PROFESSIONAL
What I like …
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Photo by: NANCY PIERCE
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■ An insight: Don’t hire clones of yourself. Hire folks that will challenge you and your thinking.
■ An influential person in my career: Jim Woodward — mentor — smart and wise. He was chancellor at UNC Charlotte.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: Pursuing membership in an FBS conference before ever fielding a football team.
JUDY ROSE
Athletic Director,
UNC Charlotte
■ Where I’m from: Hometown — Blacksburg, S.C.; current residence — Denver, N.C.
■ Where I Went to School: B.S. in physical education, Winthrop College; M.S. in physical education, University of Tennessee.
■ My First Job: Cleaned tables at a restaurant on weekends. First full-time job was at UNC Charlotte as women’s basketball and tennis coach, and teaching physical education.
■ A timeless idea: Have head coaches serve on local community boards.
■ A business deal: Collaborating with city business leaders to help us fund and build a track and field facility. We provided land and other amenities. They helped raise the dollars. We allowed them to use the facility rent-free to bring big events like the AAU Junior Olympics to Charlotte. A win-win.
■ A sports event: March Madness — Final Four. Current selection allows open and fair competition for all.
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Photo by: HUNTLEY PATON
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■ A sports facility: Bank of America Stadium.
■ A strategy: Treat all people with respect, no matter what their position or title. Make them feel valued and you may be surprised at what they contribute in the workplace.
■ A hire: Hire good people, then let them do their jobs. Don’t micromanage. If you have to micromanage … you hired the wrong person.
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Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ A brand: Nike.
■ A story that bears watching: New NCAA governance model.
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Luggage with wheels. So simple, yet so practical and convenient.
■ A fantasy job: May sound corny, but I think I have it. Rare to spend 39 years at same school, but you are able to develop great relationships.
What I like about …
■ My job: Ability to make a difference. Be a part of the senior team on campus that initiates recommendations to make us a better university.
■ Sports: The fact that we are able to provide young people opportunities to get an education, travel, grow, learn, mature. Help guide them with character building and life lessons.
■ Sports technology: Winthrop Intelligence.
■ Competing: I strongly believe that competition in sports prepares one for the real world.
■ The future of sports business: Concerned about retaining amateurism in college sports. Need to maintain academic and athletic balance.
What I would like to …
■ Change: Child abuse. Children cannot control how or who brings them into this world, but as a society we need to do everything we can to protect them.
■ Change in what I do: More work/life balance; difficult in this position.
■ See more of in sports: Sportsmanship.
■ See less of in sports business: Politics, and less of “where you sit, is where you stand” and more of just standing for what is right.
■ See different: Athletes being held accountable for their actions and behavior.
■ Eliminate: Discrimination.
What I don’t like …
■ In general: Those that have an excuse or reason why things cannot be accomplished.
■ Pet peeve: Lazy people.
■ In sports: More young people are specializing in one sport at an early age rather than enjoying multiple sports and exercise.
■ In business: Bureaucracy and red tape that oftentimes delay decisions or projects.
■ About sports fans: Fans that only support their team when they win.
PERSONAL
What I like …
■ People: Who are genuine … what you see is what you get.
■ That would surprise those who know me: My favorite vacation time and place is with my husband in St. Maarten — just the two of us. You can put the job and the work far, far away.
■ About myself: I am extremely competitive. Very driven. Try to be positive and to find solutions.
■ Heroes: My parents — mom died at an early age, but she
instilled the right core values, and my dad reinforced that and taught me business values as well.
■ Possession: My deceased mother’s diamond ring. She passed away when I was 15 years old.
■ Memento: Charlotte 49ers inaugural football helmet.
■ Music: Beach music and country music.
■ Magazines: Southern Living, Sports Illustrated.
■ Gadget: Oster wine opener.
■ App: Pinterest.
■ Movies: “Pretty Woman,” and most anything Denzel Washington is in; “Captain Phillips.”
■ Drink: Pinot grigio.
■ Scent: Rapture by Victoria’s Secret.
■ Quote: “Get up, dress up, show up.”
■ In closing: Being the third D-I female AD in the country, I was blessed to have been treated and accepted so well by my male colleagues. I had great mentors in folks like C.M. Newton and DeLoss Dodds who showed great support and advice. I will be forever grateful to both of them. I learned from two of the best in the business.
