Joy Bunson and Steven Wozencraft to Co-Chair 2023 Athlete Ally Action Awards
September 19, 2023 – Today, Athlete Ally announced that Joy Bunson, Co-Chair of the Athlete Ally Board of Directors, and Steven Wozencraft, Executive Vice President of the John D. Evans Foundation, will co-chair the upcoming 2023 Athlete Ally Action Awards. Athlete Ally is a nonprofit organization focused on fostering inclusive athletic environments and mobilizing the athletic community to champion LGBTQI+ equality. The awards ceremony will take place on Friday, October 20 at 6:00pm EST at the Chelsea Piers in New York City, and will honor Becky Sauerbrunn, Layshia Clarendon, Chris Mosier and the Harvard Athlete Ally Campus Chapter.
“We’re incredibly honored to have Joy Bunson and Steven Wozencraft as the co-chairs for this year’s Athlete Ally Action Awards,” said Hudson Taylor, Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “These two individuals each bring tremendous passion for our shared mission of driving LGBTQI+ inclusion in and through sport, as well as unique talents for maximizing our impact. I’m looking forward to working with each of them to make the 2023 Action Awards inspiring, energizing and unforgettable.”
“I’m thrilled to be part of this year’s Athlete Ally Action Awards and to celebrate the accomplishments of allies and activists who all believe, like Nelson Mandela, that sports can change the world,” said Joy Bunson. “Our work is about access and inclusion – and creating environments for all athletes — whether they are children or Olympians/Paralympians, to participate based on their capabilities, unencumbered by stereotypes and fear.”
“I share Athlete Ally’s vision of a world where LGBTQI+ athletes are celebrated as their full selves,” said Steven Wozencraft. “I’m honored to serve as Co-Chair for the Action Awards as we celebrate leaders who are fighting to make sports safe, welcoming and inclusive for all.”
About Joy Bunson
Joy Bunson (she/her) is Athlete Ally’s Board of Directors Co-Chair, and an accomplished Human Resources executive with over 20 years of experience in financial services. She currently runs a consulting and coaching practice with clients in both the for profit and not for profit sectors. Previously, she was the Senior Vice President in charge of Global Human Resources Development at JPMorganChase where she and her team were pioneers in the fields of DEI and work-life.
Joy also serves on the boards of Atlantic Theater Company and the American Friends of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous board service included the Retreat, a domestic violence services organization, and the Women’s Refugee Commission. Joy lives in Manhattan with her husband and son.
About Steven Wozencraft
Steven Wozencraft (he/him), the Executive Vice President of the John D. Evans Foundation, has spent the last 30 years of his career working with NGOs and not-for-profits. He is the former President of the John O’Donnell Company, a firm established in 1966, which specialized in helping NGOs and not-for-profit organizations. As President of the John O’Donnell Company, he oversaw the development of numerous organizations by helping them build their capacity. Through his work, he has assisted causes including The Boys Club of New York, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, the Clinton Foundation, the Harlem Boys Choir, the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services, Empire State Pride Agenda, Kids Peace, and numerous others.
Steven has served on the boards of the Vet Voice Foundation, Atlas Corps (as Chairman), Dr. Robert Gallo’s Institute of Human Virology, the Department of State Fine Arts Committee, The State Department Global Equality Fund and the Advisory Board of the Bretton Woods II initiative at the New America Foundation. He is working with former Obama Administration officials, as a private citizen, on Criminal Justice Reform. He is a past board member of South Coast Medical Center, University of Michigan Center for Global Health External Advisory Board, GLAAD, NGLCC, Positive Young People Foundation (PYP) Advisory Board and Friend Factor. Internationally, he has been an organizer of the United Nations Nexus Global Youth summit sponsored by UNDP, Founding Member of the Clinton Global Initiative, Member of TED and an inaugural member of the 2010 White House Next Generation Leadership program.
To learn more or purchase tickets to the Awards, click here.
About Athlete Ally and the Action Awards
Athlete Ally believes sport will change the world when it welcomes and empowers all people. As a leading national nonprofit working at the intersection of sport and LGBTQI+ equality, Athlete Ally works to end the structural and systemic oppression that isolates, excludes and endangers LGBTQI+ people in sport. We educate individuals and institutions to understand obstacles to inclusion for LGBTQI+ people and how they can build an inclusive culture within their athletic communities. We work to ensure sport governing bodies, teams and leagues adopt policies that reflect the diversity of their constituents. We incubate athlete activism to advance LGBTQI+ equality in and through sport.
The Action Awards celebrate the groundbreaking actions of organizations and individuals that help create LGBTQI+ inclusive athletic environments and eliminate anti-LGBTQI+ discrimination at large.The generous philanthropy of our dedicated Corporate Sponsors, Host Committees, and Board of Directors make this event possible.