Celia Slater
Co-Director
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Celia Slater is the Executive Director of The NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA), Play with Purpose and Winning Careers in Athletics programs.  The WCA provides skills training for coaches at all levels to assist them in being more efficient, productive, resourceful and successful.  The NCAA has sponsored the Women Coaches Academies since 2003.

Slater recently became the co-director of the Alliance for Women Coaches, a non-profit educational organization established to create and provide leadership and career skills training and support for women coaches. Previously, Slater served at Lynn University (Boca Raton, Florida) as head Women's Basketball Coach, SWA, co-director of the Honors Program and on the First Year Experience Task Force.  Celia was a four-year scholarship athlete and named Most Valuable Player of the women's basketball team during her senior year at Florida State University. Celia earned her Master's Degree in Sports Administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

Celia is dedicated to her personal and professional development. She is a graduate of the NACWAA Institute for Administrative Advancement, a Certified Change Cycle Trainer and she is also certified as a facilitator for the Pursuing Victory with Honor Sports Ethics Program. Celia has been very involved in Toastmasters International and earned her Competent Toastmaster Credential (CTM).

Celia is a gifted trainer, speaker and motivator and enjoys traveling to campuses to speak with students, coaches and administrators. 

Judy Sweet
Co-Director
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Judy Sweet served as Director of Athletics at the University of California, San Diego from 1975 (the first woman in the nation to direct a combined men's and women's intercollegiate athletics program) until 2000.  From 2001-2006, Judy was NCAA Senior Vice-President for Championships and Education Services and Senior Woman Administrator. Since that time she has been a consultant for several universities and organizations on gender equity, leadership and educational programs.
Judy has extensive experience with NCAA governance committees and was elected to a two-year term as membership President of the NCAA in January 1991, the only woman to have served in that position. Judy has also served in leadership positions for many local, state, and national committees and boards of directors.

Judy has received many awards including The 1998 Honda Award for Outstanding Achievement in Women's Collegiate Athletics. In 2006 she was listed among the NCAA’s Centennial Anniversary 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes and received the NACDA James J. Corbett Memorial Award, which is presented annually to the collegiate administrator who "through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for its betterment."  In 2006 Judy was named the first NACWAA Legacy Honoree and in 2007 she was named by the Institute for International Sport as one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America. In 2009 Judy was inducted into the Wisconsin State Athletics Hall of Fame.  Judy is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, earned a MS degree from the University of Arizona and MBA from National University, San Diego.

Laurie Hrebenak
Staff
908-489-8140
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Laurie's background and work experience is business related. She established and supervised the international sporting goods export division at Bruce Levy Associates Inc., a New York City based sports management company. She was also an agent there, representing professional women athletes in Europe, South America and Asia for almost 10 years. This is where she met Celia Slater and they dreamed and brainstormed what became the Play With Purpose program for student athletes. She then was offered the opportunity to be an operations manager for the Pepsi Cola Bottling Group where her responsibilities included customer service, staff recruiting and development, maintaining performance standards and increasing productivity.

Many years ago, Laurie was a star basketball player, receiving a four-year scholarship to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She also played semi-professional softball in New Jersey. Her positive experiences as a young athlete have fueled her dedication for to providing personal growth opportunities for teenagers. Laurie is on the staff at the WinStar Foundation, where her skills and diverse management experiences assist in developing strong business strategies to grow programs and services.

Laurie is Mom to Maddy, born August 28, 2008. Maddy keeps her young at heart, and very busy.