First Female Official in Major American Pro Sports
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Businesses, Non-profit organizations, event planners and companies across the country have worked closely with our booking agents to hire Violet Palmer for a speaking engagements, guest appearances, product endorsements and corporate events. Many of those same clients have continued to turn to our speakers bureau as we can easily align Violet Palmer’s availability with their upcoming seminar, gala, annual conference, corporate function, and grand opening. Our close relationship with Violet Palmer’s booking agent and management team further enables us to provide inquiring clients with Violet Palmer’s speaking fee and appearance cost.
If your goal is to hire Violet Palmer to be your next keynote speaker or to be the next brand ambassador our celebrity speakers bureau can assist. If Violet Palmer’s booking fee is outside your companies budget or your unable to align with his appearance availability, our booking agents can provide you a list of talent that aligns with your event theme, budget and event date.
Violet Palmer was born July 20, 1964 and is an American basketball referee in the NBA and WNBA and the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in a major U.S. professional sport. She also earned recognition as a member of two NCAA Division II women's championship basketball teams. Palmer was the first woman to officiate an NBA playoff game when she did so in the April 25, 2006 match between the Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets. In the NBA, Palmer wears uniform number 12.
After years of refereeing at various levels, including NBA pre-season and exhibition games, Palmer was offered an opportunity to officiate the NCAA Division I men's tournament in 1996. She accepted, but the offer was later retracted when NCAA members balked at the idea of having a female referee male players.
In 1997, however, Palmer and Dee Kantner were signed by the NBA to together become the first top-level female referees in any major U.S. professional sport. On October 31, 1997, Palmer made history when she officiated the NBA season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks, in British Columbia, Canada.
As a woman, Palmer's achievement was received with mixed feelings. While magazines such as Ebony and Sports Illustrated generally celebrated her achievement, some NBA players were critical. Charles Barkley: "Violet, I was wrong about you. I apologize. You're all right with me." Former basketball player Dennis Scott, who played for the Phoenix Suns at the time, also expressed concern at having females referee male players. Scott, in particular, worried that female referees would feel verbally or physically abused. However, Palmer has been officiating without any major gender issues so far.
She was one of three NBA referees who officiated the brawl-marred December 16, 2006, game between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. The officiating crew, which also consisted of Dick Bavetta and Robbie Robinson, ejected all 10 players who were on the court when the brawl broke out.
On May 28, 2009, Palmer was hired as coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference.
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NOPACTalent acts as a Celebrity Speakers Bureau and Athlete Booking agency for corporate functions, appearances, private events and speaking engagements. NOPACTalent does not claim or represent itself as Violet Palmer’s speakers bureau, agent, manager or management company for Violet Palmer or any celebrity on this website. NOPACTalent represents organizations seeking to hire motivational speakers, athletes, celebrities and entertainers for private corporate events, celebrity endorsements, personal appearances, and speaking engagements.
