Hawks hire chief diversity officer

Making good on a promise they made in the immediate aftermath of the controversy that threw their front office into chaos, the Atlanta Hawks named Nzinga Shaw as the organization’s chief diversity and inclusion officer on Thursday, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. 

The position was created by the Hawks in response to the revelation in September of racially insensitive remarks previously made by both co-owner Bruce Levenson and general manager Danny Ferry. Levenson subsequently announced that he would sell his controlling interest in the team and Ferry has been on an indefinite leave of absence ever since. 

Shaw most recently served as senior vice president of diversity and inclusion at the public relations agency Edelman and previously worked in similar roles with the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network and the National Football League.

The Hawks, according to Vivlamore, will make Shaw responsible for developing and embedding diversity and inclusion best practices throughout the organization. She will serve as a member of the team’s Executive Committee and report to CEO Steve Koonin.

"I am excited to be a member of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena organization at such a pivotal time," Shaw said in a statement. "My goal as the CDIO is to help our organization continue to rebuild trust and partnership in the Atlanta community, emphasizing civility and sportsmanship in an effort to ensure that everyone can be a fan of the team, attend home games, and so that we can serve as a model for inclusion in the NBA."