2008 Most Influential Minorities in Cable: Regional Executives
(The following executives are listed alphabetically.)
Mark Allen
VP & GM, Comcast of the District
Allen focuses on customer operations for subscribers in D.C., among which are high-profile organizations, institutions and officials. Allen was named a Next Generation Leader by NAMIC in 2006 and is an alumnus of NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Development Program at UCLA.
Oduwole "Wally"Bakare
VP & GM, Time Warner Cable Mid-Ohio
Bakare led the digital phone launch team in the L.A. region, which resulted in 300% + subscriber growth throughout the TW Cable/Comcast/Adelphia integration. He has since been promoted to his post in Mid-Ohio and is responsible for running operations for several systems there. Bakare is an integral member of the Time Warner Cable Diversity & Inclusion Council.
Paul Biava
Area VP of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, VP of IT & IS for Comcast Philadelphia Metro
A former executive at Telefonica’s Puerto Rico subsidiary, Biava was selected for Comcast’s fledgling VP-in-training program, from which he was plucked to fill a top operations position in Philadelphia. Biava’s challenge: manage battleground areas impacted by Verizon FiOS. He is also a frequent speaker at Widener University and Congreso, a nonprofit Latino organization in Philadelphia that emphasizes the value of education to future leaders.
Lisa Brodeth Carrick
VP of Learning & Development, Comcast Cable, N.J. Region
This year Brodeth Carrick secured a $2.5 million grant from the N.J. Department of Labor to assist the N.J. Comcast region in providing professional development opportunities above and beyond in-house training initiatives. She is a member of the American Society for Training and Development, WICT and SCTE, and a graduate BMLI and Leadership Shore, a program that highlights local leaders.
Todd F. Brown
VP, Western Division, Comcast Networks
A veteran of the computer and finance industries, Brown has led his team to overcome major distribution gaps and increase the visibility of Comcast’s brands. He has established a reputation for mentoring; as one of 17 children, Brown learned early that sharing the wealth is the only way to go.
Sheryl Deer
Director, Programming and New Business Development, Time Warner Cable of N.Y. & N.J.
The 25-year cable pro is a major player in Time Warner’s largest division. She also takes active part in CTAM’s New York chapter, having been involved in the Blue Ribbon Breakfast Committee during Diversity Week.
Dianne Earley
VP & GM, Cox Media, Northern Virginia
Earley has overseen a reduction in employee churn from 50% in 2005 to 29% in 2006 at Cox Media No. Va., the advertising sales division of Cox. The member of Class VI of NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Development Program has been a key player at Cox Media, Comcast Spotlight and in broadcast television and radio.
Kimberly Edmunds
SVP & GM, Cox Kansas
Edmunds is responsible for all operations of Cox’s Kansas systems, serving more than 305,000 customers. She also is on the board of directors for Rainbows United and Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas, and is a fellow of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.
Fidel Edwards
VP, Customer Care, Comcast Cable, N.J. Region
Edwards oversees and manages call center operations across all product lines for the New Jersey region’s 1.4 million customers. Outside of Comcast he participates in the YMCA’s mentoring program, and through a partnership with his local church he counsels young men caught up in the trappings of gang activity.
Kathy Etemad Hollinger
Senior Director of External Affairs, Comcast of the District
Representing Comcast in D.C. on all legislative, regulatory and outreach issues, Etemad Hollinger must play both peacemaker and advocate. She also sits on the board of directors of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, Jubilee Support Alliance and Leadership of Greater Washington.
Jacqueline Gadsden
VP, Customer Care, Comcast Cable, Northern New England Region
Gadsden went from being a customer care agent to a VP while embodying the company’s "Think Customer First" philosophy. Under her leadership, the company opened one of the largest call centers in New England, launched an eCare (online chat/e-mail customer service) initiative (cited as a best practice and modeled companywide) and added a work-from-home program for high-performing agents.
Rick Guerrero
VP, Broadband Network Engineering & Operations, Cox Orange County/Palos Verdes
Guerrero has provided a steady hand at Cox, guiding the MSO’s move to an architecture that better combines voice, video and data, and steering its many new business initiatives, including the recent partnership between Cox and Charter to provide connectivity to businesses in Nevada. He is responsible for the company’s most important vendor decisions, with a budget approaching $90 million for 2006-2009 for network improvements including switched digital video and network expansion.
Darrel Hegar
VP & GM, Time Warner Cable, Northeast Ohio
Hegar leads cable operations in a five-county territory that encompasses the Cleveland metro area. His influence transcends Time Warner Cable through his board memberships with the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation and the Time Warner Cable/Cleveland City Council Neighborhood Technology Trust Fund. Additionally, Hegar mentors through NAMIC.
Kelli Hill
VP, Customer Service, Comcast Cable, Maryland/Delaware/Richmond Region
Hill has been instrumental over the past year in deploying and leveraging an advanced, state-of-the-art technology application designed to consolidate the vast amount of information available to customer service representatives into an easy-to-use format. She is also taking an active role in the community through her membership in an African-American service sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc., and has served as a mentor for students at a local Maryland middle school.
Marge Jackson
VP of Marketing, Comcast Cable, Eastern Division
This June, Jackson was promoted to her current role in the Eastern division, where she’s responsible for developing and leading the competitive game plan and playbook, managing the multi-dwelling unit business and heading the TV/direct marketing department’s campaign strategy. Jackson was named a 2008 Next Generation Leader by NAMIC.
Rich Jennings
Area VP & GM, Comcast Cable, Denver
Jennings runs the largest cable system area in the Colorado market, and is responsible for Comcast’s suite of broadband services with full P&L accountability. His operations include notable locations such as CableLabs, the Bill Daniels mansion, The Cable Center and the state capitol. The Walter Kaitz Foundation Fellow also led Comcast’s technical participation in the Democrats’ National Convention in Denver.
Filemon Lopez
SVP, Comcast Cable, South Florida Region
Lopez has significantly contributed to the growth of the South Florida region and Comcast as a whole. He runs Comcast’s business in Miami-Dade, the Florida Keys, Broward County and the Treasure Coast, a region that serves approximately 700,000 customers and employs nearly 2,000 people. He also serves as a board member for the Institute for Executive Leadership on Diversity at Rutgers University.
Manny Martinez
VP & GM, Sierra Nevada KMA, Charter Communications
Martinez’s business unit has achieved year-over-year, double-digit pro forma revenue and pro forma adjusted EBITDA growth two years in a row. He also has been a strong advocate for bringing to the Nevada area special programming networks (e.g., The Africa Channel) that serve his customer profile. He’s currently brokering a deal to save the Northern Nevada Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Gary McCollum
SVP & GM, Cox Hampton Roads, Virginia
McCollum leads Cox’s Hampton Roads cable system, including Chesapeake and Newport News, Va., which serves nearly 700,000 customers. The tireless, longtime cable industry leader serves on the boards of the Virginia Cable and Telecommunications Association, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Virginians for the Arts, Northern Virginia Urban League, Fairfax County Public Library Foundation and the Virginia Opera. The personable McCollum also serves on the George Mason University Minority Advisory Board.
J.D. Myers II
VP, Cox Business Services, Northern Virginia
Myers leads Cox’s commercial business strategy throughout Fairfax County and the Fredericksburg region, serving businesses, schools and government agencies of all sizes. He is an active board member of the Herndon Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Fairfax Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an organization that represents, supports and manages the rights of neglected and abused children. He is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program.
Michael Parker
VP, Comcast Cable, New Haven/New York, Connecticut-West Region
Parker manages operations, network development, customer service and financial performance for more than 350,000 customers, and has successfully integrated the former Adelphia and Susquehanna markets in Connecticut and New York. He contributes his time to NAMIC, CTAM, National Black MBA Association and the Urban League of Greater Hartford, and has been a WICT mentor for the past two years.
Ray Roundtree
VP of Finance, Comcast Cable, Central Pennsylvania Region
After an injury ended his NFL career, Roundtree got his MBA and launched a career in the communications industry. His second career is going pretty well, it seems: In addition to managing all financial duties for his region, Roundtree oversees information technology, information systems and facilities and has helped propel Central Pennsylvania to high marks in customer experience.
Tony Speller
SVP, Comcast Cable, Houston Region
Since taking a leadership role in Houston for Comcast, Speller has done much more than launch advanced services — he has worked endlessly to develop relationships with many local nonprofit organizations. Under his leadership, Comcast employees in Houston held a first-ever campaign to support the United Way and participated in Comcast Cares Day, with both initiatives achieving outstanding results for the community.
Jacqui Vines
SVP & GM, Cox Greater Louisiana
Vines is accountable for the development, growth and profitability of a business unit with 1,200 employees, a payroll of more than $50 million and 309,000 customers. Under her leadership, the Greater Louisiana team has established a cultural platform embracing customer service, people, community and profitability, resulting in 10% year-over-year growth in basic video customers. She is an active member of Baton Rouge Rotary, WICT and NAMIC.
Danielle Wade
VP, Customer Care & Marketing, Bright House Networks, Bakersfield, Calif., Division
Wade is responsible for sales and marketing at a division that serves approximately 90,000 customers. This summer she managed the marketing side of the test launch of Start Over in her division. Wade has a well-deserved reputation for embracing diversity across racial, ethnic and gender lines. She serves on NAMIC’s board of directors.
Steven A. White
SVP, Comcast Cable, California Region
White is responsible for 7,500 employees in a region that serves 2.45 million customers. He oversees all aspects of Comcast’s operations in California, including two top 20 DMAs and the Silicon Valley area. He also serves as chairman of the board for the California Cable & Telecommunications Association, and is on the board of the California Chamber of Commerce. This year he received the 2008 Diversity Award from the Sacramento Urban League.
2008 Most Influential Minorities in Cable: The Top 50
2008 Most Influential Minorities in Cable: The Second 50
2008 Most Influential Minorities in Cable: More Execs With Influence
