IWLCA Announces Kelly Gallagher as President of the Board of Directors

NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. – IWLCA President Liz Grote, head coach at Bowdoin College, has announced the election results for the 2023 IWLCA Board of Directors. There were five vacancies contested in this election cycle, including the President and Secretary, both Executive Committee positions, and three NCAA Divisional representatives. All new board members will begin their three-year terms of service on July 1, 2023. Additionally, the Board has appointed an additional Division II member to fill a vacancy created during the election and approved the appointment of two Diversity, Equity & Inclusion representatives recommended by the IWLCA's Equity & Inclusion committee.

"We had a terrific group of candidates for the Board vacancies during this election cycle," Grote said. "The newest members will be strong additions to the Board, and I expect them to be vocal advocates for the membership as they make decisions to strengthen the association and move our profession forward. I am looking forward to serving as Past-President in the next year as the Board transitions to new leadership."

Kelly Gallagher, who is finishing her term as the IWLCA Secretary, is the head coach at the University of Tampa. She will start her three-year term as President in July. Gallagher has previously served as a Division II representative on the Board of Directors and also was the chair of the IWLCA's Annual Meeting Planning Committee.

Liz Beville, currently a Division II representative on the Board, was elected as the new Secretary and will move to the Executive Committee role in July. Beville, who serves as the head coach at Le Moyne College, has one year remaining on her term as a Divisional representative. As per the Association's bylaws, the Board has appointed Jenny Pawlowski, head coach at Gannon University, to fill the final year of Beville's term. Pawlowski is a voter for the Division II Poll and serves on the IWLCA's Ethics committee.

Jill Batcheller, head coach at the Villanova University, was elected as a Division I representative. She is currently a member of the Mid-Atlantic Region All-American sub-committee.

Shannon McHale, the head coach at Colorado Mesa University, will serve as Division II Representative. McHale is an active member of the NCAA Division II Coaches Connection committee and serves as the chair of the NCAA Midwest Regional Advisory Committee.

Alice Lee, head coach at Williams College, was elected as the newest Division III Representative. She served on the Board in the same role from 2016-2018 and is currently a member of the Recruiting Events committee and the Equity & Inclusion committee. She has also served on the planning committee for the IWLCA's Students of Color Leadership Academy.

Based on the recommendation of the Equity & Inclusion committee, the Board approved Ashley Holdridge and Taylor Paige as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) representatives to the Board. Holdridge is the head coach at Buffalo State and is a member of the IWLCA's Continuing Education Committee. Paige is the Director of Operations for the lacrosse program at the University of Virginia and is a member of the IWLCA's Bylaws committee. Both have been involved in the IWLCA's Students of Color Leadership Academy.

The IWLCA re-structured the Board of Directors in order to balance Divisional representation in 2017. This structure includes the four officers comprising the Executive Committee, as well as three Representatives from each NCAA Division and one representing the NAIA. The recent update of the IWLCA Bylaws included the addition of the two Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) representatives. Each member of the Board of Directors will serve a three-year term of office, though Paige's initial term will be a two-year term so that both DEI directors will not have their terms expire in the same year.

"On behalf of the members of the IWLCA Board members, our staff, and the membership, I would like to thank our outgoing Board members, Gabby Capuzzi Solomon, Megan Dennehy, and Karrie Moore, for the incredible effort and commitment to the mission of the IWLCA that they extended on behalf of their coaching colleagues," Grote said. "We are grateful for their dedication to the profession and to safeguarding the future success and prosperity of the association."

2023-24 IWLCA Board of Directors (terms begin July 1)