SILVER SPRING, MD — January 20, 2026 — The T. Howard Foundation today announced the appointment of Rosalyn Durant as Chair of its Board of Directors. Durant, Executive Vice President of Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN will serve a two-year term in this leadership role. Her appointment holds special significance, as Durant first joined the organization as a T. Howard Foundation intern, a journey that embodies the foundations mission in action.
Durant’s ascent from Foundation intern to Board Chair represents the ultimate full-circle moment in the organization’s 30-year history. As a college student at the University of South Carolina, she was selected for the T. Howard Foundation’s Internship Program (1997) and placed at Turner in network sales before being placed at ESPN in affiliate sales and marketing (1998). That experience launched a career that has spanned more than 26 years at Disney and ESPN, where she has risen to become one of the most influential executives in sports media.
“Rosalyn Durant is living proof that when you open doors for talented young people, they don’t just walk through, they create lasting change,” said Judi Lopez, President and CEO of the T. Howard Foundation. “She arrived at our program as a determined college student with big dreams, and today she leads transformative deals that shape how the world experiences sports. Her journey from THF intern to Board Chair isn’t just inspiring, it’s the very heartbeat of why this Foundation exists. Rosalyn understands what access and opportunity can do because she’s lived it. There is no one better equipped to guide our mission forward.”
Durant has served on the T. Howard Foundation’s Board of Directors, maintaining deep ties with the organization throughout her career. In her current role at ESPN, she oversees programming strategy across linear and direct-to-consumer (DTC), media rights acquisitions both domestically and internationally, DTC management, Andscape, espnW and sports business development and innovation. Her career highlights include playing a pivotal role in both the NBA’s historic ‘Bubble’ season restart and the MLS is Back Tournament that were held at Walt Disney World during the pandemic, the recent 11-year extension with the NBA and spearheading the successful launch of the ACC Network. She also played a key role in ESPN’s groundbreaking NFL deals as well as ESPN’s most recent agreements with MLB, College Football Playoff, ACC, NCAA Championships, Premier Lacrosse League, National Women’s Soccer League, TGL, USTA, Athletes Unlimited and the agreement that brought Inside the NBA to ESPN.
“T. Howard Foundation saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself,” said Rosalyn Durant. “My internship experiences at Turner and ESPN opened doors that changed the trajectory of my life. I’ve been fortunate to build a career I love, and I know that journey began with someone believing I belonged in rooms I hadn’t yet imagined. To serve as Chair of this Board is a profound honor. I look forward to helping ensure that more young people get the same chance I did – to live their dreams.”