Before the Washington Football Team chose to change their name, they were a stain on the National Football League. When the article dropped about the toxic workplace, we learned how bad things really were off the field. The team issued a generic statement that most probably assumed was just a way to appease public outrage so they could continue with business as usual. Owner Dan Snyder alleged he was unaware of the disgusting allegations despite owning the team for 21 years and despite more than 100 current and former employees confirming this was a toxic work environment. He worked hard to discredit these allegations, but even he had to admit that changes needed to happen.
The team has worked to address their lack of diversity and they deserve some credit for that effort. When head coach Ron Rivera was hired he pledged to make the workplace a more diverse atmosphere. He was given full power over the team. In one of the first moves, Rivera and the team hired former running back Jason Wright as president.
Wright became the first Black team president in NFL history and only the fourth former player to climb the ranks that high, which is a completely separate issue. Given the racial makeup of the league, it’s almost unfathomable that it was not until 2020 that a Black man was hired as a team president. Wright understands what players go through especially as an undrafted free agent himself. What does that tell you? A lot of work still needs to be done, but I digress.
When hired Wright told media, “the Washington Football Team is at a unique moment, and the NFL, for better or worse, is at the center of so much important dialogue around the role of sport, the players finding their voice about the things they care about.” We have seen real change within the Washington Football Team organization since Wright’s hiring. Wright is not in charge of football operations, but instead the business side of football. The team had been without a president since 2019 when Bruce Allen was fired.
Julie Donaldson was hired as the team’s senior vice president of media. Donaldson spent twenty years in sports media, including ten years in Washington, and was a solid hiring. She is the first female to hold the position. The importance of a woman in an executive role cannot be overstated.
Overall diversity in the workplace can lead to better results. The Pipeline ran a study on London-based businesses and found that companies with no female executives have a net profit of 1.5% while those with female executives generate a 15.2% net profit margin. She also became the first regular female on-air member of an NFL broadcast team. Sports Illustrated named her one of the most powerful women in sports.Â
Last year, Washington announced the hiring of Jennifer King. King became the first Black woman to serve as an assistant coach. She was a coaching intern under Rivera while he was with the Carolina Panthers. Yesterday, the team announced the hiring of Natalia Dorantes, making her the first Latina coordinator of football programs. She joins Callie Brownson and Sarah Hogan as the only women who serve in this type of role.
The team understands the importance of representation and has shown a commitment to it. For a franchise that once told women to stay away from football operations because they would “distract” the players, this is a welcomed change. Diversity is a positive thing and having women in the workplace will increase profit.
