2024 Medal of Leadership Nominations are Open for the Marshall Award for Values in Sport and Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity" Award

Awards for Exceptional Leadership in Professional Sports Being Given in Honor of Late Miami Dolphins SVP of Communications and Community Affairs Jason Jenkins and Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall

February 12, 2024 | Austin, TX – Pro Sports Assembly (“PRO”), the association for professional sports business leaders, has opened nominations for the 2024 Medal of Leadership Awards which will be presented at The Assembly: Pro Sports Leadership Retreat in Austin, TX on June 5-7, 2024. 

Nominations for professional sports leaders who exemplify the character and meet the qualifications of the four signature awards can be submitted through midnight PST on Feb. 22, 2024 at www.prosportsassembly.org. 

The honorees of the Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award, the Marshall Award for Values in Sport, Visionary Leadership Award, and Rising Leader Award will be presented on June 5 2024.  The Co-Chairs of the Awards Committee are Chioma Atanmo, Director of Community Impact at Sporting KC, Matt Goodman, COO at the Dallas Mavericks, and Kim Miller, VP of Community Affairs at the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. 

The Medal of Leadership Awards began in 2023. The inaugural honorees included:

Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award
Xavier A. Gutierrez, President & CEO at the Arizona Coyotes 

Marshall Award for Values in Sport
Michele Roberts, Michele Roberts, National Cycling League investor and former Executive Director at the National Basketball Players Association

Visionary Leadership Award
Lester Jones, Senior Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis at the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena

Rising Leader Award
Mary Kate Meals, Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Rock Entertainment Group

The Medal of Leadership honorees are PRO leaders who are advancing the professional sports industry, both inside their organization and beyond to elevate standards of leadership excellence. The Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award and Marshall Award for Values in Sport are given annually to outstanding business leaders who have leveraged their positions of influence to benefit the greater good and epitomize what it means to be a PRO member. 

The Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award was created in honor of Jason Jenkins, the late Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs for the Miami Dolphins and a founding member of PRO, serving on the Governing Board as the Chair of Communications. Jason epitomized inclusive leadership, unifying people in sport and in the community. The 2024 award will be presented to a PRO leader who significantly leverages their position of influence to create lasting impact in the community.

“We are grateful to Pro Sports Assembly for continuing to honor and remember our dear friend, Jason Jenkins, through the annual Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award. Jason had a gift of unifying and inspiring everyone he came in contact with and lead with humility and compassion,” said Kim Miller, vice president of community affairs at the Miami Dolphins. “Jason utilized the sport of football to connect people of different backgrounds and walks of life while he attentively listened and served his community altruistically. We miss him tremendously but continue to remember him in each interaction – living out his values and legacy of community impact.”

The Marshall Award for Values in Sport, inspired by Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, CEO of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks honors leaders who represent strength and impact for their organization, its greater community, and the professional sports ecosystem. The award will be presented to a trailblazing PRO leader who exemplifies Character, Respect, Authenticity, Fairness, Teamwork and Safety.

“Cynt is a force of nature, an inspiring leader and a trailblazer in the sports world and greater business community,” said Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban. “She brings true authenticity to the job and has fostered a culture where every voice matters and everybody belongs. The Dallas Mavericks organization is proud of Cynt and everything she has accomplished at the helm. We are looking forward to recognizing a valued member of Pro Sports Assembly for bringing that same values-based leadership to pro sports.”

The 2023 sponsors of the Medal of Leadership Awards included the National Football League, Shinola, and Oak View Group Arena Alliance.

2024 nominations for each award are being accepted through Feb 22nd. To learn more about The Assembly, visit https://www.prosportsassembly.org/theassembly2024.

The Assembly: Pro Sports Leadership Retreat, takes place June 5-7. It is an intimate gathering for professional sports business leaders who are not only influential in setting an agenda and strategy for their organization, but who are also invested in creating a strong, healthy, and fair future across professional sports. During the annual retreat, PRO members work together to identify the most critical issues facing the industry, workshop solutions and industry standards. The 2024 retreat co-chairs are Oracio Galindo of the Los Angeles Rams, Dr. Jamil Northcutt of Major League Soccer, and Alexis Roe of the Atlanta Hawks.