International Women’s Day. It’s a great time to honour all of the outstanding and influential women who have made an impact not only in their professional field but overall life in general. When it comes to the BC Lions Football Club, many fans associate just the players and coaches to the operation. Behind the scenes, there are many individuals who do important work to ensure the club’s success, both on and off the field. Many of those employees are women. We now profile a number of those great women in various positions within the organization and what working with the club means to them.
Carol LongmuirÂ
Title: Director of Finance & Administration
Years With Lions: 27
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate all of the women’s abilities in the world and how far they have come over the last few decades. The world is starting to realize just how much women can accomplish in the workplace as well as taking care of their homes & families. Women are starting to be given the respect and recognition they deserve, especially in the sports industry which is male-driven for the most part.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: I am proud to be part of all the women out their that deserve recognition and respect for all their abilities to contribute in sports, I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
Additional Comments: GO Ladies GO.
Michele NuszdorferÂ
Title: Finance & Office Administrator
Years With Lions:Â 20, during which
What does International Women’s Day mean to you:Â Showing the world that women have courage, determination, commitment, toughness, heart and guts.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: It’s not easy. You have to work hard to earn respect and recognition.
Additional Comments: Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.
Alexandra Severyn
Title: Dance Team Manager
Years With Lions: 17
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: A day to encourage, support and celebrate women in all their endeavours
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: I am proud to say that from when I started to now there is a significant difference in the increase of women in the industry. Truly setting the example to our younger generation that no matter what gender any role can be attained.
Arlene Stewart-Irvine
Title: Manager of Ticket Operations & Analytics
Years With Lions: 17, during which she has helped with three Grey Cup hosting committees.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: It’s an opportunity to celebrate the great achievements of women everywhere! I find inspiration in looking to strong female world leaders, my local talented friends, and the fantastic strong women I have the privilege of working with every day! It’s also a time to reflect and dream with my daughter because I feel like anything is possible for her future.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: If it is your dream to work in sports, do it! I encourage you to shoot for whatever career you want in life, even if it’s not a common one for females. Someday, young girls will look to you and find inspiration to chase their dreams because you helped forge a path!
Alex Ruiz
Title: Manager of Digital Platforms & Social Media
Years With Lions:Â 8 with the Lions plus a previous 6-year run on the digital team of the Calgary Flames.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: As a mom of two little girls, it means more now than it did ever before. I’ve had the great fortune of working for and with many incredible women in my career, and any day that you take the time to celebrate strong, intelligent women only helps show my daughters that they can do absolutely anything they set their heart on.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working sports: It’s a lot of fun, every day is different and like any other job, it can be very challenging! Compared to 14 years ago, when I began working in sports, the playing field has really changed and opened up to include more women at all levels – and that’s great to see!
Additional Comments: Can’t wait to get back on the field at BC Place. Go Lions!
Carolyn Cody
Title: Director of Business Operations & Marketing
Years With Lions: 8
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: It’s a day to acknowledge the groundbreaking work women before us have done to put people like myself in a position of power. Recently, we’ve seen new barriers broken with female referees, players and coaches, and I look forward to when this is no longer an anomaly, but the norm.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: We aren’t rare. Women are as passionate about sports as men, and we can do the job as effectively as anyone else.
Sarah Hale
Title: Manager of Game Operations & Events (below right)
Years With Lions: 6 plus an additional 1 year working on Grey Cup Festivals hosted by Vancouver.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: It’s a way to challenge society to stand up for gender biases and make a stand for equality. It’s a special day to celebrate all the amazing women around the world.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: Women’s equality has always been a struggle, we just have to keep going, keep fighting for everything and one day all women will get to where they want to be. Keep pushing forward, keep pushing boundaries.
Michelle Burgoyne
Title: Coordinator of Fan Services
Years With Lions: 5
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: An opportunity for us all to come together and celebrate the social, political, cultural and economic achievements of women. Today I am proud – of myself, the women that have come before me, and of the women to come. I’m proud of our accomplishments, strength, intuition, and determination to keep fighting to show we belong here.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: Stereotypes are still alive, but we are breaking them down. With every success we have, every new fan we create, we’re building something new. Something that practices what we preach – inclusivity, togetherness, and happiness. We may struggle with a glass ceiling we all thought would have been busted by now, but we work through this all with one thing in mind; we are here to provide the best possible experience for the people who matter most – our fans. Being a woman in sports isn’t about crushing the male-dominated structure; it’s about working together to accomplish amazing things. Because that’s what sports is really about – making amazing things happen.Â
Emma Foerster
Title: Partnerships & Marketing Specialist (left below)
Years With Lions: 5
What does International Women’s Day mean to you: International Women’s Day to me means going the extra mile to reach out and appreciate the strong female role models you have in your life. Whether that is your family members, friends or coworkers, just letting the important women in your life know how much they mean to you and the impact they have made to those around them. I think it also is an important day to recognize powerful women in history who have paved the way for someone like me to now work and thrive in an industry that used to be 100% male-dominated.
Something you want others to know about being a woman working sports: That working in professional sports makes me feel empowered as a woman. I would like people to know that the sports industry (at least the CFL) is run by both men and women equally. I have never felt lesser than in my profession because of my gender and am so proud to work in an organization that is run by such incredible women. I never feel competition from or towards my female colleagues but am constantly inspired and supported instead.
Hilary Romans
Title: Graphic Designer
Years With Lions: 1 to go along with previous experience working in the same role with the Vancouver Canucks.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you:Â International Women’s Day gives us the chance to collectively acknowledge the barriers that have, and continue to affect women. We also get to celebrate those who have been able to triumph in the face of these obstacles and look forward to a day when we can experience a true sense of equality.Â
Something you want others to know about being a woman working in sports: For women, simply being a sports fan can be an incredibly unwelcoming experience, so the idea of breaking into the industry is intimidating, to say the least. That being said, working in sports is exhilarating and fulfilling, and no woman should have to miss out on that type of career. If you want to get into the business, take the chance, it is definitely worth it! We belong just as much as everyone else, and the more representation we can achieve, the easier it will be for females to make their mark going forward.   Â
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com