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RAB, BMI and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Announce Completion of the 15th Annual Management and Training Program

NEW YORK – August 15, 2023 – RAB, in conjunction with Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW) and Xperi, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the 15th annual Rising Through the Ranks program. The program began with a virtual session on August 1, and continued with in-person sessions on August 9-10 at the BMI Nashville office.


2023 Graduates with Featured Speakers including Kristin Cantrell, Kelli Frieler, Jessica Frost, and Trisha Yearwood


Attendees were selected following an application process. The two-day curriculum focused on the specific needs of women in radio management or those aspiring to move into management positions. The program worked to enhance their overall knowledge and skills. The classroom materials, including participants’ notebooks, were sponsored by Mr. Master.

Sessions included such topics as:

  • Managing Up, Down & All Around
  • Having it All
  • Networking vs Not Working
  • Bridging the Gap – Programming and Sales Synergy

Featured speakers included:

  • Lindsay Adams, general sales manager, Good Karma Brands, ESPN Chicago
  • Hartley Adkins, president, market groups, iHeartMedia
  • Valerie Blackburn, principal, VKB Media Consulting
  • Kristin Cantrell, owner/chief executive officer, Seven Mountains Media and CapCity Communications
  • Donna Detweiler, senior manager, technology outreach and education, Xperi
  • Erica Farber, president and chief executive officer, RAB
  • Lori Flowers, manager, integrated marketing and project management, Radio One
  • Kelli Frieler, executive director of digital, Leighton Broadcasting/Leighton Engage
  • Jessica Frost, assistant vice president, customer experience & engagement – Licensing, BMI
  • Suzanne Grimes, president, Westwood One and executive vice president, CUMULUS MEDIA
  • Kim Johnson, director of sales, RAB
  • Susan Larkin, chief operating officer, Audacy
  • Ruth Presslaff, board president, MIW
  • Jeff Schmidt, senior vice president, professional development, RAB
  • Allison Warren, vice president/market manager, CUMULUS Radio Nashville
  • Ashley Wilson, director country programming, Kentucky/West Virginia Region, iHeartMedia
  • Trisha Yearwood, award-winning artist

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.

“The RAB team and I look forward to bringing these motivated individuals together for Rising Through the Ranks every year,” noted Erica Farber, president and chief executive officer, RAB. “This year’s group was exposed to new strategies, tactics and experiences for them  to put to use immediately and to help them plan for their continued  growth and involvement in the radio industry.”

“BMI has been a proud supporter of Rising Through the Ranks since its inception, and we were thrilled to host the program again this year,” said Jessica Frost, BMI’s AVP of Customer Experience & Engagement – Licensing. “I was also very honored to be among the group of incredible executive speakers. From sharing our paths into the industry, including how we rose through the ranks, to giving tips on professional development in our areas of expertise, this class received some invaluable advice on how to succeed in radio and beyond. I want to thank the RAB and MIW for their longstanding partnership with us on this incredible program and look forward to what’s to come for this year’s amazing class of women.”

“This was another stellar year. The attendees were outstanding as was the faculty and curriculum. MIW is so proud to be part of another successful RTTR.” added Ruth Presslaff, board president, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc.

 

2023 Rising Through the Ranks Graduates:

Amanda Allwood

Cox Media Group, Atlanta, Georgia

 

Melissa Amundson

Leighton Broadcasting, Alexandria, Minnesota

 

Sheifalika Bhatnagar

Cox Media Group, Jacksonville, Florida

 

Sheena Brook

BMI, Nashville, Tennessee

 

Debbie Cerrito

iHeartMedia, Studio City, California

 

Kierston Cook

iHeartMedia, Nashville, Tennessee

 

Kathleen Fink

Gen Media Partners, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

 

Cindy Hunter

iHeartMedia, Cleveland, Ohio

 

Michelle Hurley

Saga Communications, Columbus, Ohio

 

Stacey Ko

SummitMedia, Honolulu, Hawaii 

 

Stephanie Korab

Stingray Media, St. John’s, Newfoundland

 

Meriah Kotary

Audacy, Fort Worth, Texas

 

Jen Lahmann

Leighton Broadcasting, St. Cloud, Minnesota

 

Jill Masek

NRG Media, Lincoln, Nebraska

 

Deanna Meadows

Forcht Broadcasting, Paintsville, Kentucky

 

Emmy Myers

Audacy, New York, New York

 

Annette Nagy

Salem Media Group, Los Angeles, California

 

Tiffany Robles

Cox Media Group, San Antonio, Texas

 

Tammy Sowder

Milner Media Partners, Bourbonnais, Illinois

 

Hannah Stromseth

Townsquare Media, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

 

Kapi Thomas

Lotus Communications, Boise, Idaho

 

Josie Vote

SummitMedia, Omaha, Nebraska

 

Jessica Williams

Townsquare Media, Rochester, Minnesota

 

Mary Zukin

Iliad Media Group, Meridian, Idaho

 

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 20.6 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.3 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 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

 

BMI:

Jodie Thomas

212-220-3142

jthomas@bmi.com