Lisa Borders | |
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![]() Lisa Borders at WNBA game in 2018 | |
4th President of the WNBA | |
In office February 10, 2016 – October 2, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Laurel J. Richie |
Succeeded by | Cathy Engelbert |
President of the Atlanta City Council | |
In office 2004–2010 | |
Preceded by | Cathy Woolard |
Succeeded by | Ceasar Mitchell |
Personal details | |
Born | c. 1958 (age 65–66) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Relations | William Holmes Borders (grandfather) |
Alma mater | Duke University University of Colorado |
Lisa Michelle Borders (born c. 1958) is the former president and chief executive officer of Time's Up[1][2] and former president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).[3]
Lisa Borders was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Atlanta Public Schools, and later The Westminster Schools in 1965 after her parents wanted a more academically challenging environment for her. At Westminster, she was one of seven African-American students on campus and fellow students were often hostile.[4]
Borders is the granddaughter of civil rights leader Rev. William Holmes Borders, pastor of Atlanta's Wheat Street Baptist Church.[5]
Borders obtained a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a Masters of Science in health administration from the University of Colorado.[6][7] She serves on the Duke University Board of Trustees.[8][9] As an undergraduate, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[10]
Borders was the president of the Henry W. Grady Health System Foundation where she led a five-year $325 million capital campaign before serving with the Atlanta city council.[11][12][13] From 2004 to 2010, she was president of the Atlanta City Council of Atlanta, Georgia, having been elected at-large in an August 10, 2004 special election, her first run for public office. Her duties included presiding over and maintaining relationships with the city government.[14] She was a candidate for mayor of Atlanta in 2009.[15] On November 11, 2009, Borders endorsed mayoral candidate Kasim Reed for the runoff election, occurring between Reed and Mary Norwood on December 1, 2009.[16] Borders was succeeded in office by Ceasar Mitchell.[17]
In 2010, Borders became a founding leader of No Labels, a 501(c)(4) citizens movement of Republicans, Democrats and Independents[18] whose mission is to address the politics of problem solving.[19]
Borders was the vice president of global community affairs at The Coca-Cola Company before becoming the fourth president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) on February 10, 2016.[12] As president, she established live streaming games on Twitter and launched the WNBA's one-day fantasy game. In 2017, the league recorded its highest attendance rate and the season was its most-watched in four years.[20][13] She also served as the league's public face, hosting press conferences and doing a variety of interviews.[21]
In October 2018, Borders left the league to become the first president and chief executive officer of Time's Up.[20] In February 2019, she abruptly left her position at Time's Up due to sexual misconduct accusations against her son.[22]
In 2018, Borders was named by People magazine as one of their 25 Women Changing the World.[23]