Annie Howell

Annie is Senior Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs at Planet Green, Discovery Communication’s global cross-platform initiative and channel devoted to solely to green.  In her role, Howell oversees all communications strategies and media outreach for the initiative including the development of partnership strategies and multi-facted communications and public affairs campaigns for programming and multi-plaform assets.  She is responsible for the network’s talent management needs.

Annie was previously senior vice president, communications, in Discovery Communications’ U.S. Networks division, responsible for communications efforts on behalf of the division’s cable networks including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Fit TV, Military Channel, Discovery Home, and Discovery Kids Channel.  Annie managed the U.S. Division’s talent management unit, the communications for the company’s theatrical film unit, Ad Sales, Affiliates Sales & Marketing, Discovery Films, for the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership and for the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team.
 
Previously, as vice president of communications for Discovery Networks, U.S., Annie managed trade and business publicity, local market publicity, the awards and competition unit, as well as the group handling program information and listings for all of the domestic networks. Howell also managed departmental operations and developed and directed the strategy and implementation of new U.S. networks initiatives and special projects, and communications on behalf of Discovery’s digital networks.  Howell joined Discovery in 1999 as director of communications for the Discovery Health Channel and Discoveryhealth.com.

Prior to joining Discovery, Annie was a vice president at the D.C.-based public affairs firm Powell Tate.  During her eight-year tenure with the agency, she worked with a diverse base of clients including Nike, Sunkist Growers, HBO, PBS, Primestar, General Mills, Hooters, Columbia/HCA, and U.S. Surgical, among others.  Howell also provided PR counsel on pro bono projects including Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy Carter Work Project, Food for Friends and the Manassas Save the Battlefield project.

Previously, Howell served in account executive positions with Ogilvy & Mather Public Affairs. She started her career with the American Society for Microbiology.

Annie is a member of the NCTA Public Affairs Committee, the Television Publicity Executive Committee (TPEC), the PR executive committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) and is on the board of the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC).  She was the recipient of WICT’s 2006 Touchstones of Leadership Communicator Award. 

Annie resides in Kensington, Maryland with her husband and two sons.