Recently named interim head of programming for BET, Orlando has overseen the music programming and news at the company’s networks, including tent pole events The BET Awards, The Soul Train Awards and The Hip Hop Awards. Moreover, she introduced a new hit awards show to BET—the annual Black Girls Rock Awards— serving as executive producer. She’s proud to have launched the Connie Orlando Endowment for black women with television industry majors at her alma mater, Syracuse University. Orlando believes that “we are just starting to get to a place where we are starting to see our diversity as a nation reflected on the small screen,” she says. “A lot of these stories are also being told through our voices, which is even more gratifying.”
