THE SPORTS BOSS
Keli Zinn, Morgantown
Chief operating officer/deputy athletics director for West Virginia University Athletics
ON BEING A WOMAN IN A MAN’S WORLD
“I was the first female to lead the WVU Athletics Department in the interim—appointed by President Gorden Gee—while a new director was found. I’m the deputy director now, serving as the chief operating officer. It’s empowering, fast-paced, and results-driven, but I say that in the most positive way. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of men who have given me a lot of opportunity to thrive in that space.”
WOMEN IN SPORTS
“Athletics creates significant opportunities and many options for women. It’s an environment where you learn valuable lessons—working well with others, the pursuit of excellence, pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, and giving it all for the win—that wire you in a way that threads throughout your personal and professional life.”
#GOALS
“I hope it holds that I’ll be an athletic director at a Power 5 school in the near future. I try not to get too caught up in that being the ultimate goal and lose sight of how fortunate I am right now in my career, but I continue to work for that. I’m going to continue to work for that. I have a lot of people around and above me who are hopeful that that happens for me, too, so I’m optimistic.”
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2021 WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN
Learn more about our Wonder Women
Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
Leave a Reply