IWF Georgia's Annual Meeting & Luncheon
Hosted by WABE Atlanta
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 11:30 am - 1 pm
AGM by Elizabeth Noe, President, IWF Georgia
Opening Remarks by Stephanie O'Keefe, CEO, IWF Global
Program: "Leadership Journeys: Women Shaping the Future of Sports"
Join us for the launch of a new IWF Georgia conversation series highlighting the remarkable personal and professional journeys of our members.
This inaugural forum features DeRetta Rhodes, Chief People, Culture & Brand Officer for the Atlanta Braves, and Morgan Shaw Parker, Chief Operating Officer of the Atlanta Dream. Together, they’ll share candid insights on their career paths, the leadership lessons that shaped them, challenges they’ve overcome, and the experiences that have led them to the highest levels of the sports industry. Moderated by Jennifer Dorian, President & CEO, WABE.
About Our Speakers:
Morgan Shaw Parker brings nearly 30 years of experience across all levels of sport business including the NFL, NBA/WNBA, NCAA and NIKE, Inc. She currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream overseeing day-to-day business operations and revenue growth, and working closely with ownership to set the direction of the organization and build the strategic vision including sponsorships, ticketing, retail, marketing, digital, in-game experience, human resources, community engagement and fan data/analytics.
Prior to joining the Atlanta Dream she served as Chief Marketing Officer at Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE) where she led marketing and communications initiatives for the Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. During her tenure, she helped increase the team’s revenue through content monetization and led her team to take home nine regional Emmy Awards, 19 regional Emmy nominations, three platinum and two gold AVA Digital Awards, two Webby Awards and one Hashtag Sports Award.
Shaw Parker also spent more than a decade at NIKE, Inc. working on the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA and NCAA college football. Prior to that, she spent six years with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs working in marketing and communications.
The American Marketing Association honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Shaw Parker one of “2023’s Most Admired CEO’s,” AdWeek named her as one of its “2019 Most Powerful Women in Sports,” and Sports Business Journal recognized her as a “Game Changer” in the sports industry in 2020 – an award given to women who are making an impact in sports business. Shaw Parker sits on the board of the Atlanta Sports Council, serves on the Atlanta Rotary Club and Mayor Andre Dickens’ Women of Atlanta Advisory Council, is a proud member of Leadership Atlanta class of 2026, and plays an active role in schools and organizations that seek to empower women and create more diverse communities.
DeRetta Rhodes, Ph.D. is the Executive Vice President & Chief People & Culture Officer of the Atlanta Braves, overseeing people capital initiatives, communications and community affairs for the Braves, The Battery Atlanta and team’s Spring Training facility operations.
Prior to joining the Braves, Rhodes was the Executive Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Vice President of Human Resources at First Data, Vice President of Human Resources for Turner Broadcasting and held leadership positions at Ernst & Young, ADP, HomeGrocer.com and YUM Brand.
Rhodes received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, her master’s in business administration from Clark Atlanta University, and her Ph.D. in adult education from the University of Georgia. She is a qualified coach for the HOGAN Assessment and HOGAN 360.
Rhodes completed her Ted Talk (TEDxUGA) in 2018 and has been recognized as Georgia Titan 100 (2024), Women of Influence (2024) by Atlanta Business Chronicle, and 100 Women of Influence (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) by Atlanta Business League, to name a few.
She serves on several boards such as Executive Board Member of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, the International Women's Forum, Board Chair of 21st Century Leaders and Trustee Member, Governing Board Member and HR & Compensation Chair of the Woodruff Arts Center to name a few.
About Our Moderator:
Jennifer Dorian is doubling down on Atlanta! Proud to serve our metro-Atlanta community by leading the NPR and PBS stations DEDICATED to Atlanta - WABE (90.1) and ATL PBA. Rallying resources for a healthy free press, local news and programming for life-long learners. Leading our stations as catalysts to help with priority issues in our community - coverage, convening and collaborating around equitable development, global health, diverse arts and culture . . . just to name a few! True to Atlanta.
Jennifer Dorian is a long-time resident of Georgia with 30+ years of experience working in corporations and non-profit service in Atlanta.
In June of 2020, she and her friend Betsy Armentrout saw a vital need to support the next Georgia election cycle by engaging and convening Georgia businesses to rally resources, educate employees and encourage early voting. Jennifer and Betsy co-founded GaVotingWorks.org (from their homes as community volunteers) and convened over 20 companies to support early voting, election preparedness for a safe, smooth voting process.
Dorian has real-world operations, strategic planning and brand marketing experience from brands including Turner Classic Movies, Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, and the Atlanta Beltline Partnership. Dorian served as general manager of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) from 2014-2019, which capped off 20 years of growth at Turner. A graduate of Emory University (BA) and University of Texas at Austin (MBA), Dorian is mentor to many and a volunteer to numerous Atlanta non-profit organizations. She currently serves on the board of The Atlanta Music Project, Atlanta Beltline Partnership and the Path Foundation. She previously served on the marketing committee for US Fund for UNICEF and the board of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
About Our Venue:
WABE is Atlanta’s original, independent, non-profit public media organization, serving as the metro area’s primary NPR (90.1 FM) and PBS (Channel 30) affiliate. Headquartered on Bismark Road in Atlanta, the 100% independent station delivers award-winning local journalism, cultural programming, and digital podcasts to millions across the region. [1, 2, 3]
