Women in Sports Business Symposium
"Get Your Head in the Game: Connect with Peers, Meet a Mentor, Leave a Legacy”

Women in Sports Business Woman of the Year Award

We are happy to announce that this year, Donna A. Lopiano, Ph.D., former Chief Executive Officer of the Women's Sports Foundation, will be honored as the WSBS Woman of the Year.

Dr. Lopiano joins a distinguished group of past award recipients, including Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of World Team Tennis (WTT), Ilana Kloss, former President of the WNBA and current President of USA Basketball, Val Ackerman, and former VP of Marketing at ESPN, Lee Ann Daly.

Ilana Kloss
2007 WSBS Woman of the Year Award Recipient
Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of World Team Tennis (WTT)

Ilana Kloss was the world's best doubles player in 1976, winning doubles titles at the US Open, Italian Open, US Clay Courts, German Open, British Hard Courts and Hilton Head. That same year, Kloss also captured the French Open Mixed Doubles crown. The youngest player ever to be ranked No. 1 in her native South Africa, Kloss gained notoriety around the tennis world capturing both the Wimbledon and US Open Juniors titles before turning professional.

Currently, Kloss is the Chief Executive Officer/Commissioner of World TeamTennis (WTT), overseeing the 11-team WTT Pro League and the nation-wide grassroots Recreational League programs from her New York City office. Kloss' primary focus is on national sponsorships, strategic planning, media partnerships and expansion of the Pro League.

Kloss started with WTT in 1974 as a player for the San Francisco Golden Gaters and returned to the league in 1981 with the Oakland Breakers. Kloss went on to play for WTT franchises in Long Beach, Calif.; Miami Beach, Fla., and Oakland, Calif., during the 80's. She even coached the Chicago Fyre to the WTT Championship in 1983.

Her on-court role with WTT soon evolved into an even more significant position off the court as WTT Player Liaison in 1985. Kloss took over as the WTT Vice President in 1987 and eventually succeeded Billie Jean King as WTT Executive Director in 1991. Kloss was named as CEO/Commissioner in February 2001.

In addition to her full-time duties at World Team Tennis, Kloss is very involved in a number of activities off the court. She has served on the board of the Women's Tennis Association and currently serves on the executive boards of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Billie Jean King WTT Charites. In September 2006, Kloss was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Women's Sports Foundation. Kloss is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (2006).

Career Highlights

• Ranked No. 1 in Doubles (1976)
• Won US Open Doubles (1976)
• Won French Open Mixed Doubles (1976)
• Won Wimbledon and US Open Junior titles
• Highest Singles Ranking: 19 (Feb. 1979)
• US Open over-35 doubles and mixed doubles champion (Sept. 1999)
• Wimbledon over-35 doubles champion (July 2001 and July 2003)
• Inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (2006)