Members of the WISE Seattle Board
SEATTLE, WA -- Women In Sports and Events (WISE), the leading voice and resource for women in the business of sports, is pleased to announce the creation of a new WISE Seattle chapter. With this addition, WISE now has 27 chapters located across the United States and Canada driving the national organization's mission of creating and supporting programs that enhance the growth of women in the business of sports.
Local chapters provide programming and valuable networking, professional development and mentorship opportunities in their region, and work with WISE National to execute initiatives such as the WISE Within Mentor Program, Financial Fitness Series, and Speed Mentoring Roundtables. WISE Seattle's mission is to empower members to reach their career goals by providing access to a community with shared experiences. The chapter will implement this approach while looking to leverage relationships with the numerous local professional sports teams, universities, brands and agencies in Seattle and the surrounding areas.
Over 100 sports business enthusiasts helped launch WISE Seattle on Tuesday, January 14, with a celebration event held in The Ninety, Sounders FC’s event space. Attendees were able to meet some of WISE Executive Board and Founding Partners, while being inspired to be their personal and professional best through a fun activity around goal setting.
"The Seattle area is a fantastic sports market, making this Chapter a great addition to our organization," said Kathleen Francis, national chair of WISE. "We are thrilled to work with this new Chapter to offer programming and networking opportunities to the women in the Seattle and surrounding areas."
The founding board members of the WISE Seattle chapter are:
- President – Lisa Bregman (Seattle Seahawks)
- Co-President – Frances Traisman (Seattle Mariners)
- Co-Vice President, Partnerships – Gina Martinez Todd (Seattle Seahawks)
- Co-Vice President, Partnerships – Amy Azzi (T-Mobile, Sports Marketing)
- Vice President, Secretary – Erin Vagley (Sounders FC)
- Vice President, Mentorship – Mary Lee Gilliland (Madison Sports)
- Vice President, Treasurer – Brooke Sullivan (Seattle Mariners)
"We are so honored to be joining the amazing network of women at WISE," said WISE Seattle Chapter President Lisa Bregman. "It was our desire to start this chapter to help promote, connect and encourage women in our community and within our industries. Through the past ten months of preparation, we have already been able to connect with hundreds of Seattle-area women in the sports business and look forward to growing our reach in the years to come."
The Seattle sports landscape has numerous sports teams, NCAA athletic programs, sports media entities and brands actively engaged in sports that features hundreds of female professionals. With the help Founding Partners Sounders FC, Swire Coca-Cola and BDA Sports, the WISE Seattle chapter will serve this community of women by hosting approximately 12 events each year under the leadership of a volunteer-led board of directors and community leaders.
“BDA is proud to be a founding partner of the WISE chapter in Seattle”, said BDA CEO and Co-founder Jay Deutsch. “We have so many talented clients and friends in the national organization, and knowing the amazing people that are involved in our local chapter, this will soon be recognized as one of the premier in the nation.”
“We are delighted that WISE has established its newest chapter here in Seattle,” said Heather Curtis, Bellevue Sales Center Manager for Swire Coca-Cola, USA, the bottler for Coca-Cola and other leading beverage brands in Washington and 12 other western states. “We are not only embedded with local sports teams, like with our partnership with the Seattle Seahawks, but Swire Coca-Cola’s employee base here in Washington is one of the most gender diverse in our company. So we are proud to provide funding to WISE as part of the foundation of this chapter, and look forward to supporting its mission to support women in the business of sport.”
“As an organization that values diversity and equality, Sounders FC is proud to support the newest chapter of WISE as a founding partner,” said Sounders FC Owner and President of Business Operations Peter Tomozawa. “Seattle is a passionate and vibrant sports city and an organization like WISE will provide an invaluable resource for the industry and our community.”
Follow WISE Seattle on Twitter @WISEseattle, Instagram @WISEseattle or the WISE Seattle LinkedIn group. For more information about WISE Seattle please email WISEseattle@outlook.com, and to learn more about WISE Seattle, visit www.WISESeattle.org.
About WISE
WISE (Women in Sports and Events), is the leading voice and resource for professional women in the business of sports. Through ongoing meetings, special events, and mentoring and educational programs, WISE aims to offer its members the opportunity to gain valuable industry insights and connections that can provide them with a competitive advantage in their current position and as they advance in their careers. Founded in 1993, WISE is a national membership organization and registered 501(c)3 public charity headquartered in New York City. To become a member of WISE, please visit WISEworks.org.