NEW YORK – July 14, 2025 – Scholarship recipients for this year’s Rising Through the Ranks program, presented by RAB and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW), have been selected. As previously announced, this year’s program will be hybrid, starting with a virtual session taking place on August 12, leading up to the in-person event August 19-21 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Featured speakers include Rob Babin, president, Cox Media Group (CMG) Radio; Kristin Cantrell, owner and operator, Seven Mountains Media; Joe D’Angelo, senior vice president of broadcast radio and digital audio, Xperi; Erica Farber, immediate past president and chief executive officer, RAB; Kelli Frieler, owner, Vibrant Impact and director, Guaranty Digital Media; Amanda Fontaine, executive director, Mississippi Association of Broadcasters; Geniece Granville, vice president, Davis Broadcasting; Kim Johnson, vice president of professional development, RAB; Sheila Kirby, president, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW); Susan Larkin, former chief operating officer, Audacy; Jeff Schmidt, senior vice president, professional development, RAB; Erika Sylvia, market accounting manager - Houston and Dallas, Radio One; Kelli Turner, president and chief executive officer, Audacy; Brooke Williams, senior vice president, membership, RAB; Trisha Yearwood, award-winning artist and Linnae Young, executive vice president, operations and revenue development, Salem Media Group.

The following is the list of 26 individuals attending this year’s program:

Mallory Bouslog

Marketron Broadcast Solutions, New Orleans, Louisiana

Jennifer Butman

Community Broadcast Partners, Abilene, Texas

Rebecca Carroll

Rockey City Broadcasting, Huntsville, Alabama

Kadie Daye

Adams Radio Group, Valparaiso, Indiana

Bridget England

WFTK 96.5/Cumulus Media, Cincinnati, Ohio

Nicole Eubank

WSM, Nashville, Tennessee

Margie Goehring

Ottumwa Radio Group, Ottumwa, Iowa

Amanda Long

Broadcast House Media/NRG Media, Lincoln, Nebraska

Meredith McDermott

Connoisseur Media, Farmingdale, New York

Lauren Merrill-Stakelon

Audacy, San Francisco, California 

Jess Palmer

iHeartMedia, Cleveland, Ohio

Wanda “Wanda P” Patterson

Cox Media Group – Hot 106.5 FM, Jacksonville, Florida

Cassie Reimold

Salem Media Group, Tampa, Florida 

Judy Remy

Salem Media Group, Sacramento, California

Laura Roberts

Illini Media Group, Champaign, Illinois

Lori Roberts

Seven Mountains Media, Parkersburg, West Virginia

Jillian Sagat

Cox Media Group, Jacksonville, Florida

Kate Savage

Audacy, Farmington, New York

Kayla Schneider

Hubbard Radio, Alexandria, Minnesota

Lauren Smith

Cox Media Group, Watkinsville, Georgia

Kari Stoddard

Midwest Communications, Nashville, Tennessee

Slone Terranella

Beasley Media Group, Las Vegas, Nevada

Susan Terwilleger

Saga Communications, DBA Charlottesville Media Group, Charlottesville, Virginia

Michelle Truong

Audacy, Brooklyn, New York

Whitney Zarder

North Central Florida Media, Saga Communications, Ocala, Florida

Sheena Ziegler

Hubbard Broadcasting, Brainerd, Minnesota

RAB is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to advancing America's radio broadcasters. In support of our members, RAB focuses on driving revenue by promoting radio in all its forms. We enhance professional skills with services, resources and continuous training opportunities while supporting programs to attract and retain talent across the industry.

Madison Wright