WISE Chair & President Kathy Francis; USA Track & Field's Renee Chube Washington; NBA's Ayala Deutsch; Crypto.com Arena's Michele Kajiwara; Google's Kate JohnsonWISE
Women in Sports and Events feted its four “Women of the Year” this afternoon at the group’s 28th annual Awards Luncheon in Manhattan.
Being honored were NBA EVP & Deputy General Counsel Ayala Deutsch; Google Dir and Head of Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing Kate Johnson; Crypto.com Arena SVP/Premium & Events Business Michele Kajiwara; and USA Track & Field COO Renee Chube Washington.
Deutsch said the award was especially meaningful, considering the recent death of her 19-year-old niece. “For her, and for all the women in this room and in my life who have cared for me and supported me, I thank you,” she said, to an audience of around 450 in a Midtown ballroom.
Johnson called herself “a product of Title Nine” and celebrated the advancements women have made in sports, but also cautioned that “as fast as women’s sports are growing right now, girls are still dropping out (of youth sports) at a faster rate than they were before Title Nine. So, the work here is not done.”
