Cindy Housner
2018
Cindy was the Founder and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA) in Lake Forest, Illinois. In addition to leading the organization from the start in 1999, Cindy was a Track Coach for Team GLASA and the Games Director for the Great Lakes Regional Games and Adult National Open. Cindy also served as the Executive Director for the National Wheelchair Athletic Association from 1987 and 1988 when the office was in Colorado Springs.
Cindy impacted the national scene throughout her career. She was a member of the Athletics for All National Task Force to assist in the development and implementation of inclusive practices in high school athletics throughout Illinois and Wisconsin and across the USA. She represented the USA at the Seoul Paralympic Games. She was an integral part of the Adaptive Sports USA family as a member of the Junior Committee, with duties that included Chair of the Junior Nationals Site Selection Sub-Committee. Cindy served as a Central Region representative, was a past Board Member and the event director for the 2010 Junior Nationals. She was also a two time staff member of the IWAS Junior World Games USA delegation in 2015 and 2018.
Regardless of how busy she was, Cindy offered an open door at all times. She was quick to give feedback and out of the box ideas on how to improve and enhance the quality of an experience for our population of athletes. Having coached athletes such as the legendary Jean Driscoll, taken a small nonprofit organization from ground zero to a thriving, impactful part of the community and mentored and trained dozens of professionals to lead with integrity, Cindy continued to endeavor as to how to impact and improve the lives and athletes and families she loved.