Coca-Cola Foundation chair Lisa M. Borders named president of the WNBA
Lisa M. Borders, 58, chair of the Coca-Cola Foundation and former chair of the Atlanta City Council, is the next president of the WNBA as the league begins to celebrate its 20th anniversary season. She has 25 years of experience in operations, marketing, government relations and public service according to the league. She starts her new position on March 21. Former president, Laurel Richie, resigned in November. Borders becomes the fourth president in league history following Richie, Donna Orender and Val Ackerman.
In 2007, she was part of an eight-member committee formed to help bring a WNBA Atlanta for the first time in 10 years. The franchise began playing in the city in 2008. When the team changed ownership in 2009, Borders was instrumental in securing new investors and sponsors.
“I want to personally thank Lisa Borders for her diligent work in saving the Dream,” said then-president Orender. “The Dream belongs in Atlanta. Lisa understands that and so do I. In the midst of a tough political campaign, she carved out time to bring sponsorships to the table and find investors who will make the Dream a continued reality for the staff, players and, of course, our fans.”
#ff Atlanta mayoral candidate Lisa Borders @LBorders for helping to keep the Atlanta Dream (and jobs) in the city #wnba
— Hoopfeed.com (@hoopfeed) October 30, 2009
In addition to the hiring of Borders, the league will see significant changes this season with a new playoff format,
Quick Facts
- She was part of the press conference announcing the Atlanta Dream’s presence in the city along with former league president Donna Orender. What she said on Oct. 17, 2007: “Today’s event is the culmination of a community-wide campaign to bring a WNBA franchise to Atlanta. The WNBA is the premier women’s professional sports league in the world, and we could not be more excited to welcome the WNBA and these world-class athletes to our great city.”
- Was a candidate for mayor of Atlanta in 2009, endorsed mayor Kasim Reed for the runoff election.
- Graduated from Duke with a bachelor’s degree in French.
- Serves on the Duke Board of Trustees along with NBA president Adam Silver and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
- Has a master’s of science in health administration from the University of Colorado.
- Previous president of the Grady Health Foundation, the organization that controls fundraising of Georgia’s largest public hospital, Grady Health System. She headed the Greater Grady Capital Campaign, a five-year, $325 million effort.
- Has no direct sports management/administration experience.
- Borders has a Flickr account with photos from Atlanta Dream games.
- Twitter: @lborders, Instagram @lisaborders
From the WNBA
Borders, who served most recently as Chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation and Vice President, Global Community Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company, will lead the world’s premier women’s basketball league, which tips off its historic 20th season on May 14. She will join the WNBA on March 21.
Borders was instrumental in bringing the WNBA to Atlanta in 2008, when she served as Vice Mayor of Atlanta and President of the City Council. The Atlanta Dream has since become a mainstay of the Atlanta sports scene and part of the fabric of the local community.
“As a proven executive with a passion for the WNBA and the game of basketball, Lisa is the right leader at a pivotal time in the league’s history,” said Silver. “She will be responsible for spearheading our efforts to strengthen the WNBA and accelerate its growth.”
“The WNBA has reached a significant milestone, and I feel privileged to be joining the league at such an exciting time,” said Borders. “I have always been a staunch supporter of this league and its tremendous athletes. I am impressed by their talent and inspired by their passion. The athleticism of the game and the sportsmanship exhibited between teams offers clear evidence of our ability to grow women’s basketball.”
Borders has worked and delivered results in all three sectors: public, private and non-profit. Prior to The Coca-Cola Company, Borders was President of the City Council and Vice Mayor of Atlanta, where her duties included managing the legislative branch of government and maintaining the relationship with the Mayor’s office during Mayor Shirley Franklin’s administration. Among her community initiatives were increasing the availability of affordable housing, addressing the region’s traffic challenges, and promoting neighborhood safety and preservation. She was also President of the Grady Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of Grady Health System, Georgia’s largest public hospital and metro-Atlanta’s premier level I trauma center.
She also served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and External Affairs with Cousins Properties Incorporated, an Atlanta-based Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), as well as President of the Cousins Properties Foundation. Prior to joining Cousins, Borders worked for more than 15 years as a senior health care administrator and operations executive, where she formulated successful long-term operational strategies, financial plans and budget objectives to ensure the organizations met their goals and operated efficiently.
Borders’ work in the community has focused primarily on family issues in the areas of education, healthcare and housing. She serves as a trustee ofDuke University and The Westminster Schools, and she is a board member of Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Grady Health System, Woodruff Arts Center and Operation Hope. As a co-founder of No Labels, Borders remains deeply engaged with public policy. She has received numerous honors and consistent recognition for her corporate and civic work.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s of science in health administration from the University of Colorado.
What Donna Orender said about Borders in 2014 in a Q&A about bringing the Dream to Atlanta
Q: What do you remember about the day of the announcement?
A: I remember it being a fantastic day, not only for the city of Atlanta, but for people who had the dream to create this team in this market. It was also a great day for the entire country, for all WNBA fans and for all people who really believed there was a place and continued to be a place for professional women in sport, and it all came together on that wonderful day. I think it was at the YMCA, and I remember all of us feeling such an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment, and hope for what could be.
Q: What was your most memorable moment during the experience?
A: I remember being with Lisa Borders and we were looking at each other saying, “Okay, you know what? Ideas can move to reality with belief and hard work.” And I remember we had these pink Dream t-shirts – actually I used to stick it up in my office and I still have it in my closet – and then all these kids came in wearing them, and it just made the whole thing so real. There was a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, I thought. There was a lot of interest, and I think we felt that we were taking a great first step to adding something meaningful to the city of Atlanta.
POTUS training next gen WNBA stars!!
A photo posted by @lisaborders on
