PULLMAN, Wash.  – Washington State University Director of Athletics, Patrick Chun, has been invited by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to attend the third annual CAA Amplify, beginning June 24, 2019 in Ojai, Calif.  
CAA Amplify is an invitation-only event convening diverse leading artists and executives from the most impactful organizations in entertainment, sports, media, brands, technology, and social justice. It's hosted in partnership with the agency's philanthropic arm, the CAA Foundation, and provides a dynamic platform for key influencers and decision-makers to share important insights and assess industry trends that are shaping the cultural landscape. Also guided by a strategic collaboration with the Ford Foundation, CAA Amplify enables attendees to interact with top social justice leaders and organizations working to create a more inclusive and equitable world for underrepresented communities. 

"I'm honored to participate in the CAA Amplify summit," Chun said. "It's a unique opportunity to grow and learn about issues of diversity and social impact from some of the best minds in sports, entertainment and media."  

Chun, who has guided Washington State Athletics to great heights in his nearly year-and-a-half in Pullman, will become the first NCAA Division I Athletics Director to attend the Summit. In March of this year, Chun earned the Under Armour AD of the Year Award (ADOY). Despite seeing a changeover of over 30 percent of the staff from the time he began, Chun has instituted programs to benefit student-athlete welfare, specifically mental health awareness. Under his leadership, Cougar programs have reached NCAA Championships in seven sports, while student-athletes have collected 14 All-America certificates, 36 All-Conference and 247 Academic All-Conference selections, and four conference champions.

This year's summit will focus on narrative influence on social change and features a conversation with award-winning actors Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx; writer, director, and producer Destin Daniel Cretton; President of the Ford Foundation Darren Walker; and Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson surrounding JUST MERCY, an upcoming drama from Warner Bros. Pictures based on Stevenson's memoir. 

Additionally, CAA Amplify guests will hear from such innovative leaders as Emmy Award-winning actor, creator, and activist Riz Ahmed; Co-Managing Partner of The Rise Fund Maya Chorengel; President of Samsung NEXT and Chief Innovation Officer of Samsung Electronics David Eun; President and CEO of National Women's Law Center and a Co-Founder of the TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund Fatima Goss Graves; author and former Senior Advisor to President Obama Valerie Jarrett; actor, director, and producer CJ Jones; writer, producer, and director Nahnatchka Khan; playwright, director, and filmmaker Young Jean Lee; Golden Globe-nominated and SAG Award-winning actress, director, and producer Eva Longoria; writer Matthew Lopez; comedian, writer, and host Hasan Minhaj; Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum Ali Noorani; NBA All-Star and President of the NBA Players Association Chris Paul; Founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) John Rice; 24th U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Head Coach of the Miami Heat Erik Spoelstra; and comedian, author, and award-winning political satirist Bassem Youssef, among others. 

"Social action is woven into the fabric of CAA, and has been since 1995, when the new leadership of the agency established the CAA Foundation," said CAA's Ruben Garcia, who helps lead the agency's inclusion and equity initiatives, in a press release. "We are thrilled to continue this collaboration with the Ford Foundation to scale our efforts in driving narrative shift for so many critical social issues." 

CAA was the first talent agency to establish a 501c3 charitable foundation. The CAA Foundation's sole focus is to develop enduring ideas to make a positive impact on the world. The CAA Foundation has led the way in some of the most transformative social action in our industry throughout the past two decades from its longtime efforts supporting public education to latest work in civic engagement, including Take Action Day and I am a voter. 

A leader in the promotion of inclusion, CAA and the CAA Foundation have long focused on the issues of diversity and social impact, and implemented short- and long-term strategies to create sustainable change, within the agency and beyond.