New York, NY (January 11, 2024) — As of January 1, the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) is pleased to welcome Paralympian and world record holder in Track & Field, Scout Bassett, as its new president, and also welcomes six members to its Board of Trustees. The new trustees include: Andrea Brimmer, Ally Financial’s chief marketing and public relations officer who spearheaded the creation of the Ally brand; Arielle Chambers, mixed-media journalist and founder of Warner Bros. Discovery’s HighlightHer who uses her platforms to amplify the voices of women athletes; Ashlyn Harris, two-time Women’s World Cup champion who currently serves as global creative advisor for Gotham FC; Katy Knox, former NCAA athlete and president of Bank of America Private Bank who has more than 35 years of financial services experience; Kathleen Kunkler, recently retired Morgan Stanley executive who served as senior vice president, Global Sports and Entertainment director for more than 34 years; and Nicole Jeter West, co-founder of Vanguard Maven Group who has more than 20 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry. This innovative group of cross-sector professionals join WSF in time for the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 2024 – a year that will honor WSF’s role as one of the first organizations to recognize that equality in sport leads to equality in life.
“Scout is a longtime, valued member of the WSF family, and we are thrilled she is taking over as president,” said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. “We are also delighted to welcome Andrea, Arielle, Ashlyn, Katy, Kathleen and Nicole to our board. In addition to everyone’s impressive expertise, this innovative group of professionals share WSF’s passion and vision for a future where girls and women can play, compete and lead without barriers. Together, our WSF family will honor our legacy while deepening our impact as we mark this special, 50th anniversary year. We are determined as ever to strive for true equity on the field of play, the front office, the boardroom and beyond.”
Brimmer, Chambers, Harris, Knox, Kunkler and West are joining a board known for its wide range of backgrounds, representative of the sports ecosystem – which WSF has greatly influenced and impacted over five decades – and beyond. Members hail from professional sports, teams and leagues, collegiate conferences, media entities and sports broadcasting, powerhouse brands and corporate industry, and academia. This seasoned group of trustees join in a shared passion and drive for advancing girls and women in sports, to realize the life-long benefits that come with sport participation.
“I am truly honored to assume the role as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, an organization that has helped me compete at the highest levels of sport through its Travel & Training Fund, and given me a platform to provide financial support to women athletes with disabilities, while spotlighting their extraordinary achievements through the Scout Bassett Grant,” said Bassett. “As 2024 gets underway, I am excited to celebrate the long legacy of WSF throughout its anniversary year, while working to propel its mission forward so it remains an essential resource for all girls and women in sport in the decades to come.”
Learn more about the newest members of WSF board leadership by reading their professional biography summary highlights below:
Scout Bassett
Bassett spent seven years in a government-run orphanage in Nanjing, China after she was abandoned on the side of a street following the loss of her right leg and having suffered severe burns from a chemical fire as an infant. Given a makeshift prosthetic leg patched together from leather belts and masking tape, she never stepped outside of the orphanage until she was adopted by an American couple from Michigan in 1995. Still learning the English language, Bassett joined sports as a way to connect with her peers. Fast forward to today, and she is a Paralympian – competing at the 2016 Games – seven-time National Champion in the 100m and World Record holder in the 400m and American Record holder in the 200m. Prior to competing in track, Bassett was on the USA Paratriathlon National Team, where she won three silver medals and one bronze medal at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships.
Andrea Brimmer
Brimmer is the chief marketing and PR officer of Ally Financial and is responsible for leading all aspects of the company’s integrated marketing and brand transformation, driving unprecedented growth and disruptive consumer engagement. She joined the company in 2006 and spearheaded the creation and launch of the Ally brand in 2009. Since becoming CMO in 2015, she has unified the brand under the company’s “Do It Right” mantra, and at her direction, Ally has established itself as a “different” kind of financial services company, dedicated to solving customer pain points that traditional institutions ignored. In 2022, she launched the marketing industry’s first 50/50 pledge with the goal of spending equal amounts in advertising for women’s and men’s sports. Her leadership in gender equity landed her on the 2022 Adweek Most Powerful Women in Sports list and she was named a 2023 WISE Women of the Year honoree.
Arielle Chambers
Chambers, a Forbes Under 30 Honoree, is a multimedia journalist, host, and women’s sports and culture amplifier. She is an expert storyteller, who amplifies the voices of female athletes through a blend of news, highlights, user-generated content, and engaging interviews that feature renowned female athletes, all centered on the world of women’s sports. As an independent mixed-media journalist, she founded and drove the success of Warner Bros. Discovery’s HighlightHER, a rapidly growing women’s sports platform. Beyond her reporting and commentary, Chambers is known for her advocacy work and has been a voice for social justice, as well as gender and racial equity in sports. Her efforts have not only sparked important conversations but have also led to meaningful change within the sports industry.
Ashlyn Harris
Harris is an American soccer legend, who in 2013 made her debut on the United States Women’s National soccer team (USWNT) and was a member of the championship–winning team at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada and at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Professionally, Harris has played soccer around the globe, including for the Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, and Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), as well as leagues in Germany and Sweden. Off the pitch, Harris has been a fierce mental health advocate, who has publicly shared her experiences with depression, aggression, and Adderall addiction as a youth and young adult, and is heavily involved with the mental health focused non-profit To Write Love on Her Arms. Since her retirement in 2022, she has served as the global creative advisor for Gotham FC.
Katy Knox
Knox is president of Bank of America Private Bank and a member of Bank of America’s executive management team. She leads more than 4,000 professionals who are dedicated to helping high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions grow, preserve, and share their wealth. As president, she has modernized and grown The Private Bank by expanding into new markets, adding new advisors, and driving digital engagement with clients. She is a leader within the company’s diversity networks and actively participates in Bank of America’s Global Ambassadors Program, which provides mentorship to women leaders worldwide. She also serves on the Boards of Trustees for Carnegie Hall, JFK Library Foundation, and the Nantucket Film Festival.
Kathleen Kunkler
Kunkler has recently retired from a 34+ year career as senior vice president, Global Sports & Entertainment director at Morgan Stanley. At the time of her retirement, she was also chair of the Firm’s National Diversity and Inclusion Council. In 2020 she was one of 20 women the firm named a MAKER, recognizing their ability to ignite passion, drive action, and make change. For many years, she has been active in her Kansas City community, and is a past board member, and board chair of WIN for KC (Women’s Intersport Network of KC), an organization that espouses the philosophy of the Women’s Sports Foundation by empowering women and girls through participation in sports.
Nicole Jeter West
Jeter West is the co-founder of Vanguard Maven Group and has more than 20 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry. She is renowned for her ability to apply data-driven thinking to develop new business models and innovative partnership platforms, earning her reputation as an innovator, strategist, problem-solver, and natural-born leader. She has earned Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and “Power Players” honors while also being named one of Sports Illustrated’s “100 Influential Black Women in Sports”. As a graduate of the University of Delaware, she serves on the Board of Trustees for Next League and the University of Delaware’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and mentors young executives throughout the sports and entertainment industry.
For a complete list of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Board of Trustees, please click here.
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About the Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are proud to mark our 50th anniversary this year, as we continue to strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through our research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From its inception to Title IX’s 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF has invested over $100 million in these impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes, and coaches. We’re building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports® To learn more about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
Media Contact:
Kandice Miller
Women’s Sports Foundation
479.409.7779
KMiller@WomensSportsFoundation.org
