Class of 2026 Medal of Leadership Nominations Now Open Through May 15, 2026

Pro Sports Assembly is Accepting Nominations for Four Prestigious Honors, Including the Marshall Award for Values in Sport and the Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award

AUSTIN, TX - April 7, 2026 – Pro Sports Assembly (“PRO”), the industry association for professional sports organizations and business leaders is accepting nominations for the 2026 Medal of Leadership honorees through May 15, 2026. The celebration for the fourth class of recipients will take place at The Assembly: Pro Sports Leadership Retreat in Austin, TX on August 18, 2026. It will begin with a gold carpet reception presented by Oak View Group Arena Alliance and the program will feature “Late Night Cynterviews” with the honorees, hosted by Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, former Dallas Mavericks CEO.

Nominations for professional sports leaders who prove the value of informed and inclusive leadership, exemplify character, and meet the qualifications of the four distinct honors can be submitted through midnight CST on May 15, 2026. To submit a nomination and learn more visit the Medal of Leadership page.

“As a past honoree, I am humbled to serve as 2026 Co-Chair for the Medal of Leadership Celebration and look forward to welcoming this year’s class of leaders. Being recognized and celebrated as a Visionary Leader by my peers from across the professional sports ecosystem truly shows the value and impact that we as sports leaders have within this rapidly growing trillion-dollar industry. The best is yet to come!”- Morgan Cato, Executive Vice President, Player Operation, National Basketball Players Association and Pro Sports Assembly Governing Board Member.

Class of 2024 Medal of Leadership Honorees (Morgan Cato, Jessica Yavitz, Kevin Demoff, Alex Hill) and Morgan Cato with Shareef Abdur Rahim, who presented her Medal.

The Medal of Leadership celebration began in 2023 to honor PRO leaders who drive value for the professional sports industry, both inside their organizations and beyond, by elevating standards of leadership excellence. There are four Medals of distinction and each is given annually to an outstanding business leader who has leveraged their position of influence to benefit the greater good.

Watch the recap for the 2025 Medal of Leadership Celebration here.

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 2026 award will be presented to a PRO leader who significantly leverages their position of influence to create lasting impact in the community.

“Jason was passionate about bringing people together to make the world a kinder place. His spirit, empathy and commitment to improving the lives of those around him was something he exhibited every day,” said Elizabeth Jenkins, Jason’s wife and executive chair of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge. “The Jenkins family and the Miami Dolphins organization are very appreciative that Pro Sports Assembly continues to honor his legacy with this outstanding award to spotlight those who share his passion of utilizing sports to help and unify others.”

Marshall Award for Values in Sport, inspired by Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, former CEO of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, honors leaders who represent strength and impact for their organization, their 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.

The Assembly is a private gathering of top 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 develop industry standards. The Assembly 2026 Co-chairs are Morgan Cato of the National Basketball Players Association, Travis Dillon of the Texas Rangers, Samantha Simmons of Grace Peak Consulting, and Nick Somoano of Legends Global.

2026 nominations for each Medal are being accepted through May 15, 2026. To learn more about The Medal of Leadership, visit the Medal of Leadership page.

Previous honorees include: 

Jason Jenkins “Victory for Humanity” Award

2025: Pam Frasco, Vice President of Social Impact for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Executive Director of the Cavaliers Community Foundation

2024: Jessica Yavitz, Vice President of Community Relations at Chicago Fire FC and Executive Director of the Chicago Fire Foundation

Rising Leader Award

2025: Sheila Sickau, Senior Marketing Manager of Football Development for the Kansas City Chiefs

2024: Alexandria Hill, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer for Klutch Sports Group

Visionary Leadership Award

2025: Todd Taylor, Advisor to Chief Executive Officer for Pacers Sports & Entertainment

2024: Morgan Cato, Executive Vice President of Player Operations for the National Basketball Players Association

Marshall Award for Values in Sport

2025: Chris Granger, Chief Executive Officer of Oak View Group

2024: Kevin Demoff, Los Angeles Rams President and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment President, Team & Media Operations; Co-founder and Executive Sponsor of the Black Sports Business Symposium

If you’re interested in attending The Assembly or the Medal of Leadership Celebration, you can learn more here.

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About Pro Sports Assembly
Established in 2019, Pro Sports Assembly (“PRO”) is the association for professional sports organizations and business leaders. PRO organizations drive value for the industry by creating economies of scale and scope around leadership development, research and advocacy. The power of Pro Sports Assembly comes to life because PRO members champion their individual development, organization and industry. Collectively, PRO members set the standard for leadership excellence in professional sports. For more information on Pro Sports Assembly, please visit www.prosportsassembly.org and connect on LinkedIn.

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