Misha Hurd, DEI Senior Manager for Major League Baseball (MLB)
Misha Hurd is an LMU Class of 2013 graduate who grew up in San Francisco, CA. As an undergraduate student at LMU, she majored in Communication Studies and was a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communications Honors Society. Hurd has fond memories of her instructors, including Prof. Therese Edwards, Dr. Dean Scheibel, Dr. Paige Edley, and Dr. Elaine Walker, all of whom were important mentors. Hurd also had numerous internships throughout her undergraduate career. Her first position was with the LA Clippers' community relations department. Hurd also had the opportunity to spend a semester in Washington D.C., serving as a correspondence associate at the White House, under the Obama administration.
Hurd always knew she wanted to work in the sports industry, but opted to amass a variety of career experiences to ensure she had a wide range of opportunities post-graduation. After LMU, Hurd worked with different sports teams, before landing a full-time role with the San Francisco Giants. She gained exposure to the firm while collaborating closely with executives, such as the VP of Communications, working directly with the President of the SF Giants, and ultimately working her way up to Program Manager.
Hurd values these kinds of opportunities because they are "a really great way to get your foot in the door, especially with communication." Although this role was fulfilling, her dream was always to move to the east coast, which is where she currently resides. During the pandemic, she worked for a professional sports league as well as in real estate. Today, she's returned to baseball, where she serves as the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Senior Manager for Major League Baseball (MLB).
Working in DEI is really important to Hurd because she wants to advocate for underrepresented groups. She places a significant emphasis on promoting baseball among young people of color. Hurd hopes to set an example and help create more opportunities for diverse professionals in the sport. It is imperative to her to expand access and inclusion for people of color and women in the MLB and baseball as a whole. From targeted ticket promotions to outreach programming featuring athletes on the field, DEI and community relations initiatives are an important part of all facets of the MLB today.
Hurd is amazed by how much the Department of Communication Studies has changed since she was a student. She discussed how necessary it is to understand the theoretical concepts in Communication. She is also impressed by innovations in the classes that enable students working on projects to interact with individuals in industries.
Hurd has this advice for current LMU Communication Studies students: "Take advantage of all the opportunities, not only in CMST but on the campus and in Los Angeles. We only get one chance to be in this particular circumstance," she explained, "so we must make the most of our experiences, including getting involved in as many internships as possible and interacting with as many people as we can in order to form meaningful relationships. This is your opportunity to try all the things!"