KNOXVILLE, TN — The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc Board of Directors are pleased to announce the newly-selected Board of Director members. Pam Batalis, Richard J. Ensor Esq. and Dru Hancock have all been selected to join the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc Board of Directors effective June 15, 2020.
Pam Batalis has successfully led the marketing, sales, and corporate sponsorship growth for national brands and sports properties over the last twenty-five years including Reebok, The American Basketball League (ABL), World TeamTennis, The Topps Company, Learfield
IMG College and currently, Wells Fargo. Batalis currently serves as the Vice President of Sponsorships and Brand Engagement for Wells Fargo where she is leveraging her wealth of experience in collegiate sports, brand and integrated marketing. In her current role, she manages four of the company’s sponsorship platforms including: College Sports, Hudson Yards, Arts & Entertainment and Diverse Segment. Pam’s industry accolades are highlighted by her selection as a Sports Business Journal “Game Changer” in 2016 and recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from her Graduate alma mater, the McCormack Department of Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her undergraduate degree from Saint Michael’s College, where she is in the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame for her basketball achievements and remains the only Lady Knight to ever be selected to an Olympic-level team.
Richard J. Ensor Esq. has served as the commissioner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) since 1988. During his tenure, the MAAC has secured a stable membership base, expanded the number of championships conducted and developed an extensive marketing program cemented with broadcast agreements with ESPN, a web page hosted by SIDEARM Sports and secured championship venues such as the Jim Whalen
Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, NJ), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and Disney Sports Attractions. Ensor serves on the Boards of the Sports Lawyers Association, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Philadelphia Sports Congress, and NACDA’s IAAA ADs. He has just completed a two-year term on the NCAA DI Council where he served as chair of the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee on which he will remain with a recent 4-year term renewal. In 2016, Ensor was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Administrator of the Year. A 1975 graduate of Saint Peter’s University, Ensor has served in many administrative capacities in college sports including positions at his alma mater, Saint Louis University and Seton Hall University.
Dru Hancock was an original member of the Big 12 Conference staff beginning in 1996 and served as Senior Associate Commissioner from 2008-2018. Beginning in July 2018, Hancock transitioned to a role as consultant for the Big 12 for a year. During her tenure at the Conference, Hancock’s responsibilities included oversight of 14 league championships as well as the departments of Academics, Governance & Compliance. She was the primary
administrator for women’s basketball operations and administration, while also serving as liaison to Senior Woman Administrators. Hancock served a five-year term as a member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, including as chair in 2015. She was instrumental in the city of Dallas receiving bids to host the NCAA Women’s Final Fours in 2017 and 2023. In 2018, Hancock was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Administrator of the Year for encouraging the growth and quality of women’s basketball programs and women’s athletic programs. A native of Panama City, Fla., Hancock received her B.A. in speech communication and M.A. in journalism from Ohio State in 1974 and 1975, respectively. She was a four-year letter winner in basketball and twice lettered in tennis, winning a Big Ten doubles title.
The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc. Board of Directors serves as the selection committee in determining which individuals will be inducted each year and which groups will be honored as “Trailblazers of the Game.” These newly-selected Board members join a team of both local and national Board members who work to fulfill the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame’s mission to honor the past, celebrate the present and promote the future of women’s basketball.
For more information on the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame please visit www.wbhof.com.
