NEW YORK – July 17, 2024 – Scholarship recipients for this year’s Rising Through the Ranks program, presented by the RAB, BMI, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. and Xperi have been selected. As previously announced, this year’s program will be hybrid, starting with a virtual session taking place on August 13, leading up to the in-person event August 20-22 at the BMI Nashville office.

Featured speakers include Hartley Adkins, president, market groups, iHeartMedia; Rob Babin, executive vice president, radio, Cox Media Group; Danni Bruns, operations manager, program director of mornings, CUMULUS MEDIA, Memphis; Kristin Cantrell, owner and operator, Seven Mountains Media and CapCity Communications; Erica Farber, immediate past president and chief executive officer, RAB; Kelli Frieler, owner, Vibrant Impact and director, Guaranty Digital Media; Kim Guthrie, division president, iHeartMedia; Kim Johnson, vice president of professional development, RAB; Susan Larkin, chief operating officer, Audacy; Ruth Presslaff, board president, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW); Jeff Schmidt, senior vice president, professional development, RAB; Erika Sylvia, market accounting manager - Houston and Dallas, Radio One; Sandye Taylor, senior vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, BMI; 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.

This year’s notebooks are sponsored by Mr. Master.

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

Kaylee Barr

Cox Media Group, Orlando, Florida

Laurie Clotworthy

Audacy, New Orleans/Kenner, Louisiana

Katie Doherty

Southern Stone Communications, Jackson, Tennessee

Meg Dowdy

Townsquare Media, Purchase, New York

Sheri Fermoyle

Hubbard Radio Minnesota North, Alexandria, Minnesota

Hannah Hageman

WHOP, Forcht Broadcasting, Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Monique Harris

Cox Media Group, Atlanta, Georgia

Terri Hayden

BMI, Nashville, Tennessee

Nikki Kuniej

Charleston Radio Group/Saga Communications, Charleston, South Carolina

Liz Lively

Wheeler Broadcasting, Roanoke, Virgina

Alice Lobo

Premiere Radio Networks, New York, New York

Annette Malave

RAB, New York, New York

Kellie Marnin

Audacy, New York, New York

Amanda Orlando

CUMULUS MEDIA WRRM, Cincinnati, Ohio

Lauren Pallitto

iHeartMedia, Farmington Hills, Michigan

Kelly Pruitt

CUMULUS MEDIA, Indianapolis, Indiana

Samantha Randall

Seven Mountains Media, Elmira, New York

Heather Riley

Ham Broadcasting/The Edge Media Group, Cadiz, Kentucky

Morgan Spano

Cox Media Group, San Antonio/Abilene, Texas

Kristen Summers

Community First Broadcasting, Spirit Lake, Iowa

Tess Taylor

Hubbard Radio Brainerd, Baxter, Minnesota

Liz Urban

Beasley Media Group, Ferndale, Michigan

Emily Vainstein

Audacy, Los Angeles, California

Bani Werner

Alpha Media, North Mankato, Minnesota

Felicia Wong

Tampa Radio | Cox Media Group Local Solutions, Clearwater, Florida

Dynasti Young

Salem Media Group, Fremont, California 

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. 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. 

Madison Wright

212-681-7215