News
WNBA President on Her Life, the League and the Olympics
L
aurel J. Richie has
more than three
decades of experi-
ence
in
consumer
marketing,
corporate
branding, public relations,
and corporate manage-
ment, with a long track
record of developing
award-winning
cam-
paigns that transform
brands and drive business
results. As President of the
Women’s National Basket-
ball Association (WNBA),
she oversees all of the
league’s day-to-day busi-
ness and league operations.
Prior to joining the
WNBA in 2011, Richie was
Senior Vice President and
Chief Marketing Officer for
Girl Scouts of the USA,
where she was responsible
for the Girl Scouts’ brand,
communications, publish-
ing,
marketing,
and
web-based initiatives. She
also spent time at the adver-
tising agency Ogilvy &
Mather, where she worked
on a series of campaigns for
prominent clients, including
American Express, Pep-
peridge Farm, Pond’s,
Huggies, and Kotex. She sat
on Ogilvy New York’s
Operating Board and was a
founding member of the
agency’s Employee Adviso-
ry Council on Diversity and
Inclusion.
Richie’s pro-bono clients
have included the Museum
for African Art, the Hospital
for Special Surgery, and the
New York City Commission
C ELEBRITY
I NTERVIEW
by Kam
Williams
on Human Rights. In addi-
tion, she has mentored
young women and girls as
part of Big Brothers Big
Sisters, the 4A’s Multicul-
tural Advertising Intern
Program, Xavier Universi-
ty’s Youth Motivation Task
Force, and the Advertising
Educational Foundation.
A recipient of the
YMCA’s Black Achiever’s
policy studies, Richie
lives in New York City.
Kam Williams: Hi,
Laurel, thanks for the
time.
Laurel J. Richie:
Thanks, Kam.
KW: What interested
you in going from the
Girl Scouts to the
WNBA?
LJR: Early on in my
career, when I was working
at an advertising agency, I
went to a very senior-level
meeting and I distinctly
remember the inside of the
boardroom: every single
seat was occupied by a man.
In that moment, I made a
private promise to myself
I am particularly passionate
about mentoring young black
girls. While we are a very
diverse group, there is a
special bond that connects us
to each other
Award and one of Ebony
Magazine’s Outstanding
Women in Marketing and
Communications, Richie
was named one of the 25
Influential Black Women in
Business in 2011 by The
Network Journal. A gradu-
ate of Dartmouth College
with a bachelor’s degree in
that I would do everything
in my power to bring more
diversity to these rooms
where leaders gathered and
decisions were made. As my
career unfolded and I
worked on a wide range of
clients and gained experi-
ence across lots of different
industries, the businesses I
enjoyed the most where
those that focused on
women. This passion really
came to the forefront when I
made the move from adver-
tising to the Girl Scouts and
then, very clearly, when I
made the decision to join
the WNBA. As the longest-
running
women’s
professional sports league
in the country, the WNBA is
a great product comprising
132 of the best female ath-
letes in the world. And
when you look beyond the
players to owners, coaches,
trainers, accountants, and
chief operating officers —
it’s a wonderful example of
what women can achieve in
sports and in business.
KW: How do you hope to
generate greater interest in
the league and its superstars
like Maya Moore and Can-
dace Parker?
LJR: The summer of
2012 is turning out to be
very special. We are cele-
brating the 40th anniversary
of Title IX and the
Olympics are taking place
in London, and we have
seen increased interest in
and exposure of our players.
The WNBA is very proud of
the fact that all 12 members
of the U.S. Women’s Senior
National Team are WNBA
players. For them to repre-
sent our country on an
international stage is terrif-
ic. Millions around the
world will see them and
have the opportunity to get
to know them not only as
great athletes, but as inter-
esting and inspiring women.
KW: Why is there seem-
ingly a stigma on women’s
athletics which is reflected
in a lag in the WNBA’s rat-
ings in comparison to the
NBA’s?
LJR: We are a young
league – now in our 16th
season – and we have seen
our attendance and viewer-
ship increase for each of the
past five years. Our growth
is a direct result of the fact
that our game is exciting
and highly competitive, and
our in-arena experience is a
Specializing in *short sales
* bank owned properties
* first time home buyers
* investment properties
* residential & commercial
Torrey Nelson
C: 503-381-2107
W: 503-208-3797
F: 503-536-6523
E: mrtnel@gmail.com
www.dwellrealtypdx.com
5625 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97211
Page 8 The Portland Skanner
August 1, 2012
Laurel Richie
ton of fun. Once people
come to a game, they are
hooked. In many ways, I
think the WNBA is chang-
ing the way America views
women and is having a pos-
itive impact on the way
America views professional
athletes. We’re showing the
world what women can be
as athletes and what athletes
can be as citizens.
KW: To what do you
credit you’re not only
climbing the corporate lad-
der but breaking the glass
ceiling and reaching the pin-
nacle of success in the
business world, a rarity for
African-American females?
LJR: My parents. As far
back as I can remember,
their commitment to mak-
ing a positive impact on the
communities in which they
lived and worked was equal
only to their commitment to
helping my sisters, brother,
and me achieve our dreams.
KW: Tell me a little about
what mentoring young
black girls means to you?
LJR: Throughout my
career, I have benefitted
from the experience and
counsel of a wide range of
people who took a very per-
sonal interest in me. As a
result, I am always happy to
share lessons learned from
my journey with others. I
am particularly passionate
about mentoring young
black girls. While we are a
very diverse group, there is
a special bond that connects
us to each other. When I
work with them, I see them
in me and I believe they see
me in them. By coming
together, we are able to
show the world the power
and the promise of black
girls.
KW: Will part of your
mission
involve
also
encouraging your WNBA
players to see themselves as
role models and to devote
more of their free time to
mentoring?
LJR: I don’t have to
encourage our players to be
positive role models, as that
is something that has always
been important to them and
something that they very
willingly embrace. Whether
it’s through the WNBA
Cares program or through
their
own
initiatives,
WNBA players give as
much off the court as they
do on the court. They are
committed to making a pos-
itive impact on the
communities in which they
live and work, and they do it
in very different ways:
Tamika Catchings and Swin
Cash mentor young girls on
self-esteem through their
foundations; Tina Charles
helped build a school in
Africa with her personal
donation; Ruth Riley travels
the world to bring attention
to global diseases. The list
goes on. I am very proud of
all our players as they truly
are inspiring role models for
young girls – and young
boys.
KW: How would you like
the world to perceive the
WNBA players participat-
ing in the Olympic Games
this year?
LJR: On a professional
level, these athletes are
quite simply 12 of the best
female basketball players in
the world. On a personal
level, each one has an inter-
esting and unique story to
tell about her journey to the
Olympics. Over the next
two weeks – and beyond —
I would like the world to get
to know them as athletes,
citizens of the world and
fabulous women.
KW: What other changes
do you envision implement-
ing during your tenure?
LJR: We will continue to
focus on attendance and
income, as those are our key
measures of bringing more
and more people to the
game and growing our fan
base. We are actively doing
See CELEBRITY on page 12