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Radio Advertising Bureau, BMI and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Announce Completion of the 13th Annual Management and Training Program

NEW YORK – September 1, 2021 – The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), in conjunction with Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW), is pleased to announce the completion of the 13th annual Rising Through the Ranks program, the first to be held virtually. Twenty-six scholarship recipients completed the rigorous professional development training program that took place weekly for five consecutive weeks  throughout the month of August.

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2021 Graduates with Erica Farber and Kim Johnson, RAB


Scholarship recipients were selected after applying for the program. The curriculum focused on the specific needs of women in radio management or those aspiring to move into management positions and worked to enhance their overall knowledge and skills.


Sessions from this year’s seminar included: 

  • Managing Teams’ Personalities 
  • Building Your Personal Brand 
  • Having Difficult Discussions 
  • Role of Today’s Radio Manager 
  • Managing Up, Down and Sideways 
  • Modern Female Manager 
  • Recruiting, Hiring and Firing 
  • Budgeting, Forecasting and P&L 
  • The Connected Vehicle Today and Tomorrow – What Does that Look Like for Radio? 
  • What I Know Now 

Featured speakers included:

  • Hartley Adkins, president of markets group, iHeartMedia 
  • Donna Detweiler, senior manager, broadcast services, Xperi 
  • Erica Farber, president and chief executive officer, RAB 
  • Kim Guthrie, former president and chief executive officer, Cox Media Group 
  • Kim Johnson, director of sales, Radio Advertising Bureau 
  • Laurie Kahn, president and chief executive officer, Media Staffing Network 
  • Susan Larkin, chief operating officer, Audacy 
  • Val Maki, senior vice president/market manager, Bonneville International 
  • Ginny Morris, chair and chief executive officer, Hubbard Radio 
  • Beth Neuhoff, president and chief executive officer, Neuhoff Media 
  • Ruth Presslaff, board president, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. 
  • Dan Spears, vice president, industry relations, BMI 
  • Erika Sylvia, market controller, Emmis Communications

The curriculum was customized to feature practical and real-world applications that graduates could immediately use within their own companies. Additionally, the intimate setting allowed for personal success stories and leadership journeys from the featured radio executives.


“Even though Rising Through the Ranks was virtual this year, it was as intimate, engaging and rigorous as past programs,” noted Erica Farber, president and chief executive officer, RAB. “These talented women were able to not only develop new radio management skills they took back to their companies immediately after each class but became an interconnected network of future leaders during the midst of a global pandemic.”


“BMI has been proud supporters of the Rising Through the Ranks program since its inception,” said Dan Spears, vice president, industry relations, BMI. “This year’s virtual seminar provided these talented participants with multiple days of networking, education and mentorship from leading executives, giving an insider’s look into how to succeed in the radio industry. We were thrilled to provide the scholarships to these deserving women, and I look forward to watching them ‘rise through the ranks’ after applying what they’ve learned from this invaluable five-day seminar.”


“From the quality of the applicants to the palpable energy of the group, over Zoom no less, the 2021 Rising Through the Ranks program was overflowing with talent and promise,” said Ruth Presslaff, board president of Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc.  “It was a privilege to present to this year’s class and see what great potential lies within these women as they continue to climb in their careers while making a positive impact on our business.”


“While I’m learning SO much from all of the presenters and having great takeaways, I’m mainly inspired by the other women in the group,” noted Gina Ochs, digital manager, The Cromwell Group, Inc. “It’s really neat to hear from women in similar positions or predicaments in the workplace. Everyone is really open and candid about their struggles, and I find myself relating to them.”


2021 Rising Through the Ranks Graduates:


Marissa Austin

Cox Media Group, San Antonio, Texas

 

Melinda Baker

CCB Media, Hyannis, Massachusetts

 

Cassie Benson

Iliad Media Group, Nampa, Idaho

 

Michelle Buck

WHOM/Townsquare Media, Portland, Maine

 

Lina Collazos-Sandoval

92.5 Maxima/Beasley Media Group, St. Petersburg, Florida

 

Jenna Coyle

The Cromwell Group, Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky

 

Traci Davis

Townsquare Media, Evansville/Owensboro, Kentucky

 

Tiffany Davison

Katz Media Group, New York, New York

 

Kristina Dolan

Life 103.1, Sanford, North Carolina

 

Hillary Doyal

Townsquare Media, Shreveport, Louisiana

 

Stacie Dupuy

iHeartMedia, Memphis, Tennessee

 

Olivia Friedman

WZYP, WHRP, WVNN/CUMULUS MEDIA, Huntsville, Alabama

 

Chelsea Gray

Summit Media, LLC, Knoxville, Tennessee

 

Laura Hanks

Community First Broadcasting, Storm Lake, Iowa

 

Stephanie Heracleous

Radio Advertising Bureau, Irving, Texas

 

Elizabeth Kay

99.1 The Mix/Audacy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

Karley McDaniel

Mississippi River Radio, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

 

Helen Obomanu

Audacy, Chicago, Illinois

 

Gina Ochs

The Cromwell Group, Inc., Illinois Markets, Illinois

 

Lisa Percevault

Bold Gold Media Group, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

 

Stephanie Pinkston

Neuhoff Media, Springfield, Illinois

 

Zuli Rodriguez

Salem Media Group, Tampa-Sarasota, Florida

 

Devon Shuman

Gen Media Partners, Gulf Breeze, Florida

 

Joi Tyrrell

Audacy, New York, New York

 

Emily Ward

Audacy, Atlanta, Georgia

 

Amber Whiteley

KLAD Basin Mediactive, Klamath Falls, Oregon

 


About BMI

Celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in over 17 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.’s Facebook page. Sign up for BMI's The Weekly™ and receive our e-newsletter every week to stay up to date on all things music. 


About Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc.

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW) is a volunteer 501©(3) charitable organization of top-level female radio professionals, from across the country, who are dedicated to using their influence and resources to help other women in radio broadcasting develop management and leadership skills. The MIW organization is equally committed to advocating for the advancement of women to senior positions within the radio industry. For more information, please visit www.RadioMIW.com.

 

About RAB

The Radio Advertising Bureau serves more than 6,000 member radio stations in the U.S. and over 1,000 member networks, representative firms, broadcast vendors and international organizations. RAB leads and participates in educational, research, sales and advocacy programs that promote and advance radio as a primary advertising medium. For more information, log onto www.rab.com.

 

Media Contacts:

RAB:

Madison Wright

212-681-7215

mwright@rab.com

 

BMI:

Jodie Thomas

212-220-3142

JThomas@bmi.com

 

MIW:

Denyse Mesnik

239-250-9833

denyse@mesnikgroup.com