Meet Our Team
Committed to excellence, the WFA Leadership Team has the brightest minds dedicated to advancing women’s tackle football to a professional league.
Wyndy Flato
Director of Operations
WFAProfootball@gmail.com
RICH DANIEL
DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS
Mia Ben, M.D.
Medical Director
WFA Advisory Board
The Women’s Football Alliance Advisory Board is comprised of successful businesswomen who have also dedicated their time and effort to the success of women’s tackle football either as players or as owners and managers. Additionally, their experience working with the NFL and/or USA Football brings a depth of football knowledge that will help propel the growth and recognition of women’s tackle football on a national and international level.
LORI LOCUST
Defensive Line Assistant Coach-Tampa Bay Buccaneers
First female full time coach to win a Super Bowl. 2019-Present- Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Line Coach, 2019 Defensive Line Coach for Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football. 2018 Defensive coaching intern Baltimore Ravens
KATIE SOWERS
2016-2021 NFL Coach- San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, KC Chiefs. 2017 OutSports Hero of the Year, Wide Receivers Coaching Intern, Atlanta Falcons (2016), Scouting Intern, Atlanta Falcons (2016-2017),WFA American Conference Offensive MVP (2014),USA National Football Team Member/ Game MVP (2013)
LINDA BACHE
Chicago Force Owner (2005-2017)
2013 WFA Owner of the Year, 2013 WFA National Champion – Chicago Force, MVP Chicago Force – 2005, 2006, 2008, Chicago Force Player (2002-2008), Senior Account Manager, Fuel Industry – 20+ years
Michigan State University (Bachelor’s), D1 Varsity Softball Scholarship Athlete, All-Big 10, All-Midwest Region
ELIZABETH OKEY
USA Football, Board of Directors – Executive Committee Member
2013 U.S. Women’s Football National Team – Gold Medalist, 2013 WFA National Champion – Chicago Force, MVP Chicago Force, Offensive Line – 2014
MARIROSE ROACH
Managing Partner, Roach Leite, LLC (Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey)
Former Scouting Intern, New York Jets, Managing Partner, Roach Leite, LLC (Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey), Founder, FootballHers, Inc., Player/League Advisory Committee, Legends Football League, WFA Player of the Year 2009
ALLYSON HAMLIN
Homicide Detective, Prince George County
1997 ACC Championship- Softball-Maryland, 11 Time All-American WFA as QB for DC Divas, 99-24 Career Record, 3 National Championships, 236 career TD passes, 2 time Gold Medalist, US National Team
SAMI GRISAFE
World-Class Athlete and Award Winning Artist
World-Class Athlete and Award-Winning Artist. Sami has been described by BuzzFeed as “The most inspiring combination of sports and music you will ever see”. She gained national attention for her football accomplishments as the award-winning starting quarterback for the Chicago Force Women’s Professional Football Team. As the quarterback for Team USA, she led the U.S. Women’s National Team to 3 Gold Medal wins in the I.F.A.F. Women’s World Championship, where she was awarded the MVP twice (2013, 2017). First female in California to play quarterback in a varsity, Division I football game and was inducted into her High School Hall of Fame in 2014. The singer-songwriting QB was named Rock Entertainer of the Year by the Chicago Music Awards and has also received a nod from the Recording Academy, receiving 5 Grammy Pre-Nominations in 2012. In collaboration with Los Angeles-based producers, Eren Cannata and KOIL PreAmple, Sami’s first full-length studio album, Open Field, serves as the soundtrack for the feature-length documentary of the same name.
TIMOTHY BAGHURST
Director, Florida State University COACH
Timothy Baghurst is the Director of FSU COACH: Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching at Florida State University. A native of England, Tim holds a Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Bangor. Tim’s research interests have migrated from body image to modeling health in the health and sport professions, stress and burnout in coaching, and coach evaluation methods. He has had over 100 peer-reviewed articles published, along with 4 books, and is a Research Fellow of SHAPE America.
DAMION TOPPING
Head of Analytics and Business Intelligence, Intuit
WFA Board of Representatives
Derek Smith (Sun City Stealth)
Molly Goodwin (Boston Renegades)
Laura Brown (Minnesota Vixen)
Adam Barrett (Nevada Storm)
Lily Messina (Austin Outlaws)
T. Banks (Derby City Dynamite)