Former longtime Tennessee women’s athletic director Joan Cronan will share her wisdom as the keynote speaker of the 2018 Equali-Tea, announced Dr. Mary Hoffschwelle, chairwoman of the Middle Tennessee Fund for Women and Girls.
Cronan served for 29 years as Women’s Athletics Director at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She will speak about UT’s successes in both the athletic and academic realms.
“Joan Cronan is the perfect speaker for this year’s Equali-Tea,” Hoffschwelle said. “Our theme is Title IX, which has advanced opportunities for women and girls in sports and academics, just as Joan Cronan has done throughout her remarkable career.”
Set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, Equali-Tea will be held in the MTSU Miller Education Center, 503 E Bell St, in Murfreesboro.
The event will be catered by The Curious Kitchen, which is owned and operated by Rachel and Helena Spensatelli. The Curious Kitchen will serve a tasty high tea of savory and sweet items, featuring locally-sourced and organic foods, and provide continuous tea service at each table.
Reservations are required and offered at no cost. Attendees will be invited to make a contribution to the Fund at the event. All donations are fully tax-deductible.
For more information about the 2018 Equali-TEA, visit Equali-TEA.org or send us an email at [email protected].
Cronan, who was the first recipient of the NCAA President’s Pat Summitt Award in 2017, led the Volunteers’ women’s athletic programs.
“She has led with humility and grace and demands excellence from everybody that works with her,” Former University of Tennessee Chancellor Jimmy Cheek said in 2008 when she was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “She’s built a powerhouse of a program that also graduates and educates young ladies.”
During her tenure, Tennessee expanded women’s varsity sports from seven to 11, and annual giving to support women’s athletics increased to $2 million per year.
