KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- Rose-Hulman Athletic Director Ayanna Tweedy has been named the 2024 recipient of the Nike Division III Executive of the Year Award by Women Leaders in Sports. 

Women Leaders is a nationally recognized professional membership organization whose mission is to develop, connect, and advance women leaders working in sports. Women Leaders provides career and leadership training, access to a powerful network, and the resources to advance women at every stage of their careers. The organization is committed to recognizing the achievements and successes of women working in sports

The Executive of the Year Award recipients have been nominated by their peers and selected by the Women Leaders Awards Committee.

Over the past year, Tweedy has made a strong impact on the Rose-Hulman athletic department. She has served on the planning committee for the $5.1 million facility upgrades that include the addition of a recruiting room, seven new office spaces, a locker room, and a new meeting room space.

Additionally, she was an advocate for the $350,000 Rose-Hulman baseball and softball netting installment project. Currently, Tweedy serves on the NCAA Division III Track and Field championships committee and was named a Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) board member. 

Vice President Erik Hayes stated that, "Ayanna has been a vital part of our institution. She is motivated and willing to serve the student-athletes of Rose-Hulman. She works enthusiastically with her colleagues, administrators, faculty, and students, and is willing to both learn and teach."

During her tenure at Rose-Hulman, Tweedy has elevated more women to senior staff roles and increased women's assistant coaches by 15 percent, fought for equity in pay, received the Women and Ethnic Minority grant for an Assistant Volleyball Coach, and expanded hiring pools and best practices to increase coaches of color by 14 percent.

Tweedy and the other eight honorees will be recognized at the Women Leaders National Convention on October 13-15 in Baltimore, Maryland.