Meet the Women of the Portland Timbers — KATU

For the Portland Timbers, it's all men on the field. Off the field, it's a group of women running the show.

Meet Ashley Highsmith, Sarah Keane, Robin Beavers, PhD, and Heather Davis.

You won't see their faces as much as the athletes', but they're just as crucial to the organization.

"You got to work hard and show up every day," said Chief Operations Officer Ashley Highsmith. "It's no different when you're on the field or off the field."

A sports fanatic and athlete, Highsmith knew at a young age that she wanted to work in the sports realm.

After graduating from Oregon State University in 2003, she left the Beaver Dam to start her career as a Group Ticket Sales Manager at Providence Park Stadium. She had a front-row seat to the club's expansion into Major League Soccer, and Providence Park's numerous renovations.

Over the next few decades, Highsmith continued to climb the sports management ladder. In 2023, her hard work paid off when she earned the position of COO.

Highsmith, a wife and mother of four, says her colleagues at the Timbers Club are her "second family."

Just like the athletes on the field, she and her colleagues play as a team.

"We all want the best for the club, we all want the best for the Timbers [and] we all want the best for the stadium," said Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Sarah Keane. "So, to be able to work together with these amazing women, it's just inspiring all the time."

Keane has an extensive career in nonprofit finance and administration, including roles at Oregon Food Bank, New Avenues for Youth, and the Oregon Zoo.

Growing up, Keane participated in as many sports as she could, but her real love was lacrosse. Her first foray into sports management was back in 2006 when she served as Treasurer for the Oregon Women's Lacrosse Umpire Association.

"I was kind of shy, but sports gave me that confidence," Keane said.

This sentiment rings true for Dr. Beavers, the Timbers' Vice President of Community and Social Impact.

"[Sports] make me feel like I can do anything," she said. "On or off the field or the court, I can do anything anybody else can do."

Dr. Beavers joined the Timbers Club back in 2022. With over 20 years of experience working in nonprofits, youth and family services, higher education, and the mental health field, Dr. Beavers is truly a jack of all trades. She has always made equity and inclusion the heart of her work, and this role is no different.

"It means a lot to be able to use the position to not just uplift communities of colors, but also the city in general," she said.

Working as a female sports executive does come with a set of challenges that will sound familiar to most women.

"We have to prove ourselves in a male-dominated world, and I think that's always a challenge," Dr. Beavers explained.

As a Black woman, this feeling is even more pronounced to her.

“When you grow up as a Black person, there's all these barriers," she said. "And on top of that, being a woman. I just feel like I have to constantly prove myself over and over again.”

Being in leadership at the Timbers means that Dr. Beavers and her colleagues can chart their own path.

"That in itself is just empowering - to be able to work in a sport that is male-dominated, but to be led by women," Dr. Beavers said.

Leading this trio of women is Chief Executive Officer Heather Davis.

Davis was appointed as CEO back in January 2023, making her one of the highest-ranking female sports executives in Oregon's history. "It's been really empowering for me to have support in what is a male-dominated industry, in men's professional sports, to be able to find my own leadership style," she said.

Before joining the club, she spent nine years at the NFL office as the lead legal counsel for international operations.

"Sports has always been an industry and environment that I've felt comfortable in," she said.

She also has experience working in the realm of politics. From 1981-2001, she was a Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Presidential Scheduling during the Clinton Administration. Between 2001 and 2002, she served in the Office of Senator Hilary Clinton as her Director of Scheduling.

With vastly different experiences and areas of expertise, each of these women found a home at the Timbers Club.

"There's lots of roles in a sports team," Keane said. "So, figure out what you wanna do. Maybe you're passionate about accounting, maybe it's marketing, maybe it's on the sporting side and just go out there and get that experience."

Whether it's running on the field or running the whole team, there are roles for women in sports everywhere.

Heather Davis is the highest-ranking female sports executive in Oregon history. Courtesy: Portland Timbers

KATU and the Women's Foundation of Oregon are proud to support SHE FLIES by sharing the stories of influential girls and women in sports throughout 2024.

The Women's Foundation of Oregon is harnessing the power of teamwork to champion girls in sports. We're a group of people who work together to support and promote gender justice. We believe in being free and fair, working as a team, finding happiness, growing, being honest, showing bravery, and making things right.