DEI Series | Diversity in Sports

Since her appointment in 2016, she has elevated the LA84 Foundation into a national leader in the role that sports have in positive youth development. She has expanded the Foundation’s mission in vital ways by focusing its work on supporting childhood health, the socio-emotional development of young people and community well-being.

Simril has brought new resources to communities to remove barriers to access to sports and play for children by collaborating with corporate partners, sports organizations, civic institutions and philanthropy. Inspired by many organizations working to improve the lives of youth, Simril founded the play equity movement to drive meaningful change. This gave rise to the Play Equity Fund – the LA84 Foundation’s charitable partner. The organization builds opportunities for kids from all backgrounds to play, works to create systems change, and increases awareness about how issues of access significantly impact future generations.

Simril has a longstanding commitment to leadership and service, with more than 25 years of diverse experience – including a background in government, business, pro sports, and publishing. Prior to the LA84 Foundation, Simril served as Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff to the Publisher of the Los Angeles Times, overseeing 900 staff members. Previously she was also the Senior Vice President of External Affairs for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with responsibilities that included the team’s community affairs, government relations and its charitable foundation. For over a decade, Simril worked in mixed-use real estate development with Jones Lang LaSalle, Forest City Development and LCOR, Inc.

As Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Housing in the Hahn Administration, she worked to expand rental, affordable housing and economic policies. As Development Deputy to LA City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, Simril helped steward over $5 billion to rebuild communities in South Los Angeles after the 1992 civil unrest. She began her career in the U.S. Army, serving as a Military Police Officer in Germany and domestically.

In 2022, Simril was appointed to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being, a statewide effort to enact policy and funding priorities to ensure healthy Californians of all ages. As well as serving as an advisor to national task forces, boards and commissions, Simril’s writing has appeared in Authority Magazine, EdSource.org, Forbes, the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Los Angeles Daily News and The Sacramento Bee. Simril recently served as a Regents’ Lecturer in the UCLA Department of Sociology, a program where leaders from outside of academics enrich instruction. She also spoke to the Board of Councilors at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Simril was instrumental in forging a historic collaboration with the 12 pro sports teams in Southern California and the Play Equity Fund to form The Alliance, which is advancing workforce development, leadership and social justice with local students. She developed the Super Bowl LVI Legacy Program, “Champions Live Here” – providing funds for a mobile vehicle to bring healthy activities to communities without parks – in addition to support for 56 nonprofits. As a legacy of the 2023 College Football Championship, Simril created the “Champions Educate Here” program, which awarded 46 local educators who utilize play to help students recover from the effects of the pandemic with up to $20,000.

A third generation Angeleno who grew up in Carson, Simril serves on the boards of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, and the ESPN Return to Play Advisory Council. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s in Real Estate Development from USC. Simril lives in Studio City with her husband and two sons.

Maia is on the Advisory Council for AWE (Asian Women Empowered) and is the inaugural Winter Olympic Athlete Representative of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation NextGen Program. She has served as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. State Department since 2017. In that role, she promotes cross-cultural understanding and empowers the next generation of leaders through diplomacy.

Her third children’s book, Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All was released on April 18th, 2023.

Born in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Jun is the youngest of four children and grew up in a soccer-loving family. All of her siblings also play soccer and her father is a soccer coach. When Jun was 10 years old, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck her hometown of Fukushima. Her family survived and stayed in the region, but due to safety regulations Jun couldn’t play soccer outdoors for months after the disaster. Her dedication to the sport meant she continued practicing indoors and honed her signature skills in dribbling and control over the ball. Despite adversity, Jun built her career and first played for the Japan U-17 national team at the 2016 World Cup; she went on to several championships and was often the youngest player on her squad. In 2019, she won the Asia Football Confederation's Women's Club Championship with Tokyo Verdy Beleza.

Will played professionally for WBC Team Philippines in the World Baseball Classic Qualifying Tournament (2012) and with the Texas Rangers organization (2013).

After his stints professionally, he took internship positions with the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees to obtain a first-hand view of baseball operations. Prior to joining the Dodgers, Will served as general manager for WBC Team Philippines in 2015. He was tasked to create a team with Filipino American Minor League players living in the United States and Filipino prospects residing in the Philippines.

Will initially joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as Kenta Maeda’s interpreter (2016-2018). Being exposed to how the Dodgers operate, he became a development coach for the Dodgers’ 3A affiliate in Oklahoma City (2019), where he learned to apply technology and data into the day-to-day operations within the team, as well as coaching first base. He was promoted to the Major League team as Performance Operations Coordinator (2020-2021) operating in a similar capacity but at the Major League level.

Will enters his 8th year in the organization and 2nd year in his current role as Performance Operations Manager. He manages the daily processes within the Major League team during the season and oversees projects that require cross-departmental collaboration during the offseason. The position has allowed him to be involved in both run production and run prevention, as well as scouting domestically and internationally.

Currently living in Los Angeles, Will travels with the team during the season and to Japan during the offseason.