insights into women’s leadership. Whether in athletics or business, attendees found opportunities to apply these lessons to their daily lives. Maria Johnson, a business owner, said, “I felt the applicability of not just in sports but everyday life. My husband and I own a business, and some of the scenarios brought out on how to lead are applicable no matter what area of life.”
The event served as a kickoff for Women’s History Month, which began March 1.