About Us

Board of Directors

Ms. Allison is a local Twin Cities attorney and college teacher with a national practice representing female athletes, coaches, and sport managers in the areas of Title IX, employment discrimination, transactional issues, intellectual property and general business affairs. She has been involved in numerous Title IX cases across the country at the college and high school levels. Her advocacy for equitable opportunities has led to the addition of girls or women’s sports programs in more than a three dozen states. Ms. Allison is a noted Title IX speaker and contributing author to national sport publications. She earned her J.D. degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

In addition to her law practice Ms. Allison is a full time sport management faculty member in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. She teaches graduate and undergraduate sport law, sport marketing, and sport management classes.

This National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Famer is a former professional fastpitch player, college coach, and sport executive. During the late 70’s she was a pro catcher in the International Women’s Professional Softball League founded by Billie Jean King, Jaynie Blaylock and Joan Joyce. As a member of the four-time World Championship Connecticut Falcons she played on the first United States team to compete in China in 1979. She coached at Texas Woman’s University, Wesleyan University, University of Texas, Arlington and the University of Hawaii. From 1991 to 1995 she became the first full time Executive Director of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association enabling the association to double its membership and triple revenues under her leadership.

Beginning in 1995 she played a key role as the Vice President and League Director in launching Women’s Pro Softball League, helping the League to launch the league and secure national television coverage, sponsorships and negotiate stadium contracts. While launching the pro league she attended law school at night earning her juris doctor degree January 2000. She then turned her efforts from the competitive field to practicing sport law, advocating on behalf of girls and women’s sport and teaching future sport leaders.

Ms. Allison was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 1999 and is the recipient of the President’s Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation. She was an honoree to the 2001 WNBA Lynx Legacy. She received the highest honor a university bestows when she was the recipient of the 2005 Distinguished Alumni at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Ms. Allison serves on the International Board of Directors of Babe Ruth League, Inc. a not-for-profit youth sport organization serving one million children. She is a founding board member of Cultural Jambalaya a Minneapolis non-profit organization celebrating and fostering international multiculturalism. Additionally Ms. Allison is a founding board member of Foundation IX which has merged her passion and advocacy of girls and women’s sport participation with enabling grass roots access to sport.

Board of Directors

Shelly Boyum-Breen
Foundation IX Founder/President

Nancy Hite
CEO YWCA of Minneapolis, Retired

Rayla Allison
Title IX Attorney,
Professor of Sports Marketing,
University of Minnesota

Joanne Grobe
Creative Partner, velvetpeel

Regina Sullivan
Senior Associate Athletic Director,
University of Minnesota

Shannon Pierce
Principal, Stagetime Productions

Stacey Clawson
Director of Curriculum and
Instructional Support,
Capella University

Joan Barnes
President
sweetspot
Strategic Communications & PR

Kadian Douglas
Staff Accountant,
Nonprofit and Government
LarsonAllen

Paul Schroeder
Retired, Capella University