Women in Cable Telecommunications announced the members of its 2013 board of directors, with Suddenlink Communications chief financial officer Mary Meduski elected to serve a two-year term as chair.
Kathy Payne, Cox Communications’ vice president of content acquisition, who served as chair for the past two years, will move to a one-year term as “immediate past chair.”
WICT also announced that incumbent board member Marva Johnson, corporate VP of government and industry affairs at Bright House Networks, was elevated to the board's executive committee and will serve as chapter development chair.
Three first-time board members will serve as directors-at-large: Marc Aldrich, VP of Cisco Systems’ U.S. cable segment; Jennifer Hightower, senior VP of law and policy at Cox; and Susanne McAvoy, executive VP of marketing and creative services for Crown Media Family Networks.
In addition, Barbara Linebarger, VP of network partnerships for Turner Broadcasting System, will serve in a one-year director-at-large role as chapter leader designee, and Jacquelyn Smith, director of software platform and engineering at Comcast, will serve as the emerging leader designee.
"The WICT Board of Directors is a talented and diverse group of leaders who uniquely reflect the dynamics of our industry," Meduski said in a prepared statement. "Their influence and expertise will be invaluable as WICT works toward a more equitable future for women in cable telecommunications."
Returning members of the WICT board’s executive committee are: Kim Martin, WeTV president and general manager (treasurer); Martha Soehren, senior VP and chief learning officer for Comcast University and Comcast Cable (strategic planning chair); Gail MacKinnon, executive VP and chief government relations officer for Time Warner Cable (development chair); and Sean Bratches, EVP, Sales and Marketing, ESPN (governance chair).
Other directors-at-large are:
- Sherita Ceasar, VP of national video deployment engineering for Comcast;
- Lori Conkling, executive VP of distribution, national accounts, field sales and Canada for A+E Networks;
- Jocelyn Cooley, senior VP of human resources and talent management for BET Networks;
- Samantha Cooper, senior VP of content distribution and marketing for MTV Networks;
- Joan Gillman, executive VP of Time Warner Cable and president of Time Warner Cable Media;
- Rebecca Glashow, senior VP of digital media distribution for Discovery Communications;
- Melani Griffith, senior VP of programming and video services for Insight Communications;
- Sandy Howe, senior VP of strategic market development for Arris;
- Barbara Linebarger, VP of network partnerships for Turner;
- Chris Powell, executive VP of human resources for Scripps Networks Interactive;
- Kelly Regal, executive VP at Turner;
- Michelle Rice, executive VP of affiliate sales and marketing for TV One;
- Gemma Toner, senior vice president at Cablevision Systems; and
- Dana Zimmer, executive VP of TV networks distribution for NBCUniversal.
The Chantilly, Va.-based group, with nearly 10,000 members, is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable and telecommunications industry. Comcast/NBCU, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System and Suddenlink are WICT's Strategic Touchstone Partners. Maria Brennan is president and CEO of WICT.
