Cablefax The Magazine - December 2021 - 29

Mentor Year
of
the
Tonya Cornileus
VP, Development, Inclusion & Wellness
ESPN
W
hether she's advising high school students or
establishing new company-wide initiatives to help
employees advance their careers, Cornileus is a lifelong
mentor-which, she says, also makes her a lifelong learner.
" I have been fortunate to have many mentors over my career,
and each one has taught me different things, " she says. " I've
had mentors who pushed me to take growth roles out of my
comfort zone, mentors who elevated my business acumen,
mentors who helped me interpersonally and who helped me gain
confidence to be my authentic self and make career decisions
aligned to my values. "
One of the many ESPNers she has supported over the years is
Rosalyn Durant, who in 2020 became the first African American
woman to serve as SVP, Operations for Disney Springs, ESPN
Wide World of Sports, and Disney's Blizzard Beach and Typhoon
Lagoon Water Parks. " Dr. Tonya has been a friend and mentor
to me for several years. Coaching and lifting others is more
than work or academic for her, it's a special calling that she has
answered, " says Durant. " She's the honest voice that you need
to hear and the committed sponsor that we all wish for. "
Heidi Justice, Senior Manager of Enterprise Talent Acquisition for
Disney, sought out Cornileus as a mentor because of her reputation
for leading with a balanced approach to work and personal
life. " Tonya has specifically helped me to set boundaries in work
and to create a new way of working that works for all of who I
am, " says Justice.
Armed with a true appreciation of the importance of mentorship,
Cablefax: The Magazine
December 2021
Cornileus oversees a number of new initiatives at ESPN and acts
as an adviser to senior management on DEI. Under her guidance,
ESPN established the " MORE Program, " a one-year initiative that
aims to increase mentorship, opportunity, readiness and exposure
for a diverse cohort of next-generation leaders.
She also helped launch the " NEXT Program, " an 18-month
initiative that exposes production assistants to different areas of
content. The most recent cohort features 64% people of color.
And Cornileus helps link senior Black ESPN leaders with emerging/mid-level
Black leaders for informal and formal mentorship.
Cornileus firmly believes diverse and inclusive teams perform
better. To improve ESPN's DEI, Cornileus and her team have examined
talent practices to mitigate bias and increase inclusion,
implemented leadership development programs to build leaders'
DEI capabilities and engaged with the company's nine employee
resource groups. " These efforts and results enable ESPN to create
a place where our employees can bring their authentic selves
to work and thrive, and where we can serve our sports fans with
relevant and inclusive content, " she says.
Cornileus' dedication doesn't end when she walks out of the
office. She mentors high school and college students along with
early and mid-career professionals. " Sharing my expertise and
wisdom to help someone else achieve their goals and dreams is
fulfilling. I'm an ear to listen and a coach and advisor-whatever
they need in the moment, " she says. " Invariably, I gain just as
much from the mentoring relationship as my mentees. I'm a
better person, a better listener and a more compassionate and
inclusive leader because I mentor others. "
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