Kaz Brown Wins 2024 Athletes Unlimited Civic Leadership Award
Presented by EY
Kaz Brown has been named the winner of the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Civic Leadership Award presented by EY. The award recognizes the breadth and depth of her 2024 civic leadership activities within and beyond Athletes Unlimited, her dedication and passion for civic leadership activities, and the degree to which she embraces the opportunity to be both a professional athlete and civic leader. Brown is the fourth recipient of the award, following Jazmyn Jackson, Cassidy Lichtman, and Mira Shane.
Brown was selected by a voting committee including EY Global Client Services Partner Sarah Francis, Multi-Media Journalist Ari Chambers, The Levinson Group CEO & AU Advisory Board Member Molly Levinson, Green Sports Alliance Executive Director Roger McClendon, and One Love Foundation CEO Julie Myers.
A competitor in Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball since 2023, Kaz Brown was selected for this recognition based on her advocacy work with Lupus Foundation of America. She first partnered with Lupus Foundation through Athletes Unlimited’s Athlete Causes Program in 2023 in honor of her mother, who was diagnosed with lupus nearly 20 years ago. Since then, she has spoken at numerous events, including their annual Walks to End Lupus and National Lupus & You Virtual Summit, to share her experiences and encourage people to get involved with the organization and has also been directly involved in advocating for more government spending to be allocated toward lupus research.
“It is a great honor to be this year’s recipient of the Civic Leadership Award,” Brown said. “My passion for raising awareness and advocacy stems from my mom’s diagnosis. My mom’s journey with lupus has shown me the true meaning of strength and sacrifice. The relationship I’ve developed with the LFA is one I cherish deeply and I’m excited to continue aiding in the fight to find a cure.”
The other finalists for the 2024 Civic Leadership Award presented by EY included Lexie Brown (basketball), Sam Geiersbach (lacrosse), Peyton St. George (softball), and Morgan Hentz (volleyball).
The Civic Leadership Award is presented by EY, which joined Athletes Unlimited as a partner in 2022. As part of the award, EY will contribute to The Lupus Foundation of America in Kaz’s name. Additionally, EY will invite two Athletes Unlimited athletes to participate in its 2025 EY Athlete Career Readiness Program, a self-paced, invitation-only virtual learning program that offers twice-yearly cohort-based career readiness badges for Olympians and elite professional athletes wishing to enhance their skills and knowledge in areas such as Technology Consulting, Leadership, and Business Development.
“I chose to be on the Civic Leadership Award Committee because everything extends beyond sport. Sport is the vehicle for good in the world and these athletes sure do a ton of good,” Chambers said. “The selection process was very carefully thought out. The entire committee had a rich discussion about impact and acknowledged that every single one of these athletes are necessary in their activism and advocacy. Their work is nothing short of admirable and we’re all so impressed with how they juggle games with giving back. Kaz’s cause stuck out for us because her activism is organized. Not only is the Lupus Foundation of America her Athlete Cause, but she also raises awareness both on social media and in real life. She took something so personal and made it an educational and organizational movement. I’m excited to see how she continues to raise awareness for Lupus and beyond.”
