September Edition
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Our Board of Directors is a dedicated group of individuals who champion, collaborate and contribute to everything we do at Athletes for Hope. In 2021, we were very fortunate to add three new members to the Board of Directors and it is with great excitement that we formally – and publicly – welcome them to our AFH Family.
“Of the list of exciting things that have happened at Athletes for Hope in 2021, adding Shooter, Kathleen and Matt to our Board of Directors is at the top,” said Jason Belinkie, AFH Chief Operating Officer. “Each brings a unique set of skills and expertise that will help our organization grow exponentially. We feel very lucky to welcome them to the AFH family.”
Alexander “Shooter” Starr
Client Advisor, Brown Advisory
Shooter is a client advisor with Brown Advisory, a private, independent investment and strategic advisory firm in Washington, D.C. He previously worked at Neuberger Berman, a private investment management firm. Prior to working as a client advisor, Shooter was an Associate Director of Development at the University of Virginia, where he helped raise the $131 million dollars needed to build UVA’s John Paul Jones basketball arena to open in 2006.
Shooter is a University of Virginia graduate, where he was a four-year letterman as a pitcher and a Team Captain for the UVa Baseball Team. Shooter went undefeated his senior year, posting a 1.29 ERA and leading the team to a 44-15 record. Shooter is also a member of the boards of the Association of Corporation Growth, the National Capital Advisory Circle, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Maret School (a co-ed K-12 private school in Washington, D.C.). Shooter and his wife, Sarah, live in Washington, D.C.
Kathleen Purtill
Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Kathleen is a Principal in Deloitte’s Government & Public Services practice, leading the Civil Government Sector. She is a former US Navy officer with more than 20 years of experience in government consulting focusing on delivering enterprise transformation primarily to government clients.
Kathleen leads Deloitte’s civil government sector, which encompasses a wide range of clients including the Department of Treasury, Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, Department of State, Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Security, and Department of Education as well as the US Postal Service and US Agency for International Development. Kathleen is also very engaged in Deloitte’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, in part by serving on its newly formed Allyship Counsel and partnering with HBCUs. She has also served on the Deloitte Board’s Nominating Committee and currently serves on the Girl Scout NCR Women’s Advisory Board.
Outside of the office, Kathleen has a strong passion for well-being and enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids coaching their soccer teams, running, and being active. When not spending her free time with her family, Kathleen is passionate about mentoring veterans transitioning out of the military – something close to her heart as veteran herself.
Matthew Grant
Director of Business Development, DraftKings, Inc.
Matt Grant, Director of Business Development at DraftKings, is a seasoned marketing and sales executive with 14+ years of experience. At DraftKings, the leader in online sports betting and daily fantasy sports, Matt is responsible for establishing and developing strategic partnerships with leagues, teams and colleges, including the NBA, NHL and various other properties across the sports and entertainment world.
Matt formerly served as Head of Sports Marketing and Director of Sales at The Clorox Company in Oakland, CA. Matt spent more than nine years with Clorox, and before that, another five years in sales leadership roles with Nestle. Throughout his time with Clorox, Matt led sports marketing activations across multiple brands within the Clorox portfolio including Kingsford, Glad, Brita, Hidden Valley Ranch, Burt’s Bees and the namesake, Clorox cleaning brands. Having brokered and managed Clorox’s NBA & WNBA League and team sponsorship deals, Matt was instrumental in helping lead the sports world back from the pandemic with the NBA bubble in Orlando.
Matt has also held many positions within the Sales function including leading Brita and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes teams with responsibility for development and deployment of customer business plans.
In addition to his role as Board Member for AFH, Matt is an active member of the Coaching Corps’ Youth Sports, Racial Equity and Social Justice Taskforce serving the city of Oakland.
Matt graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and competed on the varsity football team.
Meet the rest of our Board of Directors here.