T E X A S
MetroNews DELIVERING NEWS YOU NEED
• Vol. 13 • Jan. 9, 2025 - Jan. 15, 2025
MY TRUTH
By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER
Are you a joy to anyone?
Candace Wicks
Teddy Pendergrass in 2000
Fifteen years ago, at the age of 59, Teddy Pendergrass died on January 13. While I recall his many songs, his stage presence, and his movements as he belted out his many hits; I remember him most for sharing his testimony, about surviving a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down, a tetraplegic. To his credit, he not only continued to record, but he performed on stage at concerts and also at the famed Apollo Theatre. He starred in the gospel musical, Your Arms Too Short to Box with See JOY TO ANYONE, page 3
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Cynt Marshall’s Next Act
Philanthropist, executive, humanitarian, author, mentor lifts as she climbs els of the organization. Her dedication to creating a more equitable workplace has garnered national attention and established the Mavericks as a role model for businesses across the sports industry and beyond. “I’m proud that our values didn’t just hang on the walls, but that they operated in the halls is what I wanted…and people are living out those values,” Marshall told Texas Metro News recently. “Our vision to be a value-based employer has come to life and our workplace promise is ‘every voice matters and everybody belongs,’ and I guess I’m the most proud of the fact that it’s not just a tagline, it’s true. “As a team, we made it better. It is a different organization on the business side now than before. I’m proud of what we put in place and I’m blessed that the Lord and Mark Cuban called me to lead it. We are not perfect. We have a long way to go. But we are not the organization we were in 2018.”
By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor Texas Metro News
Usually, when people think of retirement, they think of sunny skies, laying on the beach, and doing nothing at all…or doing whatever you want. All day, every day. Not so for 65-year-old Cynt Marshall whose seven year tenure as the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks came to an end Dec. 31 with her retirement. Originally hired on a three-year contract, Marshall not only transformed the organization, but left an indelible mark on the greater Dallas community. “Bringing Cynt to the Mavericks six years ago was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made,” said Mark Cuban, the Mavs’ minority owner who was the majority owner of the team at the time when he brought Cynt to the franchise. “She has led this organization to new heights with grace and integrity, and her light will continue to shine bright throughout the community. Thank you, Cynt.”
ENTER CYNT MARSHALL Marshall became the first Black female CEO in NBA history when she was hired in 2018 to reshape the Mavericks after a Sports Illustrated report detailed years of sexual harassment and misconduct in the franchise. During her tenure, Marshall created a 100-day plan to revamp the corporate culture and set new standards for inclusion,
RETIREMENT AND ACT III
Cynt Marshall at Mavs game.
business effectiveness, and corporate responsibility. As a result, two years after her arrival, the Mavs received the NBA’s Inclusion Leadership Award in 2020 and 2022. Under her leadership, the organization built a foundation of trust, and fostered a culture rooted in transparency, respect, and
accountability. She redefined the Mavericks’ culture through a comprehensive overhaul of their workplace policies and as a result, the Mavs became one of the most diverse and inclusive workplaces in sports, with a focus on empowering everyone, including women and people of color at all lev-
Instead of jetting off into the sunset like many retirees rightfully get to do, the always bubbly, always busy, always bustling Marshall is busy preparing for what she affectionately calls her “Three B’s - books, boards and the babies -” which will make up her Act III in life. Act 1 ended when she experienced her first retirement in 2017 from AT&T after 36 years as its chief diversity officer and See NEXT ACT, pages 12-13