Alumna Pam Borton to deliver 2018 Defiance College commencement address

April 18, 2018

DEFIANCE, Ohio - One hundred and sixty-four graduates will be awarded diplomas during Defiance College’s 2018 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 5. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Karl H. Weaner Community Center.

Speaker for this year’s commencement is Defiance College alumna Pam Borton. Since graduating from DC in 1987, Pam has established herself as a highly sought-after executive coach working with organizations and Fortune 500 companies. Pam is the President & CEO of Borton Partners, an executive coaching firm, and delivers dynamic keynote presentations nationally. She also co-founded Women ON Point, a leadership summit for executive women.

As the winningest coach in the University of Minnesota women’s basketball history and now top-performing, ICF executive coach, Pam stands apart with 27 years of high-level, Division 1 coaching experience, including 12 years as head coach at the University of Minnesota. She led her teams to a Final Four, three straight Sweet Sixteen’s, and numerous NCAA Tournament appearances. Having successfully navigated the pressure and expectations of a highly visible position in an ultra-competitive environment, Pam now brings that unique experience to her clients.

She was a four-year letter winner on the women's basketball team, served as team captain as a junior and senior, and was a third-team NAIA All-American both seasons. A three-time all-conference and a district Player of the Year as a senior, Borton scored more than 1,000 points during her collegiate career and was voted Defiance College’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1987. She also participated in women’s track and field for two seasons, where she threw the shot-put, discus, and javelin, earning varsity letters both years. She was inducted into the Alumni Varsity D Hall of Fame in 2007.

To further expand Pam’s life’s purpose and passion of philanthropy, she founded two non-profits; TeamWomenMN in 2011, an organization dedicated to empowering professional women, and Empower leadership academy for girls in grades 5-12 in 2014. Pam was also honored with the creation of the Pam Borton Endowment at the University of Minnesota in the College of Education and Human Development, the only endowment of its kind in the world.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts-based institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.