Greater Orlando Sports Commission Announces Award Winners for 2025 Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon Presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute

The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) has announced five award winners that will be honored during the 2025 Celebrating Women in Sports luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. The 7th annual luncheon will be hosted at UCF’s Addition Financial Arena on Wednesday, September 17 at 11:00am.

The luncheon will recognize the honorees in three categories: Chrissy Elliott (Florida Citrus Sports), Heather Fagan (City of Orlando), and Sherry Wheelock (Special Olympics Florida) will receive the Women in Sports Leadership Award, while Carrie Allen (Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride) will receive the Rising Star Award and Shannon Clark (Florida Citrus Sports) will receive the WISE Greater Orlando Women of Inspiration Award. Honorees were voted on by panels made up of GO Sports and WISE Greater Orlando Board Members, respectively. A complete list of past Celebrating Women in Sports award winners is provided below.

“We are honored to recognize Chrissy, Heather, Sherry, Carrie and Shannon for their passion, leadership and dedication to Greater Orlando’s sports community,” said Caesar Lopez, Chairman of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel for Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride and Inter&Co Stadium. “We are also thrilled to welcome Misty May-Treanor as this year’s keynote speaker, continuing our tradition of offering insight and inspiration from some of the most noted female athletes and executives in U.S. sports history.”

“Congratulations to this year’s class of winners. We’re excited to host this annual event and continue to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary women in our sports community,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “Thank you to Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute for their ongoing support as our presenting sponsor.”

In addition to Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute returning as the presenting sponsor, Florida Blue returns as the sponsor of the fireside chat with featured speaker Misty May-Treanor, and VyStar Credit Union will sponsor the VIP Meet & Greet. This year’s award and event sponsors include the City of Orlando, First Horizon Bank, Florida Citrus Sports, Holland & Knight, iHeartMedia, LMG, Orlando Cleaners, Orlando Valkyries, Universal Destinations & Experiences, and WISE Greater Orlando.

The Women in Sports Leadership Award recognizes leaders who have helped make the sports industry in Greater Orlando the success it is today. It is an honor reserved for those who have given their time, energy and passion to improving the industry and taking it in new directions.

Chrissy Elliott is a 28+ year seasoned event management and facility operations professional.  Beginning her career as a graduate assistant basketball coach for two years at her alma mater, Lenoir-Rhyne University, she then packed up everything to build a new life in Florida starting as a third shift night auditor at the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World and mentoring kids in afterschool programs.  Volunteering at the first few events at ESPN Wide World of Sports, she quickly found her passion for organizing events and spent 15 years ultimately leading the Event Management Team with over 180 events annually. Post COVID, she ventured out on a self-imposed sabbatical and her dream of exploring the world.  After visiting all 50 states, all National Parks in the continental US, 56 countries and seven continents, her third career leap is with Florida Citrus Sports, overseeing recently combined departments as the Executive Vice President of Event Operations.  Her focus is growing the youth sports event portfolio and assisting with facility operations for college football games, professional soccer matches, music festivals and a host of other niche events in the Orlando market, while also scaling for expansion and driving incremental economic impact.

Heather Fagan serves as the Chief of Staff for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing the Mayor’s strategic vision for the city. Acting as a key liaison between the Mayor’s Office, City Commissioners, and a diverse network of community partners, Heather identifies emerging issues that impact Orlando’s residents and advises on innovative solutions to address them. She is instrumental in positioning the City of Orlando as a premier sports tourism destination, leveraging sports to drive economic impact, community engagement, and national/international visibility. She also provided leadership and support for the successful hosting of major global and national sporting events, including but not limited to: the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials, NFL Pro Bowl Games, NCAA March Madness, U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Team matches, and WrestleMania 33. Throughout her service to the City Beautiful, Heather has played a pivotal role in driving city-wide projects, advocating for legislative priorities, and fostering collaboration across local government and community organizations. Her leadership has been integral in advancing key initiatives, such as the approval and construction of the Kia Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Camping World Stadium renovation, and securing a Major League Soccer team.

Since 2012, Sherry Wheelock has dedicated herself to improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. As President and CEO of Special Olympics Florida (SOFL), she has fought to ensure people with ID are treated with the respect and compassion everyone deserves. She has worked to build communities of inclusion and acceptance while providing life-enhancing opportunities for the athletes of Special Olympics Florida. Under her leadership, the number of athletes served by SOFL has more than tripled to nearly 77,000, and SOFL hosts some 300 events and competitions each year, while also providing athletes and their families critical health services and leadership programs – all free of charge. She worked to expand competition offerings to 27 sports with the latest additions of corn hole, pickleball, and Florida High School Athletic Association tennis, building collaborative partnerships with Florida Elite Soccer Academy, Gridiron Flag Football, and more along the way. Additionally, Sherry led a partnership in 2022 to create a sports program in Slovakia for Ukrainian refugees with intellectual disabilities. The Special Stars Sports Club now serves nearly 100 athletes and their families from Ukraine.

The Rising Star Award recognizes a young female professional in the sports industry who has demonstrated strong leadership, initiative, and exceptional contributions early in their career. The award is intended to support and encourage the next generation of female sports industry leaders who will take sport to new heights.

Carrie Allen, Manager of Brand Alliance Marketing at Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride, plays a pivotal role in bringing strategic partnerships to life. Through digital campaigns, in-stadium content, community outreach, live events and more, she has a proven track record of driving value toward a brand’s goals and objectives. Last season she capitalized on the historic Orlando Pride championship season by finding additional value and revenue opportunities for both the Club and the partnerships she manages. Carrie also managed her department’s Associate Program and was integral to this past year’s success of welcoming an Orlando Pride player into the front office for the first time. Prior to joining the Orlando Clubs, she worked in sponsorships and ticket sales for four years with MLS club Minnesota United.

WISE (Women in Sports + Events) is dedicated to recognizing women who achieve a standard of excellence in sports business, lead by example and support other women. The WISE Women of Inspiration Award, determined and awarded by local WISE chapters, honor women in chapter markets who exemplify the spirit of the WISE mission and are making a positive impact on the business of sports while serving as positive role models and mentors for other women.

Shannon Clark boasts more than 25 years of experience with Florida Citrus Sports (FCS), home to signature events like the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and Florida Blue Florida Classic, and has served as the organization’s Chief Customer Officer since 2011. In that role, Clark oversees the 501(c)(3)’s public-facing efforts, including event, team and venue operations, working with the world’s most prestigious sports organizations — including the NFL, U.S. Soccer, FIFA, Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC, among others — to host premier events in Central Florida and around the country, in addition to the organization’s signature college football events. An Orlando native and Florida State grad, Clark was recognized by OBJ as a “C-Level” Award honoree in 2014 and has also helped shepherd FCS through multiple rounds of construction at Camping World Stadium over the past decade. As the primary operations contact for FCS bookings at the venue, Clark oversees both facility logistics and customer relationship management, working with the City of Orlando, Orange County and countless other partners to ensure the organization’s growing calendar of events goes off without a hitch each year.

Registration and networking will begin at 11:00am and the luncheon will begin promptly at Noon. Table Sponsorships are $2,000. To purchase a table for the event or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Kalinich at Michael@greaterorlandosports.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date and may be purchased at GreaterOrlandoSports.com/Celebrating-Women-in-Sports.

With three Olympic Gold Medals (Athens, ’04, Beijing, ’08, and London, ’12) and 109 career tournament victories, 2025 featured speaker Misty May-Treanor is widely considered the greatest beach volleyball player in the history of the sport. After many believed she couldn’t recover from a serious injury/surgery incurred from her appearance on TV’s Dancing With The Stars just three years prior, Misty showed her resolve, work ethic, and commitment in retaining her standing as the greatest athlete in her sport with her third consecutive Olympic Gold Medal in London. Above and beyond Misty’s achievements in her sport, she takes great personal pride in being an outstanding role model and making an impact with each opportunity she can. Misty spreads goodwill through her newly formed May-Treanor Ohana Foundation, The Gary Sinise Foundation, Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and more. She also participates in fulfilling engagements such as hosting FOX-TV’s documentary, Boundless: The Betty Skelton Story, and serving as the voice of NBC for the 2024 Olympic Games/Beach Volleyball from Paris, France. Misty is happily married to former Major League Baseball catcher, Matt Treanor, and they are proud parents to three daughters, Malia, Mele and Mia.

Celebrating Women in Sports History – Featured Speakers and Award Winners

2024

• Featured Speaker – Doris Burke, Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
  • Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, UCF Women’s Soccer
  • Angela Suggs, Florida Sports Foundation
  • Jo Wallen, USTA
• Rising Star Award
  • Grace Burr, USTA
• WISE Women of Inspiration Award
  • Pennie Parker, Rollins College

2023

• Featured Speaker – Joan Benoit Samuelson, pioneer of women’s marathon running and 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
  • Latria Graham, GLB Media Group
  • Betsy Hughes, Track Shack
  • Jennifer Lastik, Greater Orlando Sports Commission
• Rising Star Award
  • Uneeke Armani, Florida Citrus Sports
• WISE Women of Inspiration Award
  • Sari Kitelyn, Full Sail University

2022

• Featured Speaker – Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut Sun (WNBA) President and Team USA assistant coach
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
  • Sharon Line Clary, AdventHealth
  • Katie Stocz Miller, Orlando Magic/WISE Greater Orlando
  • Amy Wise, 2022 Special Olympics USA Games
• Rising Star Award
  • Ali Anderson, Orlando Magic
• WISE Women of Inspiration Award
  • Jessica West, Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride and Exploria Stadium

2021

• Featured Speaker – Brandi Chastain, 2-time FIFA World Cup Champion, 2-time Olympic gold medalist
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
  • Stacey Allaster, USTA
  • Trish Highland, Orange and Lake County Public Schools
  • Kay Rawlins, Orlando City Foundation
• Rising Star Award
  • Megan Rose, USTA

2019

• Featured Speaker – Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
  • Donna Dowless, XOXO Media Group
  • Marci Doyle, Arnold Palmer Invitational
• Rising Star Award
  • Shelly Wilkes, Lakeland Magic

2018

• Featured Speaker – Jessica Mendoza, ESPN MLB analyst and Olympic gold medalist
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
  • Joanie Schirm, Founding President of GO Sports
  • Maribeth Bisienere, Walt Disney World & Disney Sports
  • Linda Landman Gonzalez, Orlando Magic

ABOUT THE GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION

The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) is a private, non-profit organization established to attract and manage sports-related events, conferences and activities that drive positive economic development in the City of Orlando, Lake County, Orange County, Osceola County, and Seminole County. Founded in 1992-93, the organization has hosted or co-hosted more than 1,700 events in the Greater Orlando area with a total economic impact exceeding $3.86 billion in spending within the community. For more information, visit www.GreaterOrlandoSports.com.