Penny Allen-Cook announced as inaugural Commissioner of Big Thumb Conference

The Big Thumb Conference (BTC) is pleased to announce Penny Allen-Cook as the inaugural Commissioner of the Big Thumb Conference. 
A driven leader with over thirty years of work as a successful coach and athletic administrator, Allen-Cook has experience in NCAA Divisions II and III, Junior College, and High School levels. From 2014-2022, she was the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Commissioner and from 2008-2012 the Assistant Commissioner for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She also coached volleyball and track at Alma College, served as a volleyball coach at Grand Rapids Community College, and taught varsity volleyball at Jenison and Freeland High schools. 
“Throughout the interview process, we were looking for someone who could take the new Big Thumb Conference to the next level. We are confident that Penny can do just that! She has a passion for athletics and a great personality to lead the BTC. The entire Thumb area is filled with great educational leaders, athletic directors, and coaches; Penny will be able to fit right into what we already successfully do, while also incorporating other new ideas and practices. We will lean on her vast amount of experience to help grow the Big Thumb Conference, and we all look forward to working with her,” said Neil Kohler, Superintendent of Brown City Community Schools and member of the Superintendent Executive Council of the Big Thumb Conference.
Her tenure will begin on August 1, 2023.