Greater Orlando Sports Commission to honor leaders at 2026 Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon

Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian in gymnastics and key member of Team USA’s Magnificent Seven will speak at the luncheon that honors local leaders for their dedication and service within the Greater Orlando sports community 

The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) has announced the five award winners that will be honored during the 2026 Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon & Auction presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. The 8th annual event will be hosted at UCF’s Addition Financial Arena on Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00am. 

The luncheon will recognize the honorees across three categories: Damu Cherry-Mitchell of Star Athletics LLC, Pennie Parker of Rollins College Athletics, and Audra Romao of the Orlando Magic will receive the Leadership Award, while Alyssa Gonzalez of Orlando City SC & Orlando Pride will receive the Rising Star Award. These four honorees were selected by a voting panel comprised of Greater Orlando Sports Commission board members. Teresa Mairn of AdventHealth will receive the WISE Greater Orlando Women of Inspiration Award. The honoree was selected by a voting panel comprised of WISE Greater Orlando board members. A complete history of Celebrating Women in Sports featured speakers and honorees is provided below.

“We are proud to recognize Damu, Pennie, Audra, Alyssa and Teresa for the meaningful impact they have made through their leadership, service and commitment to advancing Greater Orlando’s sports community,” said Caesar Lopez, Chairman of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission Board of Directors. “We are also excited to welcome Dominique Dawes as this year’s featured speaker, continuing our tradition of offering insight and inspiration from some of the most noted female athletes and executives in U.S. sports history. Her story is a powerful reminder of the impact women continue to have across every level of the sports industry."

“Congratulations to this year’s class of honorees. We’re thrilled to host this event each year 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 Dominique Dawes, 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, Holland & Knight LLP, JPMorganChase, LMG, Orlando Cleaners, Orlando Magic, Universal Destinations & Experiences, VyStar Credit Union, and WISE Greater Orlando.

The 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.

Damu Cherry-Mitchell is an Olympian, former world-class hurdler, and co-owner of Star Athletics, a world-renowned Nike-sponsored track club. A graduate of the University of South Florida, she was an All-American and school record holder in the 100-meter hurdles before competing professionally for 11 years. Damu represented the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games, earned a world ranking as high as third in her event, and competed on three World Championship teams. Since retiring from competition in 2012, she has dedicated her career to coaching and developing elite athletes alongside her husband, fellow Olympian Dennis Mitchell. Through her leadership, Star Athletics has become a global destination for some of the world’s top track and field athletes including Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Tee Tee Terry, Kenny Bednarek, and many others, and Damu continues to mentor and prepare elite athletes for international competition. 

A nationally respected leader in collegiate athletics, Pennie Parker has served Rollins College since 2002 and currently holds the role of Associate Vice President of Athletics. Under her leadership, Rollins has won three NCAA Division II National Championships and numerous conference titles while maintaining an exceptional standard of academic achievement among its student-athletes. Parker is also widely recognized for her commitment to mentoring and developing future leaders in collegiate athletics. She has held numerous leadership positions within the NCAA and Women Leaders in College Sports and currently serves on the NCAA Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. In 2026, Parker was appointed President of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), becoming the first female athletics administrator from outside NCAA Division I and only the second non-Division I administrator in the organization's history to hold the position. She is a three-time recipient of the Under Armour Division II Athletics Director of the Year award and was named the Nike Administrator of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports in 2020. 

Audra Romao is entering her 28th season with the Orlando Magic and serves as Chief People Officer, overseeing the organization's people team and office services. Since joining the Magic in 1999, she has advanced through several leadership roles within human resources, helping shape the culture and development of the team behind the team. Audra has led initiatives that improved employee development scores in the NBA Engagement Survey, exceeding league benchmarks, and has championed mental health and employee wellbeing efforts that contributed to the Orlando Magic receiving the 2025 Candice Crawford Community Champion Award. Prior to the Magic, Romao began her HR career in New Jersey before working for an international medical manufacturing company in Central Florida. She holds degrees from Cabrini College and Rollins College and serves on the boards of the Mental Health Association of Central Florida, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

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. 

Alyssa Gonzalez joined Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride in 2023 as a Member Experience Specialist and quickly distinguished herself through her leadership in fan engagement and member service, achieving a 90% season ticket member retention rate. She was promoted to Premium Member Experience Specialist in 2024, where she managed premium membership experiences and helped launch new premium spaces for fans. Today, as Ticket Sales and Member Experience Manager for Orlando Pride, Alyssa leads the club's ticket sales, retention, and member experience strategy while overseeing the sales and service team. She is also an active member of WISE Greater Orlando. 

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. 

Teresa Mairn is Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at AdventHealth, where she leads the organization's strategic partnerships, experiential marketing, event activation, corporate sales, and emerging products. During more than 20 years with AdventHealth, she has helped develop transformative collaborations with organizations including Walt Disney World Resort, the Orlando Magic, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, creating innovative initiatives that enhance health, wellness, and the patient experience. Recent examples include the “You Good?” campaign designed to normalize conversations around youth mental health awareness, and the development of free sports physicals and cardiac screening programs for thousands of student-athletes at Orange and Osceola County Public Schools. Teresa also serves on the board of directors for the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools, Cristo Rey Orlando High School, and Florida Citrus Sports. 

Registration and networking will begin at 11am and the luncheon will begin promptly at Noon. Table Sponsorships are $2,200.

To purchase a table for the event and learn about additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Kalinich (Michael@greaterorlandosports.com) or Morgan Underwood (munderwood@greaterorlandosports.com).

Individual tickets will be available for purchase at a later date at GreaterOrlandoSports.com/Celebrating-Women-in-Sports. 

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