The Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) is searching for a new CEO to be based in N.Y. Former NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE will serve as Chair of the search committee, which hopes to have the position filled by late July/early August. This marks a larger and more influential role for Tagliabue, who joined the RISE board in March of this year. The other six members of the committee include RISE Founder and Dolphins Owner STEPHEN ROSS, NBA President of Social Responsibility & Player Programs KATHY BEHRENS, Turner Sports Exec VP/Ad Sales JON DIAMENT, USA Track & Field CEO MAX SIEGEL, NFL Exec VP/Football Operations TROY VINCENT and current RISE CEO JOCELYN BENSON. Benson, in the position since '16, is stepping down as she runs for Secretary of State in Michigan as a Democrat in a vote taken Nov. 6. She will likely remain on as a consultant. RISE is using the opportunity to recreate the CEO position and mission, looking for a leader as it seeks to shift its focus to identifying opportunities across all major sports leagues, colleges and conferences to help produce positive change throughout the U.S. on priority matters of racial or ethnic prejudice. The plan is to incorporate athletes, coaches and others in sports as ambassadors. “We can bring sports together to collaborate on values,” Tagliabue said. The new CEO will report directly to the RISE BOD and lead a staff of 14 employees. According to the job specifications, the new CEO should be someone who has a “proven commitment to racial equality, a deep understanding of the sports landscape and experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising.”
