NAMIC has named its Next Generation Leaders and Luminaries to be honored at its upcoming national conference in New York City.
The Next Generation Leaders include James Hendricks, Group Vice President, HR and Administration, at Spectrum Reach, who died on September 18 in an accidental drowning in New Jersey. The diversity organization is planning to memorialize Hendricks at the conference, which takes place October 11-12 at the New York Marriott Marquis.
The other Next Generation Leaders are: Kia Painter, Executive VP, Chief People Officer, Cox Communications; Freddy Rolón, Senior VP, Programming and Scheduling, ESPN; and Monica Williams, Senior VP, Digital Products & Operations, Content Distribution, NBCUniversal.
Also read: NAMIC’s 2021 Award Recipients Shine a Diverse Light on the Industry
The Next Generation Leader Awards receive NAMIC’s top industry honor, recognizing four individuals who have distinguished themselves as thought leaders, trendsetters and change agents, and have actively worked to advance multiethnic diversity in the industry by educating, advocating and empowering people and organizations. Multichannel News partners with NAMIC in annually saluting these individuals who are making a difference in the media industry.
The Luminaries to be honored by NAMIC are: Denise Bennett, VP, Brand Strategy & Idea Lab, iHeartMedia; Denise Bennett, VP, Brand Strategy & Idea Lab, iHeartMedia; Noel Manzano, VP, International Programming and Development, AMC Networks; Grace Moss, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Programs, Warner Bros. Discovery; John Singleton, VP, Operations, Charter Communications; Tonya Walley, VP, Field Operations Strategy, Cox Communications; Chin Wang, VP, Visual Storytelling, Digital Media, ESPN, and Sophia Zeinu, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Workforce, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The organization also will soon announce recipients of its Diversity In Technology Award and its Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award. (Update: NAMIC has named Nightline co-anchor JuJu Chang to receive the Mickey Leland Award.)
NAMIC’s 36th annual conference takes place during the cable industry’s Diversity Week, which will feature in-person events for the first time since before the pandemic. NAMIC and The WICT Network will once again team to deliver the latest AIM/PAR Workplace Survey, focusing on the current state of ethnic and gender diversity within the media and entertainment industry. ■
