Press release from Dearborn Community Foundation 

Felisha Legette-Jack

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Indiana University Head Women’s Basketball Coach Felisha Legette-Jack is the featured speaker at the Women Empowering Women (wEw) Power of the Purse Brunch in late April. wEw, a program of the Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc. (DCF), is holding the brunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 23 at the Dearborn Country Club in Aurora.

Featured speaker Legette-Jack, referred to by her players and many IU fans as “Coach Jack,” is in her fifth year heading up Indiana University’s women’s basketball program.

“We are very excited to have Coach Jack as our featured speaker at this year’s Women Empowering Women Brunch,” said Jada Ankenbauer, a member of the wEw Advisory Committee. “She’s known for being a passionate speaker who supports community organizations and believes in the importance of character and academics.”

In fact, Legette-Jack, her staff, and student athletes follow what she calls her CAB philosophy – recognizing that Character and Academics come first followed by Basketball. She is a recipient of the IU Office of Women’s Affairs Outstanding Staff Member Award. The award is given to staff members who enhance the lives of women on campus and in the Bloomington community. Coach Jack is a supporter of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (a food pantry that provides healthy food), Habitat for Humanity and the Middle Way House (an organization that provides shelter and education for victims of domestic abuse). Legette-Jack and her husband, David Jack, are frequent supporters of many other community events and causes – ranging from the annual Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K Run/Walk to the Wonder Lab Science Night Out event that raises funds for a children’s science museum in Bloomington. She also has been the co-chair for the Salvation Army Kettle Kick-Off for the past three years.

Before arriving at IU in April 2006, Legette-Jack served on two USA gold medal-winning coaching staffs and spent four years as head coach of the Hofstra University, N.Y., women’s basketball team. She has more than 135 career wins as a college head coach. She began her coaching career as a high school basketball coach.

Legette-Jack is a 1989 graduate of Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y., where she earned a B.A. in Child and Family Studies and a B.A. in Psychology. At Syracuse, Legette-Jack had a stellar career as a basketball player – holding the career rebounding mark (927) and ranking as second in career scoring (1,526). She also was a three-time All-Big East selection and is a member of the Big East 25th Anniversary Team.

The April 23 wEw brunch is the fourth annual such event hosted by wEw, which kicked off its mission to connect women who care with causes that matter in the community in 2008. wEw is a Dearborn County initiative of women joining together to empower women to become active, informed and responsible members of their community. With a vision to improve the status of women of all ages in the community through support of programs that address critical needs, this initiative hosts the annual brunch to raise funds to award impact grants and to build the wEw endowment fund at DCF.

The cost to attend the brunch is $25 per person with a special Student Rate of $10 per student. Anyone interested in attending the event is asked to RSVP by April 15 with payment to the Dearborn Community Foundation, 322 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 at 812-539-4115. Table space is limited, so it’s important to reserve space as soon as possible.

Three organizations that serve Dearborn County residents are nominated to receive impact grants at each wEw brunch. Attendees of the brunch can select one organization to receive a $1,000 grant and the other two organizations will receive a $500 grant.

The Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc., is a catalyst to connect people who care with causes that improve the quality of life in our community by advancing cultural, educational and social opportunities, while preserving our community’s heritage and helping donors to create a permanent legacy in Dearborn County. For more information about DCF, visit our website at www.dearborncf.org.