"We are so proud of the fact that the staff of the Miami HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena is every bit as vibrant, unique and diverse as the city we love and the community we represent. Valuing inclusion and championing diversity is a sound business strategy—but more importantly, it's the right thing to do."

-Eric Woolworth, President of the HEAT Group’s Business Operations

 

Lorrie-Ann “LA” Diaz is a 20-year veteran of the NBA, 19 of them with the Miami HEAT. In her current role of Vice President, Business Communications and Social Responsibility, she oversees public relations efforts and community outreach for the business initiatives of the HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena.

 

A Miami native, Diaz began her career in professional basketball during the 1998-99 season as a Marketing Assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers. She joined her hometown HEAT in the summer of 2000 as an Executive Assistant to the Chief Marketing Officer. After three years in that role, she was promoted to Manager of Advertising. In 2006, she was promoted to Director of Marketing Communications and in 2014, she was elevated to Senior Director where she launched her own department, The HEAT Group Business Communications. In March 2019, she was promoted to her present post.

 

In addition to her duties at the HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena, Diaz is a visible and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community. She’s a member of WISE (Women in Sports & Events) as well as a member of “HEAT Speaks,” a Miami HEAT chapter of Toastmasters. She routinely hosts Q&A sessions with PR and communications students and is a frequent panelist on the topic of women working in professional sports. In 2019, she joined the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce as a member

of the Board of Directors.

 

Diaz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California State University, Los Angeles in 1999 and a Masters of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Miami in 2004. She enjoys the beach, the arts, traveling, reading, writing, cycling and working out. Among her lesser known talents: riding a unicycle, juggling and juggling while riding a unicycle.