Chantilly, VA- Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) today announced the members of Class XII and Class XIII of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute (BMLI), its flagship executive leadership program.  The Betsy Magness Leadership Institute provides intensive, yearlong training to prepare senior-level women to take on significant leadership responsibilities. Over 250 women have participated in this nationally recognized, award-winning leadership program, lauded for its record of increasing the presence of women among the industry’s executive ranks.  This year marks the institution of numerous enhancements to the BMLI program, including increased focus on topics more specific to the cable industry and the addition of a second class to allow more women to benefit from the BMLI Fellowship.

“The women of Classes XII and XIII represent the best of the best in the cable industry,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, WICT President & CEO.  “In its twelfth year, the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute will provide twice as many women with the tools they need to serve as leaders in our industry.”

The members of Class XII of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute are:

Pamela Baratta Vice President Sales Comcast Spotlight	Linda S. Chambers Group Vice President, Human Resources Bright House Networks - Florida Group
Lori Chee Vice President, Affiliate Marketing Music Group and Logo MTV Networks	Lori Conkling Disney and ESPN Media Networks  Vice President, National Accounts4
Mary Connolly Vice President of Human Resources Comcast	Rochelle DiRe Executive Vice President, Human Resources Court TV Networks
Robin J. Feller Vice President, Affiliate Point of Sale Starz Entertainment Group	Valerie Gillespie Vice President, General Manager Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.
Lisa Hyams Acting Senior Vice President of Operations Discovery Latin America/Iberia	Janice Janik-Fries Account Vice President Showtime Networks, Inc.
Ziba Kaboli Vice President, Affiliate Relations and National Accounts Court TV	Sloan Kennedy Director HBO Services, Inc.
Kathryn Koles Senior Counsel Comcast	Robin A. Pearson Vice President, Business Development Women in Cable & Telecommunications
Wendy Rasmussen Vice President/General Manager Los Angeles Metro Markets Charter Communications	Karen Rivenburg Director of Financial Planning & Analysis Comcast  - Portland Oregon Market
Jen Robertson Director, Consumer Marketing WE: Women's Entertainment	Dawn Rodney Tranchitella Vice President, NGC Creative National Geographic Channel
Misty Skedgell Vice President, Corporate Communications Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.	Suzee Smith-Everhard Director Community Relations & TeleVideo Cox Communications
Darlene Stapleton Director of Operations, Customer Care Time Warner Cable	Tina Thornton Coordinating Producer ESPN
Katy Uhl Senior Director Human Resources Comcast Media Center	Robyn Ulrich Senior Vice President Marketing & Public Relations DIY Network
Gatsie H. Wall-Jones Director, Network Programming Operations HBO, Inc.	Jennifer Yohe Wagner Vice President, Business Affairs Time Warner Cable

The members of Class XIII of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute are:
 

Tracy Baumgartner Vice President of Public Relations - West Division Comcast	Teryl Brown Vice President, Ad Sales MTV Networks
Lisa Chang Senior Vice President, Human Resources The Weather Channel Companies	Parthavi Das Vice President, Strategic Initiatives Women in Cable & Telecommunications
Cynthia S. Derick Vice President - Western Division Affiliate Sales & Marketing Disney and ESPN Media Networks	Anita Dorf Vice President, Marketing Adelphia Communications
Jennifer Dorian Senior Vice President Branding and Business Development TBS & TNT Turner Broadcasting	Paula Doyle Vice President, Affiliate Marketing Oxygen Media
Bridget A. Farley Vice President, Affiliate Field Sales NBC Universal Cable	Jody Fennell Vice President – Distribution & Business Development The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc.
Kathleen Finch Senior Vice President, Primetime Programming Food Network	Laurie Giammona Regional Vice President Customer Care Comcast
Toby Graff Vice President of Public Affairs Lifetime Entertainment Services	Barbara Hagen Regional Vice President of Business Operations Comcast
Trish Jones Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.	Rebecca R. Lim Senior Director, Advanced Services Starz Entertainment Group
Katie Miles-Ley Vice President, Human Resources & Organizational Development Starz Entertainment Group, LLC	Nicole Mussenden Director, Affiliate Sales & Marketing Fox Cable Networks
Sharon Otterman Vice President, Integrated Media & Market Planning ESPN	Staci Parker Vice President, Cable Sales EarthLink
Leslie E. Russell Vice President Sales & Marketing Comcast Media Center	Mary Beth Schubert Area Director, Corporate Affairs Comcast
Cathy Serksnas Vice President/General Manager Northern Region - LA Division Time Warner Cable	Jacqueline D. Vines Vice President & General Manager Cox Communications - Greater Louisiana
Loretta Young Walker SVP - Human Resources Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.	Sandra Weicher Area Vice President Comcast

Classes XII and XIII will be facilitated by Grace Killelea, Vice President of Human Resources for Comcast Spotlight. Class X Alumna Kathy Payne, Vice President of Programming for Cox Communications will serve as Chair for the class.  Class XI Alumna Joiava Philpott, Corporate Vice President of Government Affairs and Franchise Relations for Charter Communications will serve as co-chair for Class XII and Class XI Alumna Kiera Hynninen, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the National Geographic Channel, will serve as the co-chair for Class XIII.

The BMLI Calendar
The BMLI curriculum begins this October with a weeklong immersion at the world-renowned Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC, recently named by Business Week as the nation’s top executive education provider for leadership. Three additional seminars, on topics ranging from risk taking to leadership development and cable finance, round out the remainder of the program year, which concludes in May 2006.

The 2005 Betsy Magness Leadership Institute is presented by WE: Women’s
Entertainment Television.

The Institute’s Founding
Established by WICT in 1993 with a generous grant from TCI’s Bob Magness and J.C. Sparkman, the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute is named in honor of one of the industry’s most charismatic leaders, a cable pioneer who combined business acumen with compassion. Betsy Magness was instrumental in transforming TCI, later AT&T Broadband and Internet Services, and now Comcast, into one of the nation’s most prominent and influential cable and telecommunication companies.

About WICT
For over twenty-five years, Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide leadership programs and services, and create professional advancement opportunities for women. WICT is the oldest and largest professional association advocating for women in the cable and telecommunications industry, with 21 local chapters and satellites serving over 4,500 members across the country. WICT develops women leaders who transform our industry through highly regarded professional events, educational programming and networking opportunities. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Turner Broadcasting System, MTV Networks and Charter Communications, members of the 2005 WICT Leadership Circle, provide the highest level of financial support for WICT programs, services and advocacy. For more information, visit www.wict.org.

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