WISE Los Angeles Announces 2016 Women of Inspiration Award Recipients

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE Los Angeles) announced today that Renata Simril (President & CEO, LA84 Foundation), Shelley Smith (Reporter, ESPN & Adjunct Professor at USC's Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism), and Claudia Teran (Executive Vice President and General Counsel, FOX Sports) have been selected as the recipients of the 2016 WISE Los Angeles Women of Inspiration Award. The WISE Los Angeles Women of Inspiration Awards will be awarded at the seventh annual gala taking place on Thursday, November 10 at Downtown Los Angeles' City Club. The WISE Los Angeles Women of Inspiration honorees have been selected by the organization's nominating committee for their qualities of extraordinary leadership in the sports industry, leading them to become strong and positive role models for women of all levels in their personal and professional development.

Celebrating its 11^th anniversary, WISE Los Angeles is the leading voice and resource for professional women in the business of sports and strives to offers its members the opportunity to gain valuable insights and connections that can provide them a competitive advantage in their current position and as they advance in their careers.

Being honored for their outstanding achievement, Simril, Smith and Teran will also become members of the WISE Los Angeles Advisory Board Committee for 2017, serving as a valuable source of expertise and experience for the members of WISE and the Los Angeles chapter. As WISE Los Angeles Advisory Board Committee members, they will provide guidance for the growth and direction of the chapter and continue to support the mission of WISE in the Los Angeles area and across the country.

"We are thrilled to honor Renata, Shelley and Claudia as WISE Los Angeles' Women of Inspiration, they have led the way for so many in the sports industry and are true examples of what we look for in our honorees," said Shelley Taniguchi, president, WISE Los Angeles. "Our annual gala is not only a chance for us to honor these industry leaders who have excelled at fulfilling their professional goals and influencing others in the industry, but also to bring together professionals that share the goals and mission of WISE of enhancing the success and growth of women in the sports and events industry."

Renata Simril is President and CEO of the LA84 Foundation.  Formed in 1985, originally as the Amateur Athletic Foundation, the LA84 Foundation is a legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Summer Games.  An accomplished civic and private sector trailblazer with more than 20 years of diversified experience with a commitment to leadership and service, Simril most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Publisher of the Los Angeles Times, where she oversaw staff operations and special projects.  Her earlier career included three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where she served as Senior Vice President of External Affairs overseeing the restoration of the Dodgers brand and the Dodgers Foundation; and over a decade in real estate development with Jones Lang LaSalle, Forest City Development and LCOR, Inc.  Ms. Simril began her career in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. and Germany.  A third generation Angeleno, Simril received her Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from Loyola Marymount University and a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from USC and resides in Studio City with her husband and two sons.

Shelley Smith is a four-time Emmy-winning reporter for ESPN and an adjunct Professor at USC's Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism.  She has covered just about every sporting event in existence, and has done many long-form features and investigative stories for a multitude of shows. A former writer-reporter at Sports Illustrated, Smith has written extensively for ESPN.com and various ESPN in-house entities. She also has written three books – "Just Give Me The Damn Ball," with former New York Jets and current ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson, "You Play to Win The Game," with former head coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards and "Games Girls Play: Lessons to Guiding and Understanding Young Female Athletes." In 2014, she was a Hearst Visiting Scholar for her alma mater, the University of Nebraska. In 2016, Smith was named co-Journalist of the year by Sports Illustrated and by the Jim Murray Foundation. She also received the Rainbow Sports Life Beyond the Playing Field Courage Award from the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 2016. She is a three-time cancer survivor and the mother of Dylann Tharp, 30, an associate producer at NFL network.

Claudia Teran serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, FOX Sports, reflecting responsibility for all global business and legal affairs at FOX Sports. Ms. Teran leads a business and legal affairs team responsible for domestic and overseas sports rights acquisitions, including the media rights to US professional leagues and teams, collegiate conferences and international sports properties across the globe. FNG's wide-ranging sports networks include FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports Net, FOX College Sports, BTN (Big Ten Network) and Fox's 22 owned and operated regional sports networks. Ms. Teran also supervises negotiations and acquisitions for the company's international sports businesses in Latin America, Europe and Asia. Ms. Teran, who lives in Los Angeles, earned her bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from New York University School of Law. Last year she was selected as a member of Multichannel News and Broadcasting and Cable Magazine's 2015 class of "Wonder Women," which honors a select group of accomplished and influential women within the television industry.

The WISE Los Angeles Women of Inspiration Awards will take place at the City Club in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, November 10. To purchase tickets or sponsorship packages, please visit wiselosangeles.org. Follow WISE Los Angeles on Facebook and Twitter for updates on upcoming events and announcements.

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 programs, WISE offers its members the opportunity to gain valuable insights and connections that can provide them a competitive advantage in their current position and as they advance in their careers. See more at: wiseworks.org

Media Contact:
Cassandra Zebisch
(213)763-7712
[email protected] 

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SOURCE WISE Los Angeles

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