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2024 Rising Through Ranks Scholarship Recipients Announced


Radio Advertising Bureau
Radio Advertising Bureau

Scholarship recipients for this year's Rising Through the Ranks program presented by the RAB, BMI, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. and Xperi have been selected. As previously announced, this year's program will be hybrid, starting with a virtual session taking place on August 13, leading up to the in-person event August 20-22 at the BMI Nashville office.

Featured speakers include:

  • Hartley Adkins, president, market groups, iHeartMedia
  • Rob Babin, executive vice president, radio, Cox Media Group
  • Danni Bruns, operations manager, program director of mornings, Cumulus Media, Memphis
  • Kristin Cantrell, owner and operator, Seven Mountains Media and CapCity Communications
  • Erica Farber, immediate past president and chief executive officer, RAB
  • Kelli Frieler, owner, Vibrant Impact and director, Guaranty Digital Media
  • Kim Guthrie, division president, iHeartMedia
  • Kim Johnson, vice president of professional development, RAB
  • Susan Larkin, chief operating officer, Audacy
  • Ruth Presslaff, board president, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc. (MIW)
  • Jeff Schmidt, senior vice president, professional development, RAB
  • Erika Sylvia, market accounting manager - Houston and Dallas, Radio One
  • Sandye Taylor, senior vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, BMI
  • Brooke Williams, senior vice president, membership, RAB
  • Trisha Yearwood, award-winning artist and Linnae Young, executive vice president, operations and revenue development, Salem Media Group.

The following is the list of 26 2024 Scholarship Recipients attending this year's program:

Kaylee Barr
Cox Media Group, Orlando, Florida

Laurie Clotworthy
Audacy, New Orleans/Kenner, Louisiana

Katie Doherty
Southern Stone Communications, Jackson, Tennessee

Meg Dowdy
Townsquare Media, Purchase, New York

Sheri Fermoyle
Hubbard Radio Minnesota North, Alexandria, Minnesota

Hannah Hageman
WHOP, Forcht Broadcasting, Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Monique Harris
Cox Media Group, Atlanta, Georgia

Terri Hayden
BMI, Nashville, Tennessee

Nikki Kuniej
Charleston Radio Group/Saga Communications, Charleston, South Carolina

Liz Lively
Wheeler Broadcasting, Roanoke, Virgina

Alice Lobo
Premiere Radio Networks, New York, New York

Annette Malave
RAB, New York, New York

Kellie Marnin
Audacy, New York, New York

Amanda Orlando
Cumulus Media WRRM, Cincinnati, Ohio

Lauren Pallitto
iHeartMedia, Farmington Hills, Michigan

Kelly Pruitt
Cumulus Media, Indianapolis, Indiana

Samantha Randall
Seven Mountains Media, Elmira, New York

Heather Riley
Ham Broadcasting/The Edge Media Group, Cadiz, Kentucky

Morgan Spano
Cox Media Group, San Antonio/Abilene, Texas

Kristen Summers
Community First Broadcasting, Spirit Lake, Iowa

Tess Taylor
Hubbard Radio Brainerd, Baxter, Minnesota

Liz Urban
Beasley Media Group, Ferndale, Michigan

Emily Vainstein
Audacy, Los Angeles, California

Bani Werner
Alpha Media, North Mankato, Minnesota

Felicia Wong
Tampa Radio | Cox Media Group Local Solutions, Clearwater, Florida

Dynasti Young
Salem Media Group, Fremont, California

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