Katie Gernsbacher & Suzanne Potts Added to FIERCE Board

FIERCE is ecstatic to welcome two new members to its Board of Directors: Katie Gernsbacher and Suzanne Potts.

Katie Gernsbacher joins FIERCE with a background in supply chain operations - formerly as an Officer in the Marine Corps, and currently in Consumer Packaged Goods at Siete Foods. In addition to her professional background, Katie has an extensive soccer background, playing club soccer in Austin, D1 soccer at the University of Texas and the University of North Texas, and currently playing with the WPSL Semi-Pro team Austin Rise FC.

Soccer was a formative pillar of Katie's development that she has carried into her career and life. Having grown up in Austin's soccer community, she is drawn to the mission of advancing women’s soccer. Katie believes in the transformative power of the grassroots game and in providing young women athletes with the structured coaching and environment to thrive. She is eager to apply her experience in operational strategy and high-level soccer to help impact FIERCE and empower the next generation of female players in Austin.

Suzanne Potts, LMSW, MPH is the Executive Director of Morgan's Message, a national nonprofit that advocates and educates about athlete mental health after working for almost a decade as the Chief Wellbeing Officer and National Director at Athletes for Hope. Additionally, Suzanne has been an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin in the School of Social Work since 2011 and taught Program Design at the George Washington University, School of Business in the Sports Philanthropy Certificate Program.

Suzanne is a strategic nonprofit professional with a passion for supporting athlete mental health. She previously served as the Executive Director for the Autism Society of Texas and has worked as a capacity-builder and funder with organizations such as Mission Capital, OneStar Foundation and LIVESTRONG. She has worked in both clinical and administrative social work settings and as a former collegiate soccer player, truly values the intersection between sports and social work.

FIERCE's Director of Operations, Sara Asbeck, shared her excitement for these new additions to the Board of Directors:

FIERCE could not be more excited to add Katie and Suzanne to the FIERCE Board! They each bring a wealth of knowledge from their industries, and intimately understand the demands of women’s soccer on and off the field. They are both wonderful leaders and role models for FIERCE’s players, and we look forward to the impact each will have on FIERCE’s mental health, leadership, and soccer programming.

Both Katie and Suzanne have hit the ground running, working with FIERCE Staff on programming that shapes FIERCE players into life-ready leaders. The club cannot wait to see the positive impact Katie and Suzanne will have on FIERCE United and every young lady that steps through the program!