WM Capstone Dinner: Sarah Thomas

11/05/2019 05:30 PM - 07:30 PM ET

Event Registration is closed.

Admission

$100.00 - Non-Member/Guest Ticket
$1,300.00 - Table Sponsor (10 Tickets)

Location

JW Marriott
235 Louis St NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
United States of America

Description

Want to register for this event? Please continue through registration and you will be put on our waiting list. Inforum will reach out to you ASAP! Questions? Please e-mail Anna Grace agrace@inforummichigan.org

Join us for West Michigan's annual Capstone dinner featuring Sarah Thomas, the first female NFL official. The dinner serves as a celebration to end the year, and Inforum West Michigan believes Sarah’s keynote will be the culmination of a year of programming that has inspired and encouraged women to support one another.

Speaker

Sarah Thomas changed the game in the world’s most male-dominated sport when she became the first female NFL official. Now she’s inspiring others to dream big and believe anything is possible. Officiating her first game September 13, 2015, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, Sarah’s hat, whistle, and flag are now on display at the NFL Hall of Fame and serve as a testament to this historic achievement. Sarah also made post-season history by being named down judge for the Patriots/Chargers 2019 playoff game. No stranger to being the first or breaking gender-barriers, she was the first female official to ever work a major college football game, to officiate a bowl game and to officiate in a Big Ten stadium.

Since her addition to the NFL's roster of officials, she has become a trail-blazing inspiration to women everywhere, embodying the notion that with a belief in self, inner drive, hard work, preparation, and a mindset of being the best you can be, no barrier or ceiling is impenetrable.

With the same unflappability that it takes to make a split-second call on the field, Sarah exudes equal confidence on stage as she shares key insights on overcoming adversity – and the odds – finding your passion while maintaining work-life balance, decision-making, and not only succeeding as a female in a male-dominated industry but achieving breakthrough success for males and females alike.

Moderator

Carol Hutchins has been the head coach of the University of Michigan softball program since 1985. The winningest coach in NCAA softball history, "Hutch" has guided the Wolverines to an NCAA title and 21 Big Ten Conference titles and solidified Michigan among the top softball programs in the country. She was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. On April 2, 2016, she became the winningest head coach in NCAA Division I Softball history when Michigan defeated Indiana. She also is the winningest coach, male or female, in Michigan Athletics history. Also in 2016, she was the winner of the inaugural Pat Summitt coaching award, named for the late, legendary basketball coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers. You can read more about Hutch by clicking here.