Joseph Walsh
Joe Walsh – Senior Vice President, People and Culture
Joe Walsh is in his sixth season as the Senior Vice President of People & Culture for the Arizona Diamondbacks, his tenth in Major League Baseball and his 23rd in the professional sports industry. In his role, Walsh oversees all people related responsibilities for the D-backs including culture, leadership development, talent acquisition, retention, Team Player relations, total rewards, organizational development, wellness, HRIS and payroll. He also develops and delivers the D-backs’ Leadership Academy, an annual yearlong cohort of Team Players engaged in classroom leadership development curriculum.
Prior to his move to Arizona, Walsh was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Palace Sports & Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons from 2013-17. In Detroit, he was a member of the PS&E Executive Leadership Team overseeing the Human Resources Function for the NBA franchise as well as Pine Knob Music Theater, the Meadow Brook Amphitheater and the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill. He joined the Palace in July of 2013 from his position as Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources at TaylorMade-adidas Golf in Carlsbad, Calif., where he led all Human Resources functions, strategies, tactics, and teammates in the US and overseas for the No. 1 golf equipment brand in the world.
Walsh previously spent 4 seasons (2007-10) in Major League Baseball as the Vice President of Human Resources for the Los Angeles Dodgers where he was responsible for all aspects of Human Resources including coaching, leadership development, recruiting, training, employee relations, administration, compliance, compensation, benefits and organizational development. While with the Dodgers, Walsh was instrumental in developing and implementing a new mission, vision and values with the team president and executive team as well as his work with the club’s Minor League
He and his wife, Deborah, along with their daughters, Rylie and Reese, live in Scottsdale.
Kaia W. Forget
Kaia W. Forgét is the Vice President of Community Impact & DEI for Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride. She joined the front office of the Club in 2015 as the former USL franchise played their first season in Major League Soccer, added a NWSL professional women’s team in 2016, and built a downtown soccer-specific stadium in 2017. She currently leads the Club’s corporate social responsibility strategy which is focused on creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture of belonging across the enterprise and beyond. She also serves as the Executive Director of Orlando Soccer Foundation, Inc., whose mission is to leverage the popularity and reach of professional soccer to support efforts that advance the well-being of youth, promote health and wellness, and assist, encourage, and enrich the lives of those in need in the Central Florida community.
Originally from New Hampshire, Kaia attended Canisius College in Buffalo, NY on a Division I soccer scholarship where she earned a B.A. in Communication Studies. After graduation she played one year for the Buffalo FFillies USL W-League team while completing an AmeriCorps service year working in the Buffalo community. Kaia moved to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida where she earned an M.A. in Mass Communication. She spent seven years working for Orange County Public Schools, three years with the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, and seven years at the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership (EBI), a Center of Excellence at Rollins College’s Crummer Graduate School of Business.
In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for The Institute, Kaia is a Member of the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC), serves on the Corporate Equality Council for The Pride Chamber, is a Special Olympics Florida – Race For Inclusion Committee Member, 100 Women Strong – Central Florida Member, Heart of Florida United Way – Women United Member, and a WISE – Women in Sports & Events – Member & Mentor. Outside of her professional commitments, Kaia has two daughters, enjoys sports and the outdoors, and loves to travel.
