Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Hall of Honor

Celebrating outstanding William Smith athletes, the Heron Society’s founders and the cycle of support that HWS Athletics inspires.

Capping off the 40th anniversary celebration of the Heron Society, the newest Heron Hall of Honor class was inducted this spring on campus. In conjunction with the Hall of Honor ceremony, the Heron Society also presented the inaugural Trailblazer Award to 30 influential alumnae, coaches, staff members and administrators who comprised the Heron Society Steering Committee, which guided the Heron Society from an idea into a reality.

Established by the Heron Society Board of Directors in 1996, the Heron Hall of Honor celebrates the role, advancement, and importance of women in athletics. This year’s inductees include Sarah Daniels O’Connor ’95 (lacrosse), Sue Willard ’99 (soccer), Ami Cammarota Ford ’00 (field hockey), Nicky Livingston Huston ’02 (field hockey), Megan Shea Breslin ’03 (lacrosse), Amanda Markee ’07 (sailing) and Olivia Zitoli ’14 (soccer).

In his remarks, President Mark D. Gearan highlighted the Heron Society’s impact over the past 40 years thanks to the “trailblazing” steering committee — a “dazzling list of colleagues” including former William Smith Dean Rebecca Fox and former HWS President Carol Brewster, who have given “such energy to all of us at today’s Hobart and William Smith.”

Gearan praised the inductees and their reflections on the gratitude, hard work, resilience and bonds of friendship that William Smith Athletics fostered in them.

In her speech, Zitoli captured the mood of the evening when she said: “At William Smith, I learned how to advocate for myself and assume leadership positions, but more importantly, I learned that once I had a seat at the table, it was my responsibility to help the next person in line.”

In celebration of the Heron Society’s 40th anniversary, donors raised more than $175,000 in gifts and commitments to the William Smith Athletics Endowed Fund. A vote by the Heron Society invested an additional $40,000 in William Smith Athletics, raising the endowed fund by more than $200,000 in total. This effort, led by Heron Society President Kerry McCullough Brown ’87, doubled the size of the fund.