WICT is an organization with a 30-year track record of creating women leaders. We also celebrate the achievements of women by encouraging others to emulate those who have made noteworthy contributions to our industry.

This year’s honorees will be celebrated at the 2011 WICT Touchstones Luncheon being held during the WICT Leadership Conference, October 3-4 at the Hilton New York, during Diversity Week.  

The Woman of the Year award is bestowed upon a woman who has made increasingly significant contributions to her own company and the overall cable telecommunications industry throughout her career.  She is at the top and shows great resolve to help others along their path.

WICT named Nomi Bergman winner of its 2011 Woman of the Year award.  A graduate of WICT's Betsy Magness Leadership Institute's inaugural class, Nomi Bergman has demonstrated phenomenal leadership in the cable industry. She was part of the senior management team at Advance Newhouse when it launched Bright House Networks in 2003, joining as its fifth employee, and currently serves as its president.

Since then, Bright House Networks has had its two flagship divisions - Tampa Bay and Orlando - named Systems of the Year by both Multichannel News and CableWorld. She and her team helped launch VoIP-based voice services that now provide phone service to more than one million of Bright House's customers, and the company won J.D. Powers Awards five years in a row as best telecommunications service provider.

Beyond her work for Bright House Networks, Bergman has participated in many committee, working group and Board activities for WICT, CableLabs, NCTA and CTAM to support cable industry governance, growth and policy. She currently serves on the Boards of Canoe Ventures and The Cable Center, and as a cable industry representative on the FCC Technology Advisory Committee (TAC). 

Throughout her career, Bergman's dedication to involving more women in technology has made her a respected authority on the issue. She was instrumental in the creation of the recently announced SCTE/WICT mentoring initiative for women in technology, Women's TechConnect.

A true leader in every sense of the word, Bergman has also been named one of CableFax Magazine's "Top 100" cable executives. She has appeared on CableWorld's Most Powerful Women in Cable list, as well as their Digital Hot List. She is the recipient of the 2004 Women in Technology Award from SCTE, WICT and Communications Technology magazine. In 2005, she was selected as one of Multichannel News' Wonder Women, and CED's Person of the Year in January 2009. In April 2009, she received the industry's prestigious Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

WICT named Jennifer Dorian one of two winners of its 2011 Woman to Watch award.  Dorian is senior vice president, strategy development, for Turner Entertainment Networks (TEN) and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media group (AYAKM). In this role, she serves as a strategic business and branding consultant for TEN, which includes TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and truTV, and AYAKM, which includes Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang.

2011 Woman to Watch

WICT also named Kathleen Finch winner of its 2011 Woman to Watch award.  As senior vice president/general manager of HGTV, Finch leads all aspects of HGTV's program development and production, and works closely with HGTV President Jim Samples on the overall strategic direction of the network.

Finch has been involved in shaping successful programming at Scripps Interactive for 12 years, first as senior vice president of primetime programming at Food Network, then as senior vice president/general manager at DIY Network. At Food Network she created long-running hits "Unwrapped" and "Food Network Challenge," at DIY she conceived the first ever interactive home building series "Blog Cabin" and developed the "Yard Crashers" franchise, and now she is bringing new concepts and new talent to HGTV to attract the next generation of HGTV viewers.

A firm believer in teaching by example and fostering a spirit of giving both at home and professionally, Finch serves as a mentor with the WICT Southeast Chapter, helping young women hone their leadership skills. In 2008, Finch represented the industry in a WICT panel discussion on Capitol Hill, sharing insight into the PAR Initiative results with members of Congress on topics such as creating work/life balance and growth opportunities for women in the cable industry.

Finch was named one of "100 Industry Innovators to Watch" by Time magazine; was featured in Broadcasting & Cable's "The Next Wave: B&C's Annual Salute to Women Who Make a Difference"; and was named a "Woman to Watch" by Multichannel News. She completed the CTAM Executive Management Program, the Scripps Leadership Institute, and is a graduate of Class 13 of WICT's Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.