Honors outstanding women in marketing and communication - Ebony's fourth annual Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications Awards Luncheon

Ebony, July, 2003

A capacity crowd helped EBONY magazine honor 11 marketing and communications pathfinders at our fourth annual Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications Awards Luncheon at the Hilton New York & Towers Grand Ballroom.

The annual event, co-sponsored by AT&T and Prudential Financial, honors the most successful women in advertising, corporate marketing, fashion and entertainment marketing, and journalism.

Linda Johnson Rice, president and chief executive officer of Johnson Publishing Co., publisher of EBONY, welcomed the crowd and saluted the honorees who, she said, "have boldly shattered glass ceilings" and are "blazing new trails and inspiring others to live without limits."

The mistress of ceremonies was BET Nightly News anchor Jacque Reid, and the invocation was given by Minister Vy Higginsen, CEO of the Mama Foundation for the Arts in Harlem and producer of the Mama, I Want To Sing musical series.

Entertainment was provided by Elektra recording star Gerald Levert, singer Melba Moore and the Sherry Winston band.

Among the scores of dignitaries attending the events were singer Cissy Houston and Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, who presented President Rice with an official proclamation that declared the event "Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications Day" in New York City.

The annual EBONY awards luncheon is becoming a major industry event, and the honorees were described by President Rice as "the most successful women in marketing and communications [who] are helping to improve the quality of life for all African-Americans and for women who are changing the face of power in the world today."

ADVERTISING AGENCY AWARDS, presented by DAWN HUDSON president, Pepsi-Cola North America.

TRACI DINKINS, media director, Spike DDB and president, African-American is Advertising, CYNTHYA RANDALL, account director, UniWorld Group, Inc.

DEIDRE A. SMALLS, vice president, group management supervisor, Grey Global Group.

CORPORATE MARKETING AWARDS, presented by DAWN KELLY, vice president, global Communication, Prudential Financial, Inc,

BONITA COLEMAN STEWART, director, Chrysler Band Communications, DaimlerChrysler

GAYLE CRUISE, group marketing & communications, Microsoft Corporation.

CHARLOTTE McKINES, executive director, Intergrated Marketing Communications, Merck & Co.

JOURNALISM AWARDS presented by ESTHER SILVER-PARKER, president, AT&T Foundation and vice president, corporate external affairs, AT&T.

DR. JUMANNE MALVEAUX, president and CEO, Last Word Productions, Inc.

VICKI MABREY, news correspondent, CBS News/60 Minutes II.

FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING AWARDS presented by JEFF BURNS JR., associate publisher, EBONY magazine.

SYLVIA RHONE, chairman and CEO, Elektra Records.

LESLIE SHORT, president of marketing advertising & public relations, FUBU and FUBU Entertainment.

KIMORA LEE SIMMONS, president and creative director, Baby Phat.

Among the honorees and participants attending EBONY'S fourth Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications Awards program are (seated l. to r.) Gayle Cruise, group marketing & communications, Microsoft Corporation; Deidre A. Smalls, VP group management supervisor, Grey Global Group; Bonita Coleman Stewart, director, Chrysler Brand Communications, DaimlerChyrsler; Linda Johnson Rice, president and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, president & CEO, Last Word Productions, Inc.; Leslie Short, president of marketing advertising & public relations, FUBU and FUBU Entertainment; and Charlotte McKines, executive director, Integrated Marketing Communications, Merck & Co.; (standing 1. to r.) Kimora Lee Simmons, president and creative director, Baby Phat; Dawn Hudson, president, Pepsi-Cola North America; Vicki Mabrey, news correspondent, CBS News, 60 Minutes II; Cynthya Randall, account director, UniWorld Group, Inc.; Jeff Burns Jr., associate publisher, EBONY magazine; Sylvia Rhone, chairman and CEO, Elektra Records; Tract Dinkins, media director, Spike DDB and president, AfricanAmericans In Advertising; Dawn Kelly, VP Global Communications, Prudential Financial, Inc.; Minister Vy Higginsen, CEO, the Mama Foundation for the Arts in Harlem, who gave the invocation; and Esther Silver-Parker, president, AT&T Foundation and corporate external affairs VP for AT&T. AT&T and Prudential Financial were sponsors of the annual event.

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Linda Johnson Rice, president and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, is joined by (l. to r.) Steve Block, corporate vice president brand advertising, AT&T; Gabriella Morris, vice president, Community Resources and president, the Prudential Foundation; and Sara Lipton, vice president segment marketing and brand advertising, AT&T.

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Award recipient Sylvia Rhone, chairman and CEO of Elektra Records is congratulated by superstar singer Gerald Levert and Jeff Burns, associate publisher of EBONY magazine. At right, noted singer Melba Moore was among the entertainers who performed during the luncheon. Levert and the Sherry Winston band also attendance (far right) was soul-gospel vocalist Cissy Houston.