Behind The Scenes

Heroes Work Here: Anita Adams

Anita Adams, associate director of International Sales Init and Syndication

Editor’s note: In March, the Walt Disney Company and President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger announced an important new initiative to recruit and hire military veterans across all segments of the company.

Heroes Work Here. Employ excellence. Hire veterans” is Disney’s pledge to find career opportunities for 1,000 veterans over the next three years. The company has launched a national campaign to encourage all employers to hire veterans. Additionally, employees will be encouraged to serve veterans organizations through Disney’s VoluntEARS program.

This week, in honor of Memorial Day, Front Row will spotlight some of ESPN’s employees who are also veterans. Today’s profile is Anita Adams.

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

ESPN's Heroes Work Here initiative was put into practice this year.

Current Title: Associate Director of International Sales Init and Syndication

Length of time at ESPN: 15 years

Favorite Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

What branch of the military were you in and how long were you enlisted for?
I was in the Air Force for four-and-a-half years and finished out as a sergeant.

Where you stationed out of and what did you focus on?
I did two-and-a-half years in Oklahoma City and two in Frankfort, Germany. I worked in communications that included classified communications for the base I was stationed at. In Germany, I helped oversee communications for the department and certain higher ranking individuals on the base.

Where are you from originally?
Brooklyn, N.Y. and then I moved to Puerto Rico right before high school. After high school, I enlisted in the Air Force.

Why did you choose to work for ESPN?
I knew someone who had just started working here. So I checked out the Web site and saw that I could apply my sports freelance assistant director work. I really liked what I saw when I came. Other companies can’t compare to ESPN because of what we strive for as a company.

How do you feel your military background helps you now?
I was put in a leadership role at a young age, being 19 when I started. They teach you skills that you can use for the rest of your life. One of the big things about the Air Force is that it’s all about teamwork. It helps to come in with that kind of mindset already. In comparison to what we do now in production, it’s the same concept because we’re all working together to get the show on the air. The military helps with organizational skills and time management both of which help me in my day-to-day job. The Air Force’s motto is “lead, follow, or get out of the way;” ESPN is kind of like that too. We like to be the best and expect others to step it up no matter what your job is.

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