2007 SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

Emma Bowen Foundation Conducts Largest Recruiting Season To Date - More than 1,700 applications were received by the Foundation in the spring of 2007 to compete for new work/study positions in the media industry. Eighteen of our corporate partners selected 90 new students in 40 cities throughout the United States in 2007. Thirty-six positions were replacements for graduating college seniors and the balance were newly created opportunities for minority youth. The current Foundation roster stands at 264 students and 229 graduates.

Public Service Announcement Created by Fox Television To Assist Foundation Recruiting - Through the generosity of Dennis Swanson, president of television operations for Fox Television, and the talent of the creative staff at WNYW-Fox New York, a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) was created to support the Foundation's recruiting efforts in 40 cities around the country. Broadcast television stations, cable operators and cable programmers aired the PSA in February and March, 2007. During that time period, visits to the Foundation's web site, www.emmabowenfoundation.com, increased significantly. The Foundation plans to use the PSA in 2008 and develop a Spanish language version as well.

Summer Conference 2007 - For the fourth consecutive summer, all eligible Emma Bowen Foundation students
Hoda Kotb with Foundation students.
convened in New York City for our annual 2-1/2 day summer conference.
Kendra Hatcher of Mediavest.
Included among the highlights of the conference were keynote speeches by NBC Dateline correspondent, Hoda Kotb, and Senior Vice President and Director of Consumer Context Planning for Mediavest, Kendra Hatcher.
Foundation graduate, Rokeia Smith, an account executive with Fox.
Students enjoyed the Foundation's graduate panel, an annual favorite.
Alison Silver, Sr. VP Int'l. Physical Production for Focus Features Int'l. speaking with Foundation student Arnell Davis after her panel on programming.
Included on the panel was Kim Bowser of NBC; Johann Conforme, an interactive creative consultant; Kameko Jones (via tape for NBC News in London); Rokeia Smith, Fox Sales in Atlanta; and Tor Smith, On-Line News, Fox Philadelphia. A half-day session on interviewing skills was conducted by Wrisë Booker of Reid Dugger Consulting Group with the assistance of industry human resource executives from Time Warner Cable, CBS and ABC.


NBC Universal hosted a full day of speakers covering such topics as multiplatform digital innovation, programming and scheduling, and the transition from internships to full-time work. Michael Jack, President and General Manager of WRC-NBC 4, Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, Digital Media and the Olympics, and Elana Nachmanoff, Vice President,
From left, Michael Jack, NBC, David Porter, Kaitz Foundation and Daniel Howard, NBC
NBC News were included among the panelists who provided insights to the students and answered their questions. Industry diversity executives spoke to students about how they
Rob Kennedy of C-SPAN with Ashley Brown, Media General.
can maximize opportunities utilizing diversity initiatives within their companies and the industry.
Jeanine Mendez, WJAR, with Dr. Everett Parker.
Included on the panel were moderator, David Porter, Executive Director of the Walter Kaitz Foundation; Barbara Frankel, Executive Editor and Sr. Vice President of Diversity, Inc. Magazine; Kathy Johnson, President of NAMIC; Loretta Walker, Sr. Vice President Human Resources for Turner Broadcasting; and Lenore Washington-Graham, Vice President of Strategic Resourcing for Scripps Networks. Students also had the opportunity to join members of the Foundation's Board of Directors and other media executives for the annual Board / Student Luncheon and Awards Ceremony. Nearly 300 guests attended.

As with any industry conference, it is advantageous to schedule a variety of meetings and events around the central meeting when attendees from around the country are available. The Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Conference was no exception. Seniors attended the annual Senior Dinner; first-time conference attendees participated in a New Student Orientation;
CBS executive, Peter Dunn, with Native American students from Minneapolis and Seattle. (Micki Ream, Cole Premo, Michelle Redberg and Christina Fairbanks).
2007 Link mentees attended a special session on behavioral styles using the DiSC assessment tool in preparation for iLink sessions later in the summer; Comcast students from around the country attended a special reception at Comcast Spotlight's offices; Native American students working at CBS stations in Minneapolis and Seattle met with Peter Dunn, President and General Manager of WCBS; and all conference participants enjoyed a dinner cruise around Manhattan on the last night of the conference.

Acknowledgements - We especially want to acknowledge the Walter Kaitz Foundation for their ongoing commitment to the Foundation and sponsorship of the 2007 Summer Conference. In addition, the following companies, organizations and individuals helped in a variety of ways to make this conference possible: The Association of Cable Communicators for their ninth year of contributions, the Bresnan Family Foundation, Fordham University, Dr. Phil Napoli, Ethan Loney, and all our conference speakers. The following companies also donated gift items for our students: BMI, Bresnan Communications, Broadcasting and Cable Magazine, CBS, CNN, Comcast, Hearst-Argyle Television, Lifetime, NCTA, Oxgen, Sci-Fi Channel, Scripps Networks, Time Warner Cable and the TVB.
Lillian Santana.


2007 Students of the Year Honored - Lillian Santana and Reggie Lott were named the Emma L. Bowen Foundation's 2007 Students of the Year at the annual Board of Directors/ Student Luncheon held in conjunction with the annual Student Conference in New York City. This award recognizes the achievements of an outstanding senior and serves as an incentive to other Foundation students to continue to strive for excellence. Criteria for the award include: outstanding work quality; noteworthy professional and personal growth and integrity; academic excellence; creativity and initiative; and special contributions to his/her company, college and/or community. Lillian Santana is a graduate of Baruch College where she earned a degree in Finance. Lillian's corporate sponsor was ABC and she continues to work at ABC as a financial analyst with Good Morning America.
Chris Lammers of Cable Labs with Reggie Lott.
Reggie will complete his degree in computer engineering from the University of Denver in December of 2007. Reggie's corporate partner is Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. The Foundation thanks this year's judges for their efforts: Henry Rivera, Esq. of Wiley Rein, Mae Cheng of Newsday and Johnathan Rodgers of TV-One.

Class of 2007 - In addition to our Student of Year Award Winners, we are equally proud of our other Class of 2007 graduates. At the end of the summer of 2007, twelve graduates have accepted fulltime positions in the industry in broadcast news, advertising, corporate marketing, sales and cable programming. One of graduates was accepted into the NBC Page Program and two are pursuing advanced degrees in law and business.

Kathy Shepherd Community Service Awards Recipients Named - WPIX's Tribune Foundation Matches Awards
From left, Rebecca Wangard, Phylis Eagle-Oldson and Carlos Austin
- The Kathy Shepherd Community Service Award was created to encourage student involvement in community service activities and recognize those who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of others. The Foundation recognized Michael Estimé and Rebecca Wangard for their community service efforts at the annual Board of Directors/Student Luncheon in New York on June 21, 2007. Michael attends Central Michigan University and works at WKBD in Detroit. He volunteered with Volunteer Center at Central Michigan University and worked during school breaks to help with post-Katrina rebuilding in Mobile, AL and Galveston, TX. Rebecca attends the University of Wisconsin at Madison and works at Time Warner Cable in Milwaukee. She volunteered at the Summer Camp for Persons with Disabilities sponsored by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Michael Estimé.
The Foundation thanks Carlos Austin, Director of Local Production and Community Services, at WPIX for serving as a judge for the competition, and WPIX for agreeing to match the $500 contributions that both the Volunteer Center and the Summer Camp received from the Emma Bowen Foundation on behalf of Michael and Rebecca. Kathy Shepherd was Vice President of Production and Community Affairs at WPIX until her untimely death in 2001. She served as an Emma Bowen Foundation board member since its inception in 1989.



Academic Awards Introduced - While all Foundation students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0, it is particularly noteworthy when students far exceed that requirement. The Emma Bowen Foundation's Academic Awards were established to recognize and reward students that have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher while in college. Award recipients received both a certificate and a cash award. During the 2007 Board of Directors/Student Luncheon, the Foundation presented Academic Awards to the following students:

Name University Corporate Sponsor
Jamie Atkinson Howard University Comcast
Nicole Barden Spelman College Comcast
Candace Barnes Montclair State Comcast Spotlight
Jeremy Battle Morehouse College FOX - WBRC 6
Tiffany Blevins Univ.of AL-Tuscaloosa FOX-WBRC 6
Ashley Brown Evangel University Media General
Autumn Bruton New York University Gannett Broadcasting (WUSA 9)
Javier Burgos MIT Nielsen Media Research
Michele Byrd Hampton University Turner
Stephanie Claytor Syracuse University Fox
Arnell Davis Univ.of Texas at Austin Arbitron
Joseph Flowers Univ. Of Maryland WAMU-FM/CPB
Jenna Hanchard Rutgers University NBC Universal
Joseph Hill Montgomery College NBC-WCAU 10
Becky Ho UCLA NBC Universal
Lauren Jackson Hampton University NAB-WJLA (ABC-7)
Je-Anne Jarrett Duke University CBS-Baltimore
LeAnn Jenkins Univ.of Texas at Austin Fox
Adrienne Lucas Univ.of Pittsburgh FOX-WNYW 5
Stephanie J.Martin San Jose State Comcast
Amber Nave NC A&T State Turner
Success Okoronkwo Towson University C-SPAN
Michael Orr University of Miami Cox Communications
Monique Robinson Rutgers University NBC News
Raquel Rodriguez Univ. of Central Florida FOX-WOFL
Savannah Squires Lee University Scripps Networks
Joseph Sutton Oglethorpe University Turner Broadcasting
Vanessa Valez Iona College Comcast
Emma Bowen Foundation Student Advisory Board Established -
The election process at work for the Class of 2008
To better serve the Foundation students and insure that the programs developed by the Foundation for students remain relevant both in topics and technology, the Foundation invited the student body to elect class representatives at the 2007 Summer Conference. Each class elected two representatives to serve one-year terms on the Advisory Board. The Board will meet quarterly with the Foundation's senior staff to discuss student issues and Foundation programs. Class representatives for the 2007-2008 school year are:
Class of 2008 - Peter Martinez (CPB) and Michael Alvarez (CBS)
Class of 2009 - Rebecca Wangard (Time Warner) and James Presha (Turner)
Class of 2010 - Arnell Davis (Arbitron) and Kenneth Wright (Comcast)
Class of 2011 - Taylor Tomczyszyn (C-SPAN) and Joseph Hill (NBC)

2007 iLink Mentoring Program -

Miami Link mentees and mentors
For the fifth consecutive year, the Walter Kaitz Foundation funded the Emma Bowen Link Mentoring Program. Our traditional full-summer program was redesigned as a 1.5 day Link Intensive (iLink) workshop to allow more students to participate in the program. Sixty-six mentees traveled to Houston, Miami or Chicago to work with industry professionals gifted in developing talent and understanding the corporate workplace. Guided by a professional facilitator, the mentors worked in pairs with small groups of mentees to answer their questions and to concentrate on strategies that build strong careers. Features of the program include a DiSC professional profile designed to help mentees understand behavioral styles and their impact on group dynamics.
Chicago iLink
A case simulation provided the opportunity for mentoring teams to become think tanks responsible for increasing organizational innovation.
Wrise Booker offering pointers to mentees.
In the process, they defined qualities that differentiate good employees from exceptional ones, and discerned the advantages of utilizing co-workers' differences. They developed strategies for increasing both initiative and leadership and identified methods for overcoming resistance to change. In the midst of this experience, they discover the career value of mentors and map techniques for cultivating mentoring relationships. The case simulation reinforced teamwork, advocated leadership and strengthened presentation skills. Wrisë Booker of Reid Dugger Consulting Group designed the program and served as facilitator. Emma Bowen Foundation students working at broadcast stations, cable systems, program networks, advertising agencies and other industry-related organizations brought their questions and enthusiasm. Mentors with expertise in a wide range of disciplines brought their perspectives and career advice.

OTHER FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES

TVB Marketing Conference - For the fifth year, the Foundation was invited to participate in the Television Bureau of Advertising's Annual Marketing Conference in New York City on April 12, 2007. Students attending the conference learned about current advertising trends, view-tracking methodologies, sales techniques and career options from key industry executives.

American Women in Radio and Television's Gracies -
Six Foundation students had the opportunity to work at AWRT's Gracie Awards at the Marriott Marquis in New York on June 18th. Students directed guests on the "red carpet," assisted backstage and distributed Awards. It was a star-studded, inspirational night for these Foundation students! Foundation student, Kellee Blades, appears on stage with Gracies Host, Lesley Visser.

Parents' Night Events - Each summer, the Emma L. Bowen Foundation hosts orientation meetings for the parents of new students in our program. In 2007, Parents' Night events were held in New York at the offices of the Food Network; in Miami at NBC; and in Atlanta at Turner Broadcasting. Foundation graduates joined Foundation staff in explaining the goals and benefits of the Foundation's work/study program.

Spirit of Comcast - Fifty-seven students were invited to Comcast's corporate headquarters on July 12-13, 2007 for the third annual Spirit of Comcast session. These Emma Bowen Foundation students (including 41 new students) worked at Comcast facilities around the country and had the opportunity to participate in a 1.5 day session with Comcast executives to learn about business strategy, skill development and maximizing their internships. Included among the guest speakers was Chairman Wendell Holland of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Washington Summit.
Pat Harrison, Cheryl Halpern, and Phylis Eagle-Oldson with students and graduates.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting extended an invitation to all Foundation students and graduates working at public broadcast stations around the country for a Washington Summit. Students had the opportunity to meet with senior executives of the CPB including Pat Harrison, CEO, Vinnie Curren, COO and Cheryl Halpern, Chair of the CPB Board of Directors. Students learned about the history and funding of the CPB, programming trends, new technology and the challenges facing the public broadcast industry. They discussed the importance of diversity in programming and met Jennifer Lawson, the producer of the acclaimed Africa series. Students also toured National Public Radio and PBS facilities as well as WETA.




Emma Bowen Foundation Honored by Minority Media Telecommunications Council and the United Church of Christ -
From left, Phylis Eagle-Oldson, Henry Rivera, and Gloria Tristani.
The Emma L. Bowen Foundation and its president were honored this summer with the Everett C. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award at the Minority Media Telecommunications Council's annual conference on July 16, 2007 in Washington, DC. The Award recognized contributions to diversity in the media industry. The Donald H. McGannon Award for leadership in advancing the role of people of color in the media was presented at the United Church of Christ's Parker Lecture Series in Washington, DC on September 18, 2007.

Emma Bowen Foundation Graduates Gather in Los Angeles - The Foundation hosted a reception for Emma Bowen Foundation graduates on the CBS Studio City Lot on September 11, 2007. Grads shared experiences and contact information. Included with Foundation hosts Rita Torres, Sandra Rice and Phylis Eagle-Oldson, were (from left, front row) Becky Ho of ABC, Wrisë Booker (a consultant for the Foundation), Bobbie Bencio of Sander/Moses Productions; Brandi Wilson of NBC Universal, and Lynn Heymont of CBS (and an Emma Bowen Foundation board member). Second row from left: Kristin Vela of Universal Media Studios, Maria Loeza of ABC, Rita Torres, Ashley Rideau of ABC, Ashley Akins of Mark Burnett Productions, Niija Kuykendall of Fox Studios and Sandra Rice.




Emma Bowen Foundation Graduates Win Emmys -
Christine and Giovanni.
Christine Portela of WTVJ, NBC 6 in Miramar, FL and Giovani Benitez, WFOR-TV - CBS Miami, were both awarded Emmies at the 2007 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards on Saturday, December 1, 2007 in Kissimmee, Florida. Christine received an Emmy in the Weather category for her work on "Preparing for the Storm 2007." Christine is a producer of the South Florida Nightly News at 7 at WTVJ. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and was an Emma Bowen Foundation intern with WTVJ while in college. Giovani received an Emmy in the Continuing Coverage category for his work on a 17 - part series called "The Forgotten Floor" about mentally ill inmates at the Miami-Dade Detention Center. Giovani is currently a senior at Florida International University and has been an Emma Bowen Foundation intern with WFOR since 2003. Congratulations to Christine and Giovani!

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