Ebony salutes outstanding women in marketing and communications

Hard work does pay off. For the past eight years, EBONY magazine has been celebrating the achievements of dynamic professional African-American women. This year, we acknowledged the accomplishments of 13 industry leaders at the Eighth Annual EBONY Women in Marketing and Communications Awards--in a new venue, the world-famous Cipriani restaurant in Manhattan.

Johnson Publishing Co. President and CEO Linda Johnson Rice heralded the women saying, "Each year, I get so excited as the date draws near for this extraordinary celebration of marvelous women who are in the forefront of marketing and communications industries."

Nearly 700 strong, high-ranking women and men from a breadth of industries attended the luncheon. Harriette Cole, EBONY'S Creative Director, served as mistress of ceremonies. Phylicia Rashad helped set the tone by inspiring women to delight in their greatness. Among the honorees were Gwen Ifill, Donna Brazile, Michelle Obama, Ann Fudge and Debra Martin Chase.

(1) Linda Johnson Rice (c.), president and CEO, Johnson Publishing Co., is joined by (front row, I. to r.) Michelle Sharon Lee, MediaVest vice president and associate media director; Debra Martin Chase, movie and TV producer, Martin Chase Productions; Michele Norris, journalist and host of National Public Radio's All Things Considered, Dara Marshall, account director in the Branded Content and Entertainment Group at Ogilvy; (second row, I. to r.) Gwen Hill, moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Ann Fudge, former chair and CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands; Marsha E. Butler, DDS, vice president, Global Professional Relations and Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive Co.; Lydia G. Mallett, Ph.D., vice president of diversity at Tyco International (US) Inc.; Felicia Guity, responsible for Microsoft's Global Sales and Marketing with OEM Platform Partners; (third row, I. to r.) Hannah Allam, the McClatchy Newspapers bureau chief in Cairo, Egypt; Yvette Lee Bowser, writer and TV producer; Michelle Obama, vice president for Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals and wife of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama; Donna Brazile, Democratic political strategist and chair of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute (2) Raven-Symone (3) Holly RobinsonPeete (4) Broadway Inspirational Voices (5) Gwen Wilson, program director at Verizon Services Operations in the supplier diversity department (6) awardee Ann Fudge and presenter Johnathan Rodgers, president and CEO, TV One (7) Linda Johnson Rice and Michelle Obama (8) actress Phylicia Rashad and Raquel Graham Crayton, national marketing director, EBONY magazine (9) B. Smith, restaurateur, lifestyle export (10) (l. to r.) author and educator Michael Eric Dyson and his wife Marcia; actress Tonya Pinkins; C. Vivian Stringer, head coach of the women's basketball team at Rutgers University; Jolette Law, former associate coach at Rutgers, now head coach of the women's team at the University of Illinois; the Rev. DeForest B. Soaries (11) awardee Donna Brazile (12) Jeff Burns Jr., associate publisher and senior vice president, EBONY (13) luncheon attendees (14) Harriette Cole, EBONY creative director and luncheon mistress of ceremonies.

(1) Linda Johnson Rice and Tedra Dudley, co-founder and vice chair of GVC Winstar (2) members of team McDonald's, which was a sponsor, include (l. to r.) Linda Dunham, international chairman of the Ronald McDonald House Charities; Deborah Holder, owner/operator; Diedre Barrett, McDonald's marketing manager; Chere Nabor, McDonald's senior director of diversity; Mystique Adams, account supervisor, Burrell Communications; Daphne Jones, McDonald's marketing manager; Carol Hillsman Sagers, U.S. marketing director, McDonald's; Linda Johnson Rice; Shannelle Armstrong, McDonald's communications manager (3) representatives from Sam's Club, another sponsor, include (l. to r.) Philip Serghini, senior manager of public affairs; Darrell Manning, Victory Christian Academy; Cynthia Manning, Victory Christian Academy; Linda Johnson Rice; Gina Miranda-Diaz, president and CEO Bergenline Imaging Center, LLC; Edison Nanan, membership manager, Sam's Club Elmsford, N.Y.; Larry Pavlinko, fresh market manager, Sam's Club Market 15; Fred Acheampong, membership manager, Sam's Club, Medford, N.Y. (4) Gayle King (5) Hoyett Owens, chairman, Owens Morris Communications; Xernona Clayton, broadcasting executive and Trumpet Awards creator (6) (l. to r.) Nicole Black, marketing director, McNeil Nutritionals, a Johnson & Johnson Co.; Staci R. Collins, assistant vice president/corporate affairs, Johnson Publishing Co.; Iris Grossman, communications director, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies (7) representatives of RR Donnelley, another sponsor, include (l. to r.) Calvin Butler, corporate, senior vice president external affairs; Beverly Coley, president, Almae Publishing; Linda Johnson Rice; Carol Bennett, marketing consultant; Ann Marie Bushell, group executive vice president, marketing; Jill Lawson, major account manager; Nina Cunningham, RR Donnelley marketing; Peg Wander, manager external affairs; Eva Chess, vice president external affairs; Sharon Butler (8) Adriane Lenox, who sang "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing."