Global Sports Mentoring Program

Olympic Committee Legal Officer Fights for Equity and Inclusion in Kosovo

As a Legal Officer for the Olympic Committee of Kosovo (NOC), Blerina Imeri personally knows the cultural barriers confronting female athletes. The strong gender biases and patriarchal stereotypes in Kosovar society discourage women and girls from participating in sports. After more than four years with the Kosovo NOC providing professional legal advice to clients, colleagues, students and different organizations, Blerina is committed to developing projects that can support young female athletes. Driven by the belief that “empowered women empower women,” Blerina is building awareness campaigns on equity and inclusion in sport and educating female athletes on their legal rights.

In addition to her role with the NOC, Blerina serves as a Doping Control Officer with Clearidium Company, making her the first person in Kosovo to hold that position for an international organization. She was also selected by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a Legal Officer for the Kosovo Anti-doping Agency, and is a lecturer at the Academy of Leadership in Switzerland.

With a strong passion for raising awareness regarding gender equality in sport, Blerina hopes she’ll become a more confident, empathetic and impactful project leader through her GSMP experience. She’s dedicated to educating female athletes on their rights and creating positive change for women in Kosovo.

Val Ackerman, New York City, NY

Commissioner, Big East Conference

Val Ackerman was named the fifth Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference on June 26, 2013. She previously spent eight years as an attorney and executive at the National Basketball Association, was the founding President of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and is a past President of USA Basketball, which oversees the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic basketball program. She also served for two terms as the U.S. representative to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

She has had a long and accomplished career in the sports industry and is one of the few executives in sports who has held leadership positions in both men’s and women’s sports at the collegiate, professional, national team and international levels. A recent highlight to her many accomplishments in the sports business, Val was inducted as a contributor into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of its 2021 class. Val was previously inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and currently serves on that organization’s Board of Directors.

Val is a 1981 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she graduated with high honors with a B.A. in political and social thought and was a three-time captain and Academic All-American on the women’s basketball team. She received her law degree from UCLA in 1985.

Olympic Committee Legal Officer Fights for Equity and Inclusion in Kosovo

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