De Anna Sheffield Ward thought she would spend most of her adult life as a TV reporter, but her career path has taken a few different turns since she first hit the airwaves more than two decades ago.

Now, Ward is in her second year with the Rays as vice president of media and communications, working to draw awareness to what’s happening throughout the organization. She joined the club after a 14-year run with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.

In her short time on the job, Ward has helped organize many memorable initiatives that generated robust media attention. One that stands out occurred on April 12 of last year, when the Rays asked 8-year-old Chloe Grimes, who had battled cancer, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The catcher was Grimes’ favorite player, Brett Phillips.

Before the ceremony, Grimes had given Phillips a bracelet for good luck. An hour later, magic happened -- while Grimes was being interviewed on the local TV broadcast in the third inning, Phillips hit a home run. Postgame, following the Rays’ 9-8 victory over the A’s, Phillips was emotional talking about Grimes.

• 'Chloe, you're an inspiration': Phillips homers for young fan

“Why that touched me is that a lot of times our fans are so enamored with the players, of course,” Ward said. “[The fans] also want to connect with them on a personal level.”

Ward has also provided leadership during difficult times. Following several shootings in the Tampa area in early 2022, a staff member came up with the idea of implementing a gun violence awareness campaign. Ward took the proposition to Rays chief public affairs and communications officer Rafaela A. Amador Fink, and in less than 24 hours, the two were working on a plan to bring that campaign to life.

In May, the Rays teamed up with the Yankees for one game of a series between the two teams and tabled baseball talk on their Twitter accounts, opting instead to provide factual information about gun violence in America. When Ward explained the initiative to the Yankees, they said, “We’ll join you.”

“When I say amazing, it was an all-team effort, meaning we had staff members who were looking at facts,” Ward said. “We wanted to keep it factual. This wasn’t about whether people should have guns. It was focusing on what was going on in the country.

“When the pieces came together, I remember being in the press box and we were seeing how people reacted. … We had a chance to speak up for something. We knew it could have ramifications, but we have a responsibility to speak up. Staff members were proud, whether you worked in the clubhouse or were part of the public affairs team or in finance. You were allowed to speak up and say what you thought, and it goes back to leadership.”

After her first year with the team, Ward is enthusiastic to start her second season, which will include several events planned around the 25th anniversary of the Rays’ inaugural season in 1998. Ward couldn’t reveal what was in store, but she hinted there are “surprises along the way.”

“What is thrilling for us is to reconnect and tell that story to fans who were there from the beginning,” she said.

Ward the TV journalist

Dating back to when she was 6 years old, Ward would take the belt from her mother’s robe, pretend it was a microphone and announce the news of the day.

As an adult, she reached her dream of becoming a broadcaster, After graduating from Jackson State University, Ward began her career working in local television as a reporter, anchor and community affairs host in six different television markets, including spending six years with WTSP-TV Tampa Bay from 2001-07.

“I joke and say I’m nosey. I like to ask a lot of questions, so it was the perfect job for me,” she said.

Ward later decided to change course and spent those 14 years in various marketing, communications, development and corporate partnership roles with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and of Tampa Bay.

“I always wanted to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a mentor, but because of my career, I moved a lot. Whenever the contract was up, I was gone,” Ward said. “When I moved to Florida and realized I would be here for more than a one-year contract, I actually became a mentor.”

It was during that time that Ward became a big sister to a 7-year-old Tampa girl named Sharmel. That little sister, who is now 28, ended up leaving a lasting impact on Ward, who decided to seek a different career path and work for the non-profit full-time.

“She has so much energy and, despite some of the challenges going on in her life and in her community, she was very focused,” Ward said. “She impressed me and had more life experiences at that young age than I did when I was in high school and a young adult.”

In her current position with the Rays, Ward enjoys bringing community-minded stories to the fans, to relay the important work players do off the field.

“Your diehard fans are going to know the stats. But they also want to know beyond that,” Ward said. “That’s my job, and I want to make sure those stories are being told.”