Stephanie Budaker

Program Coordinator

Tim Dotson

Vice President, Development

With over 25 years working in the broadcasting industry, Tim knows a thing or two about broadcast sales and management. As the Director of Development, Tim takes the lead on the fundraising, sponsorships and donation funding that help support our programs, initiatives and events.

From Hearst Television (WBAL-TV) to Allbritton Communications (WJLA-TV), from Scripps Howard Broadcasting (WMAR-TV) to Sinclair Broadcast Group (WBFF-TV and WJLA), Tim understands what it takes to stand out in this industry to meet and exceed sales revenue goals.

Tim works closely with industry-specific and related businesses to identify partnership opportunities and help both sides reach business goals together. From recruiting the next generation of sales professionals or securing your seat at the Celebration of Service to America Awards, Tim works tirelessly to ensure your organization and brand is involved and exposed to the current and aspiring leaders of our industry.

When Tim isn’t capitalizing on the Foundation’s funding and future, you can find him spending time with his family or catching up on the latest binge-worthy television series.

Why do you enjoy working for the NAB Leadership Foundation?

I enjoy working for the Foundation because in my role as director of Development, I have the opportunity to collaborate with all broadcast groups. I work with executives from every broadcast company, creating partnerships that involve their people in our programs. It is a true win/win, as they benefit by providing leadership training to their own people while supporting the Foundation. When I reach out to a broadcaster or a broadcast-related vendor with an opportunity and they say, “This is perfect, just exactly what we have been looking for,” it makes my day.

Looking to partner with the NAB Leadership Foundation or want to learn more about our programs, initiative and events? Reach out to Tim to learn more about how we are shaping the future of broadcasting.

Paloma Johnson-Walker

Program Manager

As the Education Program Coordinator, Paloma ensures all our programs and initiatives exceed participant expectations and help shape the future of broadcasting.

From matching mentors with college students to analyzing speaker and program evaluations, Paloma specializes in managing our programs and supporting the workforce of our industry. With over 40 program participants, Paloma works with individuals, partners and institutions to improve the quality of our program content and finding the best ways to expand program experiences outside the classroom.

As the NAB Leadership Insights podcast producer, Paloma is dedicated to giving the people who work in our industry a platform to discuss the industry’s future. She ensures the podcast provides leadership and industry insights and empowers students to display their expertise and knowledge.

When Paloma isn’t developing our future programs, you can find her supporting her NBA team, the Washington Wizards, producing podcasts or whipping up a delicious matcha tea.

Why do you enjoy working for the NAB Leadership Foundation?

I enjoy working for the NAB Leadership Foundation because of the people we serve and the experiences we create. I get to be inspired by college students with dreams of making a difference in broadcasting and to learn from top-level executives who are making that difference. This job is more than a job for me: it aligns with my mission to increase diversity in the communities we serve and every day I get to work with a great team of genuine people who know that the future of broadcasting is necessary and vital.

Curious to learn more about our programs or application process? Reach out to Paloma to learn more about program development and how these programs help shape the future of broadcasting.

Sue Kim

Senior Manager, Marketing and Events

Sue Kim is a career marketing professional who has worked with a wide variety of non-profits and professional associations and excels in developing and managing creative outreach campaigns. She is especially interested in applying data analytics and business intelligence to inform marketing decisions and enjoys learning and trying new technology platforms. As the Senior Manager, Marketing and Events, Sue supports the promotion and engagement efforts of all the foundation programs, industry events and awards, and fundraising initiatives. Away from the office, she spends time with her rescue pets and loves a good crossword.

Why do you enjoy working for the NAB Leadership Foundation?

Being part of a mission-driven organization that prioritizes education and diversity is very important to me. I’m excited about influencing current and future leaders, and I truly enjoy interacting with so many interesting and innovative people. I love my team, and it’s fun to work with such an enthusiastic and passionate group.

Questions about the communications and marketing activities of the foundation? Contact Sue Kim to learn more.

Artie Altman

Executive Vice President
Katz TV Group

Artie started his career in media sales at MMT in New York in 1986. In 1995, he left to launch United Television Sales as New York manager and director of Sales for the Chris Craft Television Group.

In 2001 he joined the local sales staff at Tribune-owned WPIX 11 in New York.

During that time, he was recruited by The Katz Television Group to run the newly acquired and consolidated Sinclair Broadcast Group sales teams.

In 2012 he was promoted to his current role as executive vice president, where his days are spent cultivating and maintaining relationships with station owners, sales managers, agency local broadcast directors and media buyers. He feels fortunate to count many of these colleagues as friends. In addition, Artie maintains oversight of the Katz New York office and New York sales training program.

Artie serves on the TVB Board of Directors and is a member of the Broadcasters Foundation of America.

Artie’s sometimes known as one half of the first couple of New York media after 36 years of marriage to Randy Altman, a seasoned media professional who, after a career in local broadcast buying, recently landed on the side of sales for ProvantageX selling and developing enterprise level media automation software.

Media runs in his DNA: his son Bryan is a social media strategist for Conde Nast and his daughter in law Jessica is senior video/audio media strategist for OpAd media in New York City. Daughter Lindsay works in New York City as an occupational therapist. Artie’s sister Candy Altman is a very well respected and now retired vice president of News, having spent more than 30 years with Hearst Television. Together Candy and her husband Joe Bergantino, a respected TV news journalist and director of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, stay involved teaching and promoting ethics in journalism and reporting.

Caroline Beasley

CEO
Beasley Media Group

Caroline Beasley was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. on January 1, 2017, previously serving as interim Chief Executive Officer from March 18, 2016 until December 31st, 2016 and as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary beginning in 1994. Ms. Beasley has served as a Director of Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. since she joined the Company in 1983. Over her tenure prior to 1994, she was employed in various positions, including Business Manager, Assistant Controller and Corporate Controller.

She currently serves as the Joint Board Chair of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of Directors and is a past Chairman of the NAB Radio Board. In addition, Ms. Beasley is a member of the BMI Board of Directors and the Broadcasters Foundation of America Board of Directors.

In 2017, she was honored by Radio Ink magazine as “Radio Executive of the Year”. Ms. Beasley was named one of the “40 Most Powerful People in Radio” in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017. In addition, she has been recognized in the magazine’s “Most Influential Women in Radio” listing on an annual basis since 2003.

Ms. Beasley received the 2016 “Distinguished Service Award” from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and was the 2012 recipient of the “Frances Preston Trailblazer Award” from the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group (MIW), a national organization dedicated to promoting the advancement of women to senior positions in the radio industry.

She is a member of the Board of Visitors at her alma mater, the University of North Carolina, where Ms. Beasley earned a B.S. degree.

Tony Coles

Division President Multiplatform Group
iHeartMedia
President
Black Information Network

ony Coles is the President of BIN: Black Information Network and Division President of Metro Markets for iHeartMedia. He was instrumental in the launch of BIN, the first and only audio network that provides 24/7 news and objective information with a full focus on the Black community. As President, he leads all operations for the network. In his role as Division President of Metro Markets, he oversees the complete profitability for 21 iHeartMedia markets across America.

Coles has more than 35 years of experience in the media industry. He has been with iHeartMedia since 2004 and has held on-air and leadership roles in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle. Most recently, Coles served as the Executive Vice President of Programming for the company’s West Region. Prior to that, he was the Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Chicago and served as National Hot AC Brand Manager. Coles began his career in Zanesville, Ohio as an on-air personality.

Coles holds a B.A. in Communications from Marylhurst University and an MBA from Western Governors University School of Business. He volunteers with several industry organizations including the National Association of Broadcasters and serves on the Board of Directors for The Conclave. Coles is a two-time recipient of the Worldwide Radio Summit Senior Programmer of the Year award. He currently lives outside of Chicago with his wife and two sons.

Jan Goldstein

Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Gray Television

Kim Guthrie

Division President
iHeartMedia

Kim Guthrie is president of Cox Media Group (CMG), an integrated broadcasting, publishing and digital media subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., based in Atlanta, Ga. As president, Kim oversees all content, sales and operations for 14 broadcast television stations, more than 60 radio stations, seven daily newspapers, 11 non-daily publications and more than 100 digital sites and services like Rare.us, Clark.com, Dawg Nation, SEC Country, Hookem.com, Mundo Hispanico, Southern Kitchen and All22. Additionally, CMG operates the National Advertising Platform businesses of CoxReps – the country’s biggest television rep firm – Gamut and Videa.

Previously, Kim was executive vice president of National Ad Platforms and president of CoxReps, based in New York City, where she also had oversight of Gamut and Videa. Prior to that role, Kim was executive vice president of Radio, where she was responsible for all programming, operations and sales for CMG’s radio division.

Tamron Hall

Emmy Award-winning talk show host, journalist, producer, and author
NABLF Industry Ambassador

Rebecca Hanson

Consultant
Summit Ridge Group

Rebecca is EVP and General Counsel for HC2 Broadcasting, which operates a broad range of television stations in the U.S. She was previously head of Policy for Sinclair Broadcast Group. Prior to that, she was a senior advisor, Broadcast Spectrum with the Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission, and served on the Incentive Auction Task Force as the point person for broadcaster participation and issues affecting nonparticipating broadcasters. Prior to joining the FCC, from 2007 to 2009, she was the vice president, Strategic Initiatives at Sprint Nextel. She also held the positions of senior vice president, Business Development and vice president and deputy general counsel at XM Satellite Radio, Inc.

Julie Koehn

President
Lenawee Broadcasting Company

Julie began her broadcasting career in 1985 as an account executive after graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in both industrial and labor relations and political science. Julie is a veteran of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) Board of Directors, having served as chairman in 2005-2006. She served on the board of directors of the MAB Foundation from 2011-2012 as the vice chair and is currently the board chair. She is also a trustee for the MAB Political Action Committee.

Julie has also been a featured and panel speaker on small market radio at multiple National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) annual conferences. Under her management, station accomplishments include three NAB Crystal Radio Awards, two NAB Leadership Foundation Service to America Awards, Service to Children Awards, one NAB Marconi Award for AC Station of the Year in 2004, one NAB Marconi Award for National Small Market Station of the Year in 2011 and five MAB Station of the Year Awards.

Brian Lawlor

President of Scripps Sports
The E.W. Scripps Company

In addition to the company’s 52 television stations, Lawlor is also responsible for local digital operations, Scripps local programming initiatives and the five Katz multicast networks. Since assuming his current role in 2009, Lawlor has overseen the rapid growth of the broadcasting assets from 10 TV stations in 2009 to Scripps’ current portfolio, which makes Scripps one of the largest independent owner of TV stations in the country.

In 2012 Broadcasting and Cable magazine named him Broadcaster of the Year and one of the 80 Most Influential People in Television. In 2019, Radio and Television Business Report named him one of Broadcast Television’s Best Leaders. He has been the driving force in the successful launch of Scripps national programming which includes “Right This Minute” and “The List.”

Lawlor is currently the chairman of the ABC Board of Governors and a board member of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. He serves on the advisory board of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He is the former television board chairman for the National Association of Broadcasters. He also previously served as the president and chairman of the NBC Affiliates Board.

Lawlor holds a bachelor’s degree from King’s College and an MBA from the University of Miami, Florida.

Curtis LeGeyt

President and CEO
National Association of Broadcasters

Curtis LeGeyt is the president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. In this role, he serves as the chief advocate for America’s free, local television and radio broadcasters. He previously served as the chief operating officer of the association before assuming his current role in January 2021. Prior to that, Curtis served as the executive vice president, Government Relations, from 2015-2020. Curtis also serves on the NAB Leadership Foundation Board of Directors.

During his time at NAB, Curtis has led several highly successful efforts to advocate for laws that strengthen broadcasters’ ability to innovate and serve their communities. This includes permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act.

Prior to joining NAB in 2011, Curtis served as the senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (VT). In that role, Curtis advised the chairman and committee on intellectual property, antitrust and First Amendment issues. Previously, Curtis was an associate at Howrey LLP, a law firm in Washington, D.C., where he worked on antitrust litigation and merger reviews. Curtis began his career as a management consultant for Putnam Associates and worked on the staff of the 2008 Obama For America presidential campaign.

Click here to view the Radio Ink cover story featuring NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt.

Curtis serves on the boards of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, Tracy’s Kids, a nonprofit helping children with cancer, and Musicians On Call, an organization bringing the healing power of music to children’s hospitals and beyond. He is also an alumnus of Leadership Music, a Nashville-based program that fosters community and collaboration among music industry leaders.

Curtis received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School and his B.A. from Providence College in quantitative economics. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife Kacey and their three children.

David Lougee

President and CEO
TEGNA

Dave Lougee is president of TEGNA Media for TEGNA Inc., formerly Gannett Co., Inc., overseeing the company’s 46 television stations (including those served by TEGNA). TEGNA Media is the largest independent operator of major network affiliates in the top 25 markets and covers one-third of all television households nationwide. Lougee was named president of Gannett Broadcasting in July 2007.

In 2015, Dave was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. In 2014, Lougee was awarded the First Amendment Leadership Award by RTDNF and the Broadcaster of the Year Award by Broadcasting & Cable. He serves on several industry boards: he is the joint board chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB); serves as vice chair of the NBC Affiliates Board; is a member of the BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Board of Directors, the Broadcasters Foundation of America and a past chair of the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Board of Directors.

Previously, Lougee served as executive vice president, media operations for Belo Corp. At Belo, he also served as senior vice president; president and general manager of TV and cable operations in Seattle/Tacoma; and news director at KING-TV in Seattle/Tacoma. Before that, Lougee was vice president, news at WRC-TV, the NBC owned and operated station in Washington DC and vice president, news director at KUSA-TV in Denver.

Lougee is a graduate of the University of Colorado and attended the Stanford Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2004.

Dave and his wife, Danni, reside in Northern Virginia with their son, Nash.

DuJuan McCoy

Owner, President and CEO
Circle City Broadcasting

DuJuan McCoy is a 1989 graduate of Butler University, where he earned a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Sales. He began his television career soon thereafter in 1989 as an Account Executive for WTTV in Indianapolis, Indiana, his hometown. He now has over 24 years of local television experience and has built a great career growing small, medium and large market television stations into revenue winners while significantly improving company profitability.

His experience includes 13 years of Television sales management of which ten were as General Sales Manager/Director of Sales in market sizes ranging from #105 to #10. He has worked with small, medium and large ownership groups in different regions of the country, including Capitol Broadcasting, River City Broadcasting, Sinclair Broadcasting and Fox Owned and Operated Television stations and he has successfully managed revenue budgets ranging from $4 million to over $130 million annually.

To hone his management skills further and to fulfill his lifelong dream to be an owner of television stations, Mr. McCoy was accepted into the exclusive National Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Leadership Training Program in September 2007. The NAB BLT program is an exclusive 10 month executive style MBA program designed to educate tenured broadcast executives on all aspects of purchasing broadcast properties including critical business elements that are not necessarily directly taught or learned while working for a broadcast property. Mr. McCoy completed the program in June of 2008.

In December 2007, Mr. McCoy founded, and became Owner, President and CEO of Bayou City Broadcasting, LLC. In January 2008, while still a BLT participant, his company agreed to purchase 7 TV stations from Sage Broadcasting Corp (KXVA-Fox Abilene, KIDY-Fox San Angelo, KIDZ-MyNet Abilene and 4 Class A Stations in Abilene.) With this purchase, Mr. McCoy and Bayou City Broadcasting earned the distinction of being the only African American company to own and or operate a Fox Affiliate in the United States and purportedly the first African American to own and operate a major affiliate in the state of Texas.

Wendy McMahon

President/Co-Head
CBS News and Television Stations

Wendy McMahon was appointed president of the ABC Owned Television Stations Group in December 2017, effective January 2018. Widely regarded as the top station group in the U.S., she has overall responsibility for the company’s eight local TV stations and their digital assets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. Based in Burbank, Calif., she reports to Dana Walden, chairman, Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment.

In this role, McMahon has leveraged her extensive brand, programming and digital leadership to expand and modernize content production, influence technology to drive organizational effectiveness and engage audiences and advertisers with enhanced experiences, products and capabilities. The eight local TV stations McMahon oversees are consistently market leaders in local news, collectively number one in local news among adults 25-54 for 11 consecutive broadcast seasons and in overall digital audience, video consumption and social reach and engagement. In fact, OTV stations just recently recorded 26 months of consecutive digital video growth.

In September 2018, she drew on the thriving demand for authentic and relevant local storytelling by launching ABC’s Localish, a new digital media brand that brings out the good in America’s cities through locally sourced, yet nationally relevant stories. The following month, she expanded her passion for serving local communities and announced a new Community Journalist program consisting of 20 reporters embedded in local communities informing and reflecting the audience they serve. By reimagining the future of local newsgathering to strategically meet the evolving demands of consumers and the community, McMahon has cemented public interest in rapidly growing local content and furthered the stations’ reach through the ever-expanding multiplatform space. In addition, she has continued to build on the strength of OTV’s leading local news and information brands with the expansion of local content in over the top (OTT) environments, leading to an increase in OTT consumption to 93% year over year on ABC’s OTT apps.

Previously, she served as senior vice president, Digital for the ABC Owned Stations Group, where she was responsible for the digital content, product/technology and audience development strategies and initiatives for the ABC Owned Television Stations. In that role, McMahon oversaw the group’s adoption of data-driven, mobile-first video strategies that drove historical growth and market leadership in on-platform video metrics, social reach and engagement. She also established a first-of-its-kind, local-branded content studio to extend the group’s content and distribution capabilities to premium partners and advertisers. Prior to that, McMahon served as vice president, Programming and Creative Services at KABC TV, the ABC-owned television station in Los Angeles.

Before joining KABC, McMahon served as the creative services director for CBS Owned and Operated Television Stations in Boston, Mass., and Minneapolis, Minn. Early in her career, she worked as a promotion manager for CBS affiliate stations in Jacksonville, Fla., and Savannah, Ga.

McMahon graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University with a degree in mass communications and was honored with Louisiana State University’s Young Alumnus of the Year Award in 2019. She currently serves on the board of the Broadcasters Foundation of America.

Michael O'Neill

President and CEO
Broadcast Music, Inc.

Michael O’Neill is President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®). In this role, Mr. O’Neill oversees all of BMI’s business operations, both domestically and globally, and directs the Company’s strategic growth to benefit BMI’s writers, composers, music publishers and licensees. He is also a member of BMI’s Board of Directors.

Mr. O’Neill has served BMI for nearly 20 years, most recently overseeing all aspects of BMI’s writer, composer and publisher relations, domestic licensing and revenue generation including radio, television, cable, satellite and the General licensing division, and managing royalty distributions and administrative services groups. He has led licensing negotiations, developed new licenses and sales policies and spearheaded a new customer relations campaign.

Additionally, Mr. O’Neill has overseen the exponential growth in signing up more than 40,000 new affiliates each year over the past four years, and has been instrumental in developing the groundbreaking BMI Live program, which pays performing songwriters for live performances in small venues. Under his leadership, BMI has maximized revenues to support its affiliated songwriters, composers and publishers.

Mr. O’Neill joined BMI in 1995 as Director, Group and National Accounts from CBS-TV Network, where he was Director, CBS Affiliate Relations. Within two years, he was appointed Assistant Vice President, Media Licensing and two years later, Vice President, Sales and Administration, Media Licensing. In 2006, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Licensing, and in 2010, Senior Vice President, Repertoire and Licensing. In September of 2013, he received his most recent appointment as Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. O’Neill holds an MBA from Rutgers University in Marketing and Finance and received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Montclair University. He is a member of the Broadcaster’s Foundation Golf Committee, the BMI Foundation Corporate Advisory Council and is on the Board of Overseers of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the Board of Directors of the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the T.J. Martell Foundation.

W. Lawrence Patrick

Chairman Emeritus
Patrick Communications

Larry Patrick serves as president of Patrick Communications, LLC, a media investment banking and brokerage firm that also provides management consulting services. He is also president of Legend Communications, a 13-station radio group, valued at over $25 million. Patrick Communications was established by Larry in 1984 and is based in Ellicott City, Md.

Larry also previously served as CEO of Gilmore Broadcasting of Kalamazoo, Mich. Gilmore owned four radio and three television stations as well as 18 cable television systems. Prior to this he served as senior vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters. Larry also served as a professor of communications at both the University of Tulsa and the University of Maryland for four years fulltime prior to joining NAB and continued to teach at Maryland for an additional 12 years as an adjunct professor. He got his start in broadcasting in the operation and management of stations.

Larry has testified in 22 federal and state court cases as an expert witness on station valuations, contract damage claims, libel damages and station management and operations. He also has testified before committees of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Copyright Royalty Tribunal and the Australian Communications Department.

Earning a B.A. in telecommunications from the University of Kentucky, Larry also holds a M.S. in communications from the University of Tennessee, a Ph.D. in communications and management from Ohio University and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. He was admitted as a member of the Maryland Bar Association in 1980. He has co-authored three books on broadcast station management and finance as well as several journal articles. He is also currently an adjunct professor at both Georgetown University Law Center and Central Michigan University.

Larry is a past president of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) and of the National Association of Media Brokers. He was awarded the Distinguished Education Service Award by BEA in 2005.He has also served as chairman of the University of Tennessee's College of Communication and Information's Board of Visitors and a member of the University of Tennessee Development Council. He also currently serves as chairman of the board and trustee of the National Association of Broadcasters Political Action Committee (NABPAC).

Kevin Perry

Chief Operating Officer and Vice President
Perry Publishing & Broadcasting

Kevin S. Perry is the president and CEO of Perry Publishing & Broadcasting, a second-generation family owned company based in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Perry Publishing & Broadcasting Company owns and operates 13 radio stations in Oklahoma and five radio stations in Georgia and South Carolina. In addition, Perry Publishing & Broadcasting owns and distributes the Oklahoma statewide newspaper, The Black Chronicle. Perry Publishing & Broadcasting also owns O’City Source, an apparel and music store in Oklahoma City. As a native Oklahoman, Mr. Perry is involved in the community through several boards and civic activities. Mr. Perry obtained a BA in Banking and Finance from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. In addition, Mr. Perry is a graduate of the National Association of Broadcasters’ Leadership Development Program and the Broadcast Leadership Training Program. Mr. Perry is husband to his lovely wife Tori and the proud father of two sons, Miles and Sebastian.

Craig Robinson

Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
NBC Universal

Craig Robinson is the executive vice president and chief diversity officer for NBCUniversal. He reports directly to NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke. Craig is responsible for defining, enabling and fostering a corporate culture that values diversity of talent, ideas, values and backgrounds across all parts of the company. He acts as the main liaison between NBCUniversal and key national and local figures and oversees the company’s diversity and inclusion commitments, working closely with senior executives to promote these efforts throughout the organization. He also helps guide the company’s multiple internal affinity groups and serves as a member of Comcast and NBCUniversal’s Joint Diversity Council.

Melody Smalls

Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources
Allen Media Group, LLC

Melody Smalls serves as executive vice president of global human resources for Allen Media Group. In her role, Melody oversees global human resources strategy for all Allen Media Group divisions: Entertainment Studios, Entertainment Studios Networks, The Weather Channel, Allen Media Broadcasting, Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, Freestyle Digital Media, Local Now and The Grio. She also spearheads security and facilities operations teams across the company.

Previously, Melody served as Chief Human Resources and Compliance Officer at The Weather Channel television network, where she led the development and execution of all human resource strategies and acted as a trusted advisor to senior executives on all human capital matters.

Prior to joining The Weather Channel, Melody served as director of human resources for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., leading human resources for Turner’s entertainment and animation networks: TNT, TBS, TCM and Cartoon Network. She has also served in various human resources roles at MTV Networks, First Chicago Trust Company, JP Morgan and Chase Manhattan Bank.

Melody received her master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a dual bachelor’s degree in marketing and human resources administration from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, where she was named HRM Alumnus of the Year in 2014. Melody also holds a certification in change management.

Melody is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications, the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications and a certified 360 facilitator. Melody is a member of the governing body of Evanta's CHRO Leadership Summit and a member of the Human Resources Leadership Forum. She serves on the Board of Directors for The Cool Girls, Inc. and is a mentor for the Pathbuilders organization which shapes the future for high-performing women leaders. In 2018, Melody was named one of the Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. In 2016, she was named one of the Most Powerful & Influential Women by the National Diversity Council.

Jordan Wertlieb

Chief Operating Officer
Hearst

Téa Gennaro

NAB Leadership Foundation Board Treasurer
National Association of Broadcasters

As Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations, Téa Gennaro leads NAB’s office and the 1M real estate administration, financial and accounting operations and IT. She also serves as the NAB treasurer and secretary.

Previously, Gennaro oversaw the accounting, finance and facilities functions at ABC National and its affiliated organizations, including the association’s political action committee, retirement and savings plan, foundation and for-profit subsidiary. Prior to her promotion to CFO, Gennaro was the controller at ABC National overseeing Finance and Accounting.

Formerly, Gennaro was a controller in the Outsourced Accounting Client Service branch of Tate & Tryon, a CPA firm specializing in associations and other nonprofits.

Gennaro has a M.B.A. in Global Business from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Pensacola Christian College. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and an award-winning professional. In 2017, she was honored with the “Trending 40 Association and Non-Profit Finance Leaders” award by DCA Live and in 2018 received the “Non-Profit CFO of the Year, Rising Star” award. In 2022 she received the “2022 Non-Profit CFO Stars” award from DCA Live.

Gennaro serves on the board of governors of The Greater Washington Society of CPAs, an organization serving more than 3,000 CPA and non-CPA members in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. She is a former board member of Byte Back, a nonprofit whose mission is to close the digital divide by providing under-resourced communities an equitable pathway into the digital economy.

Rick Kaplan

NAB Leadership Foundation Counsel
National Association of Broadcasters

Rick Kaplan is the chief legal officer and executive vice president, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at NAB. Mr. Kaplan joined NAB in October 2012 as the executive vice president of Strategic Planning and was named general counsel in November 2014.

In his current role, Mr. Kaplan is responsible for directing NAB’s advocacy at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other federal agencies. Mr. Kaplan also manages all NAB’s legal affairs, including litigation and regulatory compliance.

Prior to joining NAB, Mr. Kaplan served in a number of leadership capacities at the FCC. During his three-plus years at the FCC, Mr. Kaplan was the chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, chief counsel to Chairman Julius Genachowski and chief of staff and media advisor to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Mr. Kaplan also played a leading role at the FCC in reviewing nearly every major transaction brought before the agency during Chairman Genachowski’s tenure. These included Comcast/NBCU, AT&T/T-Mobile, AT&T/Qualcomm, DISH/DBSD and TerreStar and Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo and Cox.

As chief counsel, Mr. Kaplan managed the Commission’s overall policy agenda and was responsible for policy coordination among each of the bureaus and offices. During that time, Mr. Kaplan worked with Congress on the passage of its groundbreaking incentive auction legislation, negotiated a resolution to the nearly decade-old TV white spaces proceeding, brought to decision rules requiring wireless carriers to offer data roaming on commercially reasonable terms and helped navigate an evolution in the retransmission consent marketplace, ensuring that the government did not unnecessarily interfere with private market negotiations.

Before joining the Commission, Mr. Kaplan practiced appellate litigation and regulatory law at Sidley Austin LLP and served in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives. At the U.S. House, Mr. Kaplan helped orchestrate the Judiciary Committee’s successful and historic litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to obtain documents and testimony from White House officials in the face of claims of executive privilege. Mr. Kaplan began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Kaplan founded and operated a sports management and public relations agency that represented and served professional athletes and sports-related organizations. Kaplan earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review, and his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.

Laura Kaufman

NAB Leadership Foundation Corporate Secretary
National Association of Broadcasters