NASCAR reporter Holly Cain profiled three top female execs in the sport on Friday as part of International Women’s Day, and NASCAR "has reason to celebrate the influence and impact of women in the sport on any day." NASCAR Vice Chair & ISC CEO LESA FRANCE KENNEDY, and Exec VP & CMO JILL GREGORY have both been a "beacon of inspiration for years in the sport." Gregory is the "first woman ever to hold this high-ranking executive position in NASCAR leadership." ISM Raceway President JULIE GIESE is currently the "only female president of a track on NASCAR’s schedule" (NASCAR WIRE SERVICE, 3/7).
Ressler (l) and Gertz together contributed $76,250 to the Hawks Foundation campaignGETTY IMAGES
NAMES: The Hawks’ inaugural campaign to "help in the fight against prostate cancer" resulted in $150,000 donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. For Black History Month, the Hawks "pledged $250 per assist during the month of February." The team "had 295 assists, the eighth most in the NBA during the month, for a total of $73,750 from the Hawks Foundation." Hawks Principal Owner & Chair TONY RESSLER and his wife, JAMI GERTZ, "contributed another $76,250 to reach a total of $150,000" (AJC.com, 3/7)....Japan-based SoftBank Group announced the creation of the $5B SoftBank Innovation Fund, the “largest technology fund focused exclusively on the fast-growing Latin American market.” Inter Miami CF co-Owner MARCELO CLAURE will serve as CEO, responsible for “overseeing the new fund’s investments and operations.” He will “continue in his current roles” as SoftBank COO and Sprint Exec Chair (MIAMIHERALD.com, 3/7)....Rays Communications Manager RYAN SHEETS before the team’s game on Tuesday “rushed into action to perform the Heimlich maneuver after being alerted to an elderly fan who was choking on his food.” Sheets said, “I’m not exactly a first-aid expert or anything like that, but I have a foggy idea of how a Heimlich is supposed to work” (TAMPABAY.com, 3/7).
