Cities & Sports Diplomacy: How Sports Unlock City Diplomacy

Since the time of Ancient Greece, the Olympics have brought together athletes from cities around the Mediterranean. As this summer's rescheduled Olympic Games draw near, Tokyo prepares to host Olympiads from across the globe. On April 8, 2021, CPD hosted a timely discussion on the role of sports in city diplomacy. This conversation examined how sports diplomacy can provide a unique avenue for engagement for cities looking to build and expand their diplomatic footprint.

Speakers include:

• Erin Bromaghim, Director, Olympic and Paralympic Development, Mayor’s Office, City of Los Angeles
• Janis Burke, CEO, Houston Sports Authority
• Edward Elliott, Director, SportsDiplomacy.org (moderator)

About the speakers:

Erin Bromaghim

Erin Bromaghim serves as Director of Olympic and Paralympic Development in the Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. In this role, Bromaghim is focused on realizing the City's plans to make Los Angeles more sustainable, inclusive, resilient and innovative as the city prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028 and on the enduring legacy the Games will leave for all Angelenos. This legacy includes her work as the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Fellow, through which Bromaghim uses the framework of the United Nation's Agenda 2030 to align, measure and track the City’s progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Janis Burke

Janis Burke, CSEE has been the CEO of the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority since 2006. She became the third chief executive and first woman to hold the position since the inception of the organization in 1997.  In addition to overseeing the billion dollars of bond debt service for Houston’s professional sports stadiums, under her leadership, Houston has been awarded major sporting events to include:  U.S. Olympic Trials, collegiate tournaments, numerous National and World Championships, AAU Junior Olympics, and the Transplant Games of America.   In addition to sitting on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Sports Commissions, Janis has also been recognized locally by Conference USA and Rice University for her outstanding contributions and achievements as a woman in the Houston sports industry, identified by the Texas Executive Women’s Association as a “Woman on the Move,” and recently named one of “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women.”

Edward Elliott

Find out more about CPD's City Diplomacy initiative.

Click here to register for this event.