WASHINGTON, DC - The NAB Education Foundation has announced that Michelle Duke, director of diversity services, will manage the Broadcast Leadership Training Program. Duke replaces Heather Birks, who is now the executive director of the Broadcast Education Association.
Duke joined NABEF in January 2005. In her position, she has provided broadcasters with diversity strategies and resources to assist them with staffing, retention, and business practices. Duke oversees Broad Reach, a diversity quarterly newsletter for broadcasters, The Connections Mentoring Initiative, as well as professional fellowship programs and career outreach initiatives."Michelle has the expertise, experience and energy to take BLT to an even higher level of excellence," said NABEF Executive Director, Ann Orr. "We are thrilled that someone with her talent will be managing this flagship program."
NABEF developed the BLT program in 2001 to promote diversity and upward mobility for women and minorities in broadcast management. The BLT Program, which is the brainchild of Shooting Star Broadcasting President and CEO Diane Sutter, targets senior level broadcast managers of proven ability who aspire to advance as group executives or station owners.
At NAB2006, the BLT program hosted the first annual "Ownership Mentoring Forum," which was co-sponsored by the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council. The forum provided potential owners the opportunity to have informal face time with broadcasting CEOs, brokers, and financial investors.
About NABEF
The NAB Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in supporting and advocating:
education and training programs, strategies to increase diversity, initiatives stressing
the importance of the First Amendment, community service, philanthropy and other timely broadcasting issues.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal
Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at
www.nab.org.
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