Florence Native Marva Smalls Becomes First Black Woman Named To Heisman Board

Marva Smalls, Global Head of Inclusion and Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Kids & Family Entertainment at ViacomCBS, has been named to the board of trustees for the Heisman Trophy Trust. She is the first Black woman appointed to the position.

Dan Reed, Vice President of Global Media at Meta, was newly appointed to the board as well.

The Heisman Trophy is awarded to “the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.” The trust also bestows the Heisman High School Scholarship, and the Heisman Humanitarian Award.

“Marva Smalls and Dan Reed are distinguished professionals recognized for their leadership and achievements,” Heisman Trust President Michael Comerford said about the appointments. “Smalls and Reed bring decades of experience in media, sports, and diversity & inclusion to further elevate the Heisman Trophy Trust’s mission of utilizing sports to enhance the lives of underserved youth in our country.”
Smalls has been a respected leader in the public and private spheres for over 30 years. She has donated time and resources to fighting childhood obesity, and improving children’s access to sports and recreational programs. She and Reed and the rest of the board will be working on initiatives to further the trust’s “charitable mission of utilizing sports and educational opportunities to enhance the lives of underserved youth in diverse communities across the country.”