RAB and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Announce Completion of the 17th Annual Leadership Program
NEW YORK – AUGUST 22, 2025 – RAB, in partnership with Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the 17th annual Rising Through the Ranks program. The program began with a virtual session on Tuesday, August 12, and continued with in-person sessions on August 19-21 courtesy of BMI at their Nashville headquarters.
2025 Graduates with Featured Speakers including Erica Farber, Kim Johnson, and Trisha Yearwood
Attendees were selected following an application process. The two-day curriculum focused on the specific needs of women in radio leadership as well as those aspiring to move into leadership positions. The program worked to enhance their overall knowledge and skills. Continued support by industry partners Mr. Master of the classroom materials, including participants’ notebooks and Xperi’s sponsorship of the lunches helped enhance the program experience.
Sessions included such topics as:
- Beyond Management: Unlocking the Leader Within
- Building Team Culture
- Having It All
Featured speakers included:
- Rob Babin, president, Cox Media Group (CMG) Radio
- Kristin Cantrell, owner and operator, Seven Mountains Media
- Juan Galdamez, senior director, broadcast strategy and business development, 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, 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
- Linnae Young, executive vice president, operations and revenue development, Salem Media Group
The curriculum was customized to feature practical and real-world applications that participants can immediately put to use within their companies and for their personal development.
“Over the last 17 years, we have seen over 465 broadcasters graduate from the program and propel their careers as well as their companies by the knowledge, growth and skills gained at Rising Through the Ranks,” said Mike Hulvey, president and chief executive officer, RAB.
“It’s an honor for MIW to be part of this program every year,” added Sheila Kirby, MIW board president. “We congratulate this year’s graduates and cannot wait to see and support their successes throughout their careers.”
The following is the list of 26 individuals attending this year’s program:
2025 Rising Through the Ranks Graduates:
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
About MIW
Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW) is a volunteer 501(c)(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
RAB is the not-for-profit trade association representing America's broadcast radio industry. Its primary objective is to drive revenue growth through advocacy, providing the tools and resources to help the industry attract new sales talent to the medium and enhance industry professionalism through training and support. The RAB serves more than 6,000 member stations in the U.S. and more than 1,000 member networks, representative firms, broadcast vendors, and international organizations. Learn more at www.rab.com.
Media Contacts:
RAB:
Madison Wright
212-681-7215
mwright@rab.com
MIW:
Randi P'Pool
801-897-9805
randi@ppoolmedia.com
|
