Betty F. Jaynes Interns - Class of 2013

Follow along with the 2013 class on their blog.

Brittany Barnett
Game Logistics & Convention Logistics Intern

Brittany Barnett graduated from the University of Memphis in 2008 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Communications and Journalism. Born in Frankfurt Germany and raised in California she now claims Memphis, Tennessee as home and that is where her immediate family resides.

Having always been a fan of sports, Brittany aspired to be the next Dominique Dawes and excelled very fast in gymnastics. A rare freak accident happened resulting in a broken arm which sadly ended the dream to become a gymnast. With a father and older brother who both played basketball, transitioning into the sport was easy. The interest to pursue a career in Sports Marketing and Special Events was sparked by becoming a Street Team member for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009-2010. The excitement from interacting with fans on and off the court was amazing and from then on she knew she wanted to do something in the realm of sports and events.

Since moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 2010, Brittany has had the opportunity to work in Game Operations with the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Dream, and Georgia Force Arena Football. Game Operations/Logistics has really become a passion and the WBCA Game Logistics Internship is really a great opportunity to acquire much needed hands on experience to further her career.

Upon completing the internship with the WBCA, she hopes to have secured a full time career in Game Operations, Sports Marketing, or Special Events and her ideal career would be to work for the NCAA, NBA, WNBA, Live Nation or Red Bull, to name a few.


Kasondra Lee
Marketing and Sales Intern

Kasondra Lee, born in Wiesbaden, Germany to military parents, grew up with a strong love for sports that was heavily influenced by her father. Kasondra graduated from Georgia State University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Hospitality Administration certified in event planning. She is currently enrolled at Georgia State University in the Master of Science in Sport Administration graduate program with an expected graduation date of May 2013.

With an intense love for the sports industry and event management, Kasondra knew that working in sports was the path she wanted. During her undergraduate career, she had the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant in the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality where under the direction of Professor Deborah Robbe she was able to assist in planning, marketing and executing events at the university as well as various locations around the city of Atlanta.

Kasondra is very excited to come to the WBCA and is humbled at the opportunity. She feels this is her "dream internship", one where she has the opportunity to see several aspects of the industry as well as gain a tremendous amount of hands on experience. With the information and experience gained from this internship, Kasondra plans on pursuing a career in special events and promotions either on the collegiate level or professional level in the areas of basketball or football.


Libby Poland
Communications Intern

Libby Poland, a native of Danville, Kentucky, joins the WBCA staff after working at Coastal Carolina University in the sports information department, working with the volleyball, women's indoor track and field and softball programs. Prior to her stint at Coastal, Libby worked at Centre College for two years, in the sports information department working with all of the athletic teams.

During the summer of 2007 Libby worked with the Lexington Legends minor league baseball team, who were at the time an affiliate of the Houston Astros. Libby assisted with game day promotions while with the Legends.

In May 2007, Libby graduated cum laude from High Point University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Sport Management. Following graduation from High Point, Libby went to graduate school at Valparaiso University, receiving her master's degree in sports administration in December of 2008. During her time at Valparaiso University, Libby worked with the event management staff, as well as the sports information department at Valpo. She also worked at the Valparaiso YMCA, as an assistant to the sports director.

Libby is thrilled to be working with the WBCA because she is eager to develop her skills in communications and learn the behind-the-scene aspect of how a convention is run from an association's perspective. It is a privilege to work with a group of people who embrace a passion for the sport of women's basketball. Following the WBCA internship, Libby hopes to continue to develop her talents in the field of communications either with a specific sport or with a college or university.

Elli Reese
Awards & Events Intern

Ellen, better known as Elli, was born on a freezing January day in Hailey, Idaho. Throughout the first 18 years of her life you could constantly find her on a basketball court either coaching or playing. After spending her Junior year as a Rotary Exchange student in Argentina, she graduated from Wood River High School in 2005. She then went on to get her undergraduate degree in Spanish at Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!). During her time there she was lucky enough to travel to a variety of countries in Latin America including Costa Rica, Panama and Peru. After undergrad she decided to pursue her Masters in Business at Boise State (Go Broncos!). Elli has been a board member for the Red Cross, a CPR Instructor, a Basketball Coach (6 years), an intern for the Boise Angel Fund and a Rotary International Member. In her spare time (if she ever has it) she likes to work out, volunteer, read, travel, and meet new people! Some of her biggest goals currently are to learn Portuguese, swim with sharks, go bungee jumping and improve her golf game!

Considering her serious adversity to cold weather she is excited to be in Georgia and looking forward to the hot and humid summer months.

Teneshia Ruff
Convention Logistics Intern

Teneshia Ruff, a native of Columbus, GA joins the WBCA staff following two seasons as the Director of Operations for Jacksonville University (Jacksonville, FL) Women's Basketball program. Throughout this role, her duties consisted of coordinating the Lady Dolphins travel needs including managing all of the food and travel arrangements, assisting with film exchange, planning and scheduling community service projects, and organizing team summer camps and related events.

Teneshia graduated from Jacksonville University (JU) with a Masters of Education in Leadership and Learning with emphasis in Sport Management in May 2012. She also received her Bachelor of Science in Sport Administration from JU in the Fall 2009.

Prior to this internship Ruff also completed a summer internship in 2009 under former sports broadcaster and college coach Vera Jones and former WBCA intern Jan Bethea. In this role, Ruff was responsible for arranging book signings as well as speaking engagements to promote Jones' best-selling book, "Play through the Foul."

Upon completion of her WBCA internship, Teneshia plans to pursue career opportunities within the sport industry which will allow her to continue to diversify and grow professionally in the areas of facility operations or event planning.

Simone Trice
Marketing and Sales Intern

Simone Trice, a native of Flint, Michigan joins the WBCA staff after graduating from Francis Marion University in the spring of 2012. While attending Francis Marion University, she was also a member of their women's basketball program. Although her life was centered strictly around basketball, she enjoyed her college marketing courses and earned a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing.

Also at Francis Marion, she completed two internships with University Directories - one in Sales and Advertising, and the other in Brand Marketing. It was after those two internships, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in Marketing.

Simone has a passion for sports and is excited to be a part of the Betty F. Jayne's 2013 intern class. She is looking forward to gaining valuable knowledge and experience so she may grow as a professional in the sports marketing world and have a successful career following the internship.

Metra (Me-Me) Walthour
So You Want To Be A Coach Intern

Metra Walthour was born in a small city in Southeast Georgia called Hinesville. She recently graduated from Georgia Tech in May 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Science, Technology, & Culture while also spending four years as a member of the women's basketball team. After graduation, Metra spent some time playing overseas in Prague, Czech Republic. During her four years at Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets reached four NCAA tournaments and reached the Sweet 16 during her senior year. Metra received a number of different awards for performance on the team. She has a passion for women's basketball and is very excited about the opportunity to intern for the "So You Want To Be A Coach" program for the WBCA. Metra feels honored to be able to grow and learn at such a prestigious association and knows that this experience alone will be helpful in guiding her into the coaching career path that she plans to pursue.