Cablefax The Magazine - October 2021 - 30

Yvette Miley
SVP, Diversity, Equity
& Inclusion
NBCUniversal News Group
After 27 years at NBCUniversal, Miley
recently shifted away from an editorial
role and into one that focuses on improving DEI. She was vital
in the creation of NBCU Academy. " [It] is a training program that
prepares diverse student populations and early professionals for
a career in journalism. It's been great to see our teams and our
on-air and off-air staff offer their time and expertise to mentor and
create educational content, " she says. " Our hope is to create a
pipeline that connects our newsrooms to classrooms across fouryear
universities and community colleges. " She's also committed
to the success of the Fifty Percent Challenge Initiative and its goal
for women to make up half of the company's workforce, as well as
having half of the total workforce consist of people of color. " We've
made progress in representation across NBC News, MSNBC and
CNBC, but we're also focused on the long haul. It's about improving
our process and practices to ensure we make clear pathways for
access and opportunity for all. "
Samata Narra
SVP, Equity & Inclusion,
Content Strategy
WarnerMedia
Narra has visited all but one continent,
dipping into a variety of cultures unlike
each other. That profound love of travel has given her a deep
appreciation of our similarities and differences, and shaped her
approach to advancing diversity in the company's storytelling.
She has designed programs and systems that support executives
and producers at every stage of the creative development
process. Over the last five years, she's been focused on creating
better entry-level positions in the entertainment industry through
nonprofit Film2Future, of which she's a founding board member.
" By getting rid of the socioeconomic barriers to entry for underrepresented
communities, I know we can create pathways for the
storytellers of tomorrow as well as the creative teams who will
bring those stories to life, " she says.
Philip Nutsugah
SVP, Product Development
& Management
Cox Communications
Nutsugah has stepped up to the plate
as a leader at Cox where many others
could have been intimidated. Nutsugah served on the operator's
National Diversity & Inclusion Council for eight years and most recently
helped create an informal mentorship program that aims to
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support Black executives at Cox. Nutsugah also served as executive
sponsor of the company's Thrive ERG for young professionals
in 2019, where he emphasized the value of making stronger connections
between younger professionals and senior leaders across
the company. Outside of Cox, he works toward inclusion as a board
member for Camp Twin Lakes, a nonprofit aimed at improving the
lives of kids with disabilities. One of his favorite shows on TV today
that embraces D&I is NBC's " This is Us. " " It deals with everything
from mixed race family issues, LGBT, mental health, disability,
body-shaming, aging, alcoholism, etc., etc., " Nutsugah says.
Kia Painter
SVP, HR Business
Partnerships
Cox Communications
Painter makes Cox employees feel
welcome from the second they
embark on the hiring process. She personally led a comprehensive
review of the operator's talent practices to make sure the
company creates greater transparency and access to development
opportunities. She starts from the top, advising leaders on
best methods for cultivating inclusion in team cultures, which
includes thinking broadly about talent sources and the power of
allies. She breaks down the walls and offers transparency for
employees of all backgrounds by remaining curious and interested
in them as humans and leaving the corporate jargon at the
door. If Painter could make a biopic, she'd choose Colin Powell
as her subject. " There is so much personal power in the courage
to effectively lead and serve for a country that is sometimes
slow in dismantling systems and infrastructure designed to limit
potential of people that look like you, " she says.
Patricia Paredes Saez
VP, Production Management
A+E Networks
When production came to a standstill
during the pandemic, the industry had
to adjust in order to survive. Thanks
to Paredes Saez's industrious thinking, she found creative ways
for business to continue. She and her team quickly pivoted from
long-established, tried-and-true production means to establishing
criteria for self-shooting, Zoom shoots, remote kit deployment
and virtual control room productions to support the continuation
of unscripted long-form production. She and her team met
this challenge and exceeded it with flying colors. She shines in
another way, as well: in her dedication to diversity and inclusion.
" I am committed to identifying and raising the profile of underrepresented
groups including minority-owned, women-owned,
veteran-owned, LGBTQ+-owned and disabled-owned businesses
and giving them opportunities to grow and contribute to a more
equitable society, " she says. " I hope one day this kind of initiative
becomes part of the natural fabric in our industry. "
October 2021
Diversity List
http://www.CablefaxDiversity.com
Cablefax The Magazine - October 2021

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