Association Honors Rep. John Lewis Posthumously for his Role in Building a Legacy for America’s Future

NEW YORK, N.Y., UNITED STATES, October 12, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 34th Annual NAMIC Conference concluded Friday with a 40 percent increase in registrants compared to last year. For the first time in the conference’s history, attendees convened virtually over four days for wide-ranging educational sessions and networking opportunities designed to increase diversity and inclusion throughout the cable and communications industry.

Civil rights icon, the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), received the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award for his decades-long crusade to end systemic racism. Among the highest honors in the industry, the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award recognizes individuals and companies representing the cable and communications industry for their philanthropic achievements and commitment to advancing the interests of people of color.

“The steep rise in attendance this year underscores how it important it is for the cable and communications industry to remain committed to improving diversity and inclusion throughout their companies and communities,” said NAMIC President and CEO A. Shuanise Washington. “Over four days, some of our field’s most prominent professionals imparted wisdom, laying the blueprint for individuals and companies to foster meaningful, lasting change.”

In addition to the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award, NAMIC also bestowed its annual Next Generation Leaders and Luminaries Awards. The Next Generation Leaders have distinguished themselves as thought leaders, trendsetters, and change agents, and have actively worked to advance diversity and inclusion in the cable and communications industry. The Luminary Awards honor up-and-coming leaders who demonstrate strong leadership skills and embrace NAMIC’s mission by working to advance multi-ethnic diversity and inclusion.

Next Generation Leaders included:
• Rohan Kumar, group VP, digital marketing, Charter Communications
• Donna Northington, EVP, distribution financial planning & strategy, WarnerMedia
• Philip Nutsugah, SVP, product management & development, Cox Communications

Luminaries included:
• Mike Alexander, VP, network design & infrastructure, Altice USA
• Julissa Bonfante, VP, content publicity, Univision Communications
• Tushar Dave, VP, call center desktop applications, Charter Communications
• Akash Gupta, VP, digital analytics & insights, Discovery, Inc.
• Parvathy Hariharan, VP, sales and marketing, Comcast
• Cecilia Masola, VP, digital content licensing, A+E Networks
• Ashley McFarlin Buie, VP, development, WE tv
• Dana Wilson, SVP, reliability engineering, Comcast

Another conference highlight, the annual Startup Pitch Competition, was hosted in partnership with Sava360 and sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal. FutureStream, a personal ticketed live streaming platform, was honored with a first-place prize, and FanUp, an interactive gaming company, was the runner-up. Now in its fifth year, this is a Shark Tank-inspired competition dedicated to providing exposure to female and minority entrepreneurs in the cable and communications industry.

“For 40 years, NAMIC has been at the forefront of driving diversity, access, equity and inclusion in the cable and communications industry,” concluded Washington. “I am proud of the way the industry is addressing this ‘moment that’s a movement’ and look forward to building on our work for 40 years and beyond.”

Sponsors for this year’s NAMIC conference included:

Platinum:
• Charter Communications
• Comcast NBCUniversal

Gold:
• Discovery
• Disney and ESPN Media Networks
• WarnerMedia
• ViacomCBS

Silver:
• Altice USA
• Cox Communications

Bronze:
• A+E Networks
• AMC Networks
• Commscope
• Grande Communications | RCN | Wave
• TVOne

Foundation Supporter:
• Walter Kaitz Foundation

Other conference sponsors included: Afiniti, INSP, Mediacomm, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, REVOLT Media & TV, and Univision Communications Inc.

Next year’s conference will be held on October 5 – 6, 2021 in New York City.
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About NAMIC
NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on cultural diversity, equity and inclusion in the cable and communications industry. More than 4,000 professionals belong to a network of 18 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that support leadership development, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC collaborates with industry partners to expand and nurture a workforce that reflects the cultural richness of the American population. For more information, please visit www.namic.com or follow @NAMICNational on Twitter.

Lisa Fels Davitt
Succession Communications
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