The Institute for Sport and Social Justice Expands Board of Directors With Four New Members
ORLANDO – April 23, 2025 – Today, the Institute for Sport & Social Justice (The Institute) announced the appointment of four new members to its Board of Directors: Kaia Forget, Quashan Lockett, Eric Nyquist, and Curtis Walker. Following the appointment of these new leaders, the board will comprise 18 total board members with over 100 years of combined sports leadership and service experience.
“We are proud to welcome this outstanding group of leaders to our board, individuals who reflect our core values and bring a shared, deep commitment to harnessing the power of sport for meaningful social change,” said Dr. Jeffrey O’Brien, CEO of The Institute. “As we face growing challenges from federal and state policies that threaten the progress we’ve made, the perspectives and leadership of board members from states like Florida and Texas are especially critical to advancing our mission.”
Since Dr. O’Brien was named CEO in August 2022, the Institute has empowered thousands of learners during over 300 Huddle Up (HU) training sessions with high school and collegiate athletic departments and professional sports organizations nationally and globally. Huddle Up is the Institute’s umbrella training program, addressing a wide range of issues relevant to sport organizations, including gender equity and violence (sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender construction, language), the full spectrum of diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging (DEIB), and leadership development. With nearly 40 years of experience and expertise in advancing social justice through educational empowerment and leadership, the Institute continues to catalyze the power of sport to affect positive change in society.
Meet the Board of Directors:
Kaia W. Forgét joined in September 2024 and is the Vice President of Community Impact & DEI for Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride. She joined the Club’s front office in 2015 as the former USL franchise played its first season in Major League Soccer, added an 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 focuses 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.
Quashan Lockett joined in February 2025 and is the Chief Operating Officer of the Pac-12 Conference where he oversees all people, organizational, financial, and administrative operations across the Conference and its related entities. Rooted in purpose and driven by impact, Quashan is focused on shaping the industry through a disruptive, inclusive, and people-centered approach. He is a dynamic business leader with more than 20 years of experience scaling high-growth, mission-aligned companies and leading strategic transformations with a proven track record of success in building organizational culture, systems, capabilities, and infrastructure to advance strategic alignment, drive scalable growth, and create lasting impact. In 2020, Leaders Sports Awards named Quashan one of the top leaders in sport under 40, recognizing his transformative impact on the industry.
Eric Nyquist joined in June 2024 and is the Chief Impact Officer for NASCAR. Nyquist has led strategic development processes across the sport for nearly two decades, managing the organizational restructuring, operational direction, and future strategic path of over a dozen different operating divisions. In this role, Nyquist works closely with NASCAR President Steve Phelps, ownership, and senior leadership in coordinating key strategic development activities and operations across NASCAR’s five offices, 15 company-owned racetracks, and numerous industry stakeholders.
Curtis Walker joined in February 2025 and is TurnkeyZRG’s Vice President. In this role, he oversees recruitment across revenue positions, focusing exclusively on corporate partnership positions (sales, strategy, and service). Before joining TurnkeyZRG, Curtis sold and activated marketing partnerships at the United Soccer League (USL) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB), where he focused on commercial outreach, strategy & new business development. Curtis also serves as the Co-Founder of the Black Sports Business Academy – a non-profit organization which exists to enhance the learning experience and career outcomes for students at HBCUs who are interested in pursuing a career in sports.
Continuing their service on the Institute board are:
- Dr. Richard Lapchick – Founder & President, The Institute
- Dr. Jeffrey O’Brien – CEO, The Institute
- Laila Brock – Senior Vice President, Atlanta Dream
- Teresa Gould – Commissioner, Pac-12
- Dan Guerrero – Partner, DHR Global
- C. Keith Harrison – Professor of Business, HipHop and Sport at UCF
- Jon Harris – CEO, AthLife
- Tanya Hughes – Olympian and Consultant
- Paul Kaplan – Attorney
- Nicolet Lewis – Chief People Office, Detroit Pistons
- Chris Monasch – Interim Director of Athletics, CUNY York College
- Allyce Najimy – CEO and Executive Director of the Foundation To be Named Later (FTBNL)
- Peter Roby (Chair) – Retired Athletic Director, Dartmouth and Northeastern
- Joseph Walsh – Senior Vice President & Culture, Arizona Diamondbacks
Learn more about our full board of directors here.
