Laila Ali to speak at Excellence in Leadership Series at Cumberlands

Laila Ali, who is the daughter of legendary boxing icon Mohammed Ali and who sports a pretty impressive undefeated boxing resume of her own, will be the keynote speaker for the University of the Cumberlands’ Excellence in Leadership Series, which is sponsored by The Forcht Group of Kentucky.

Laila Ali, daughter of the late Muhammad Ali, will be speaking at this year’s Excellence in Leadership Series on University of the Cumberlands’ campus. The event will be held Tuesday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m.

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. in the O. Wayne Rollins Center on Cumberlands’ campus. Tickets are free and will be available to the public starting March 1 at ucumberlands.edu/tickets.

“We are very pleased to have Laila Ali coming to Williamsburg,” said Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, President of the University. “Laila is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion, mother, home chef, author, wife, television host, and lifestyle expert. She is also the daughter of the late Muhammad Ali, who was a champion boxer, renowned humanitarian, and global icon. We believe Laila has a great story to share with our students and the community.”

Laila Ali is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion, whose stellar record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses.

She is the first woman in history to provide expert commentary for NBC Sports and is a panelist and contributor for CBS Sports’ We Need to Talk, the first-ever nationally televised all-female sports talk show. She is a past president of the Women’s Sports Foundation. Ali also supports charitable organizations, such as Feeding America and Peace 4 Kids.

Most recently, Ali has gained recognition for her role as a lifestyle expert, authoring a cookbook and hosting a podcast and television show that dive into what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. She has had numerous guest roles on television, ranging in genre from cooking shows to Dancing with the Stars.

“We’re all here for a reason,” Ali said in a recent interview. “I want to share some of the things I have been through and encourage others to not let their past define them. You can always find your way.”

UC’s annual lecture series is made possible by an endowment from local business owners Dr. Terry and Mrs. Marion Forcht, who founded The Forcht Group of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Leadership in 2006.

The purpose of the Center is to provide programs and activities that enhance the development of leadership, character and good citizenship. Past speakers in the series have included Roy Moore, Zell Miller, Stephen Covey, Ben Stein, Karl Rove, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Charles Krauthammer, Dr. Ben Carson, Fred Thompson, Dr. William “Will” Franklin Graham IV, the grandson of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, Shaquille O’Neal and Terry Bradshaw.

“We’re proud to sponsor the Excellence in Leadership speaker series for the last 13 years,” said Terry Forcht, Chairman of Forcht Group of Kentucky.

Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, University of the Cumberlands is an institution of regional distinction offering quality undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online degree programs. Learn more at ucumberlands.edu.