PRSA Event: Women in Sports Who Changed the Game Forever

Blazing a Trail for All Women

In a year where significant change is beginning to happen in the sports industry, with more women having a seat at the table, join the Entertainment & Sports Section on Wednesday, March 3 at 3 p.m. EST as we sit down with some of the Women in Sports who helped blaze the trail for all women, changing the game forever.

For decades, women had been working tirelessly in the shadows, until the sound of the glass ceiling broke and the world began to take notice. You’ll hear our panelists describe their journeys, how they overcame stereotypes and how they leverage their positions to continue to move the needle forward.

You’ll learn from:

Dr. Cheryl Robinson
Founder of Ready2Roar and Embrace the Pivot brand

Dr. Cheryl Robinson is an international speaker, founder of Ready2Roar and Embrace the Pivot brand, Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and regular contributor at ForbesWomen with 14 Editors’ Pick titles. She has 15 years of experience in sports & entertainment. Robinson’s career started in intercollegiate athletics. She then networked her way onto a team that managed a professional boxer, worked with professional athletes on projects off the court and had involvement with the 2014 NYNJ Super Bowl.

Melissa McGhie Proctor
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena

Melissa McGhie Proctor is executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena. In this role, Proctor oversees the day-to-day operations of the club’s marketing. Part of the NBA since high school, Proctor was the first “team attendant”/ball girl for the Miami Heat organization, and in later years, returned to work for the Heat in the basketball operations division. Over her career, Proctor’s professional achievements have earned her accolades from a multitude of publications and organizations. She has been recognized with Leaders and Aspire Academy’s Leaders Under 40 Award; earned a mention on Atlanta Magazine’s 2018 list of Women Making a Mark, and was recently selected as part of the Sports Business Journal/Daily’s 2020 class of Forty Under 40. A published author, Proctor released her first book this year, titled “From Ball Girl to CMO.”

Dr. Jen Welter
The first woman to coach in the NFL

Dr. Jen Welter is a groundbreaking, barrier-busting force of nature. She is a female trailblazer, a sports pioneer, Ph.D., passionate leader, world-renowned speaker, entrepreneur and source of inspiration around the globe. Welter’s relentless pursuit of individual excellence and success in challenging the status quo time and time again, fuels her current drive to help others achieve their best — in sports, health and wellness, professional pursuits and in life. Building on her remarkable career in women’s football, that included two Gold medals with Team USA, four World Championships and eight All-Star selections, Welter broke into the men’s game as the first female running back signed to a men’s professional team. Blending her passion for the game with a powerful, unique communication style, she broke through the biggest boys club of all, the NFL, as the first female coach in the league and the Madden NFL 20 video game. Crystallizing her journey into a playbook for overall success, Welter published “Play Big, Lessons in Living Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL.”

Moderator: Janet A. Smith
Vice President of Brand Communication Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena

Moderator: Janet A. Smith is a versatile marketing and communications professional with a truly unique combination of experience in entertainment, sports, youth, ethnic, live event, nonprofit and consumer goods industries. As Vice President of Brand Communication for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, she meshes traditional media relations, internal and executive communications responsibilities with integrated brand planning and celebrity and influencer engagement oversight. Amplifying the brands through “off the court” activities, including corporate social responsibility, corporate partnerships and television and film integration, Smith builds consensus across the organization to maximize media opportunities to tell the unique story of the brand.

This session is FREE for all PRSA-LA members. Look out for your code in your email.

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