WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard University athletic department will welcome a star-studded group of women to campus on Sunday, Oct. 23 for the espnW Campus Conversations series in the Blackburn Ballroom from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The initiative was launched in April and has continued its push to reach college campuses nationwide.
Howard is the first historically black university to host the series on its campus and looks to celebrate the institutions women's athletics programs. The panel discussion will focus on "The Great Pivot" – how to prepare personally and professionally for life after college and college sports.
A prestigious panel will lead the discussion, including Howard alumnae Khalilah Birdsong '01 (volleyball), Kara Smith '13 (basketball), Cecelia Townes '06 (tennis), Stephanie Elam '95 and Sereita Cobbs '91. The panel will also include Kerry D. Chandler and moderator Jemele Hill.
Here is a look at the lineup of incredible women the student-athletes will hear from.
JEMELE HILL, ESPN Talent and columnist
Jemele Hill currently co--hosts ESPN's His & Hers with Michael Smith. She joined ESPN in 2006 as a national columnist on ESPN.com, and gradually began making TV appearances, including SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters, and Outside the Lines. In 2007, Hill won the first annual McKenzie Cup at the annual Poynter Media Summit and received an honorable mention in the 2007 edition of Best American Sports Writing. In 1998, Hill won first place in sports feature writing at the North Carolina Press Association. Also, Hill is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She previously worked for the Raleigh News & Observer, the Detroit Free Press, and then for the Orlando Sentinel before transitioning to ESPN. A native of Detroit, Hill graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish.
KHALILAH BIRDSONG, Executive Director – Tyler Perry Studios
Khalilah Birdsong (Howard University '01) is the Director of Corporate Relations and Development at Tyler Perry Studios. She began her career at Tyler Perry Studios in 2008 as Executive Assistant to Tyler Perry and has since established herself as a notable film and television executive. Prior to joining Tyler Perry Studios, Birdsong served as Assistant Brand Manager at Unilever until 2003, and then transitioned to Hollywood as Agent Trainee for Motion Picture and Television talent at the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles until 2008. Birdsong is also a professional painter with a studio practice based in Atlanta, GA. She is represented nationally and internationally and has paintings in the private collection of President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama. Birdsong competed for and captained the Howard University women's volleyball team, and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University with a BBA in International Business with a concentration in Marketing and Minor in French.
KERRY D. CHANDLER, Chief Human Resources Officer – Under Armour
Kerry Chandler currently serves as Chief Human Resources for Under Armour. Prior to joining UA in 2015, Chandler held notable senior level roles in human resources including Global Head of Human Resources for Christie's International, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for the National Basketball Association, and Senior Vice President of Human Resources at ESPN. Chandler spent the early years of her career in HR roles at Motorola, IBM, and McDonnell Douglas. Chandler graduated from Lincoln University with a BS in Public Administration, and went on to earn her first master's degree in HR from Washington University in St. Louis, followed by her second master's in global management from McGill University.
SEREITA COBBS, Director, Digital Video Production, Integration & Events – espnW
Sereita Cobbs (Howard University '91) currently manages digital video production, content integration/strategy and event production for espnW. Since joining ESPN in 2005, she has served as Coordinating Producer for SportsCenter and SportsCenter at the X Games, and the producer of Cold Pizza, First and 10, The Hot List, and First Take. Prior to ESPN, Cobbs spent over a decade in Washington, DC as a producer and television programmer for ABC, America's Most Wanted, WHUT, and Maryland Public Television. Cobbs graduated from Howard University with a BA in Radio, Television and Film Production, and went on to earn her MFA at the University of Southern California.
STEPHANIE ELAM, Correspondent – CNN
Stephanie Elam (Howard University '95) is a correspondent for CNN in Los Angeles. She began her career at CNN in New York in 2003, reporting for HLN and CNN International. In 2011, Elam transitioned to anchor for KNBC with focus on reporting on emergency awareness. Since rejoining CNN in 2013, Elam has covered headline stories including the shooting of Michael Brown, the Donald Sterling scandal with the LA Clippers, and was one of the first on scene after a Los Angeles Airport shooting. Elam earned her BA in Broadcast Journalism at Howard University.
KARA SMITH, Federal Consultant, Strategy and Operations – Deloitte Consulting LLP
Kara Smith (Howard University '13) currently serves as a Strategy and Operations Consultant at Deloitte in Washington, DC. She began her career at Deloitte straight from undergrad as a Senior Financial Analyst and has held her current role since November of 2015. While at Howard, Smith competed for the women's basketball team where she earned accolades as Howard University's 2011--2012 Female Athlete of the Year, and 2012--2013 Howard University NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee. A Chicago native, Smith graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University with a BBA in Finance.
CECELIA TOWNES, Founder – Beyond the Game LLC
Cecelia Townes (Howard University '06) is the founder of Beyond the Game LLC, a company that provides student--athletes with workshops to improve their success outside of athletics while improving their overall experience as a student--athlete. Additionally, Townes works with the federal government with focus on administrative, personnel, environmental and torts laws, and also works pro bono on criminal and family law. Inspired by her experiences as a student--athlete, Townes created and runs a blog, GladiatHers.com, dedicated to discussing female athletes and issues related to women in sports. She also is a contributing writer for SportInLaw.com. At Howard University, Townes competed for and captained the women's tennis team. She graduated with a BA in African American Studies and went on to earn her JD from UCLA School of Law.
