(Photo: ESPN MediaZone)

“I have known Laura since she competed in the 2013 Miss America Competition,” said Sam Haskell, Executive Chairman and CEO of the Miss America Organization. “She has class, integrity, and a better knowledge of SEC Sports than anyone I know!”

Laura competed on the Miss America stage with an eloquent ballet routine. She is a graduate of the University of Florida, where she majored in broadcast journalism and also won the 2011 Red Barber Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Laura is an Ambassador for the Miracle League, an organization that builds baseball fields for children with disabilities. She currently resides in her hometown of Atlanta, GA, with her husband, Josh Rutledge, a current MLB infielder for the Boston Red Sox and former University of Alabama baseball player.

The Miss America Organization congratulates Laura on this exciting new opportunity with SEC Nation!

About The Miss America Organization
The Miss America Organization, a 501(c)4 non-profit organization, is the nation’s leading advocate for women’s education and the largest provider of scholarship assistance to young women in the United States, awarding millions of dollars annually. The Miss America Organization is comprised of 51 organizations, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Miss America contestants contribute tens of thousands of community service hours annually and have raised over $16 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Miss America scholarships since 2007. For more information, visit www.MissAmerica.org.