In the Spotlight

International Women's Day is a day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world, while also raising awareness about the issues that still exist in achieving gender and racial equality. #EmbraceEquity As we commemorate this day, it's important to recognize the many inspiring women from various fields. Their stories serve as a reminder of the potential that women have to achieve their dreams and to effect positive change in the world. Throughout March, we will highlight a few of these women to inspire you to reach your goals.

MARSHA REED: Knowing Her Own Worth

The Bessie Morris Foundation is proud to highlight MARSHA REED in honor of the 2023 International Women's Day.

Marsha was a front runner in reaching the Executive level of a Fortune 100 firm as a woman of color. Marsha rose to become the Vice President - Governance Administration and Assistant Secretary at the Walt Disney Company.

Bessie Morris Foundation's Leadership Academy Toured Walt Disney Studios

It was during Marsh's tenure as Vice President at Disney that Ivory Freeman was introduced to her through a mutual friend, Victor McClinton. When Victor told Marsha about the mission and work of Ivory's passion project, the Bessie Morris Foundation, she wanted to help. Marsha's husband was an adoption social worker for many years, so she fully appreciates giving back to the community.

In turn, Ivory is so respectful of Marsha and her accomplishments and graciousness — not to just her, but to everyone she meets. “It is important to me to show respect to everyone, no matter their station in life. My success is not defined by my career achievements. It's about what I am able to do for those around me who are in need,” said Marsha.

Marsha arranged for the participants of Bessie Morris Foundation's Leadership Academy for middle school girls to have a private tour of Disney Studios. The girls had an amazing time seeing the workings of the Fortune 100 company, known to be among the “World's Most Admired Companies”. The field trip was also an inspiring opportunity to see that an African-American woman can be an executive at one of the largest and well-known companies.

Marsha Reed pictured front-row left in the 2003 Walt Disney Company Annual Report.

Growing Up With an Inspiring Mother

The youngest of six, Marsha grew up in Jamaica, New York, in a single head of household family, i.e., she was raised by her mother with the help of her grandmother. Marsha's parents divorced when she was young. Her mother expected her children to succeed and was their inspiration.

Marsha's mother, Madeline Leigh, worked at the main U.S. Post Office in Manhattan from 7:00 pm to 3:00 am for twenty-five years. Nonetheless, her mother prepared her breakfast, reviewed her homework and sent her off to school in the mornings. Upon Marsha's arrival home from school, Mrs. Leigh would cook dinner, set the table, pray and inquire how her children's day was while they ate dinner together before she headed back to work. Marsha's mother never complained about work or being tired. She was too busy planning and doing what was necessary for her children to succeed. She was intent on each of her children graduating college, and expected them to make the most of their opportunities. All of the children graduated college. Prior to college, Marsha attended Performing Arts High School in Manhattan where she was a drama major. She graduated high school at 16 years old.

The Gift From HBCU Cheyney University

Indeed, Marsha followed her oldest sister's footsteps and graduated from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the oldest Historically Black College in the country, with a Political Science degree. In addition to receiving a superior academic foundation, she met her future husband there. Marsha considers graduating from an HBCU one of the biggest highlights of her life. After graduating from Cheyney in 1978, Marsha attended Widener University and obtained a Paralegal Certificate. On September 16, 2010, Marsha delivered a powerful convocation address to incoming scholars at Cheyney. On May 7, 2011, the University bestowed an honorary doctorate in recognition of the lifetime achievements of Marsha. In 2019, Marsha and Russell funded and established a scholarship at the University for deserving students.

Out of college, Marsha's attempts to gain employment as a paralegal were thwarted. Her first job was at Lease Financing Company, and they paid for her to attend Widener University to obtain her paralegal certificate. However, upon completion of the course, she was informed that the paralegal job was going to a secretary who had no college degree or paralegal certificate. But she didn't allow that to deter her. She got her start at Atlantic Richfield as a word processor in the legal department to prove herself. Eventually she moved to the Community Affairs Department reporting to lobbyists. She applied the skills she learned at Cheyney to succeed - hard work, perseverance, research and be the best that you can be. While at ARCO, she had the opportunity to be mentored by Myrlie Evers, widow of civil rights leader, Medgar Evers, who was an executive in the Community Affairs Department. Myrlie Evers was the first African American executive Marsha had ever seen. In Marsha's eyes, Ms. Evers was strong, deliberate, fearless and courteous all at the same time. She was a woman to emulate.

Years later, after relocating to California and working at The Bekins Company and NBC, in the late 1980s/early 1990s as a paralegal, Marsha said what she learned at Cheyney helped get her through the doors at Disney: "don't allow others to label you; instead stand strong on who you know you are and you are second to no-one." In 1993, nine months after being hired as a litigation paralegal, (where she was the first African American paralegal hired in that department), she was selected for the corporate secretary job, working directly for the CEO, Michael Eisner (and later Bob Iger) of The Walt Disney Company. This was the biggest highlight of her career.

In 1997, Marsha was promoted to Vice President and Secretary. And in 2002, she was promoted to Vice President - Governance Administration and Assistant Secretary. Marsha is extremely proud that during the 27 years that she held the position, she prepared board of directors materials coordinating with departments throughout the company including but not limited to finance, legal, strategic planning, human resources departments, prepared agendas, itineraries, board committee meetings (Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Executive Committee, Governance and Nominating Committee), drafted board and committee meeting minutes, planned and attended board dinners, interacted with numerous board members who were titans of industry/entertainment/education such as Sidney Poitier (actor), Reveta Bowers (Center for Early Education), Steve Jobs (Apple), Cheryl Sandberg (Facebook), John Pepper (P&G), Jack Dorsey (Twitter), Mark Parker (NIKE), Ray Watson (Irvine Company) and numerous others. Additionally, she had a team that managed the corporate records of over 1,000 of the companies' subsidiaries while she served as an officer and/or director of over 1,000 companies domestically and internationally. Some of those subsidiaries included Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures and Television, Marvel, and American Broadcasting Company to name a few. For over 15 years Marsha also served as board member of Partners Federal Credit Union, which is affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Marsha also spearheaded the team that planned the company's Annual Meeting around the country. As many as 13,000 shareholders have attended one single meeting. Those meetings entailed heading up the team from the investor relations department, legal department, CFO's office, communications department, security department, audio visual department and others.

While managing her work career, she was also a wife and mother to her two young children, Marleigh and Russell Jr. Incredibly, while she performed her job, she and her husband never missed a single parent-teacher meeting, children's concert, basketball game, birthday, track meet, football game or any event that the children were involved in. It wasn't uncommon for Marsha to depart on the red-eye out of Los Angeles at 11pm to Orlando, Florida, arrive around 5:30am, travel to Walt Disney World, hold breakfast meetings upon her arrival in Orlando, conduct additional property tours and then head back on the 5:00pm flight to arrive back in Los Angeles to put her children to bed and say good-night.

All that being said, Marsha acknowledges she could not have accomplished all of this without the loving support of her husband, Russell. They have been married 41 years. While alive, their parents were the couple's best friends and cheerleaders. As Marsha was able to obtain her dream job against all odds, she recognized that her husband also had dreams and aspirations. Russell's younger brother, Kendall, who was an honors graduate from Cheyney, was killed during a police traffic stop in Pennsylvania in 1994. This fueled Russell's desire to help his community. Marsha encouraged him while he went back to school in the mid 1990s at the University of Southern California to obtain his master's degree in social work while also working full time and helping with their children. At that time, there were only a couple of African American males in the USC masters social work program and Russell excelled.

Marsha is concerned that young people believe they can have it all at the same time. But she recommends that you focus on making one area your priority: your spiritual home life. One area can support another, BUT your home life is what will sustain you. After 27 ½ years, Marsha retired from Disney and relocated to Florida with her family. It wasn't always a 50/50 split between responsibilities at home, but it was always 100% love and respect between them - with family being the ultimate prize. She and her husband are now grandparents to two toddler boys, Kendall and Kaiden, and a newborn preemie girl, Journi, and they are loving this new phase of life!

Marsha's Message

She is aware that many have tremendous obstacles to overcome — whether it is family, financial, social, health, or educational. Here is Marsha's message to you:

"Over my 27 years at Disney, I was often the only executive of color in meetings. More often than not, whenever I entered a meeting with executives who did not know me, they assumed I was a secretary for one of the executives. It was always amusing to me to see their reaction when I extended my hand and introduced myself. There were so many times year after year I knew I knocked the presentation or meetings I prepared out of the park but was not acknowledged. However, I never let that intimidate me or make feel I wasn't worthy. I knew I had earned my job/title through hard work and dedication. I knew that I would haven't held that position for all the years that I did if I wasn't excelling in my role. After all, I had seen many corporate officers come and go but, in the end, I was ‘still standing' after 27 ½ years. I wasn't forced out, I left on my own terms. And if no one in the company said it, the board members from the top companies in corporate America were always appreciative of my efforts and would let me know directly. My goal was to show others who looked like me to hold fast to your dreams and goals and not let anyone define who you are. You know your own worth. I was grateful for Michael Eisner and Frank Wells betting on ‘little Marsha Leigh Reed from Jamaica, Queens, NY to be the best I could be in such a pivotal role for the company and entrusting me with the board of directors.

"I hope that you will accept life's challenges. Look at life straight in the eye. You always have an option, make a right turn, left turn, or go straight ahead. If you happen to go in the wrong direction, stop and make a different turn. Do not give up. Do not stay on the wrong path. And don't waste time at the side of the road thinking of excuses for this or that — keep moving! Make the turns you need to and keep turning until you are on the path to your destiny. Greatness is there for you—you only have to reach for it."

March 2023