Executive Director ADRIANNE C. SMITH

It is indeed an honor to be the first Executive Director for the Center for Excellence in Advertising at Howard University.

The issue of diversity in the advertising industry is not a new one. For years the industry has been criticized by government agencies and other watchdog organizations for what seems to be the industry’s unwillingness to change its staffing model to reflect the 21st century marketplace/consumer base.
Initiative after initiative has been created but our industry has yet to master a true methodology for retention and sustainability for minorities specifically in mid-senior level management positions.

The Center for Excellence in Advertising with the support of the Roundtable of Advertising Diversity Executives (RADE) and the Professional Leadership Development Academy of Howard University is currently developing a comprehensive curriculum to help train and sustain lateral moving executives who are interested in a successful career in advertising.

We need you to support diversity and its growth through the development of the Center for Excellence in Advertising. CEA’s launch will assist in the advertising industry’s diversity commitments and initiatives.

A special thanks to Howard University and the 4A’s for their vision and the opportunity to bring about substantive change to the corporate culture and mindset of the advertising industry.

Let’s make the Center for Excellence in Advertising the final solution to the issue of diversity in Advertising.

Adrianne C. Smith
Executive Director
Center for Excellence in Advertising
Never Underestimate the Power of a Made Up Mind.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

JANNETTE L. DATES, PH.D. Dean The John H. Johnson School of Communications Howard University, Washington, DC

Dr. Jannette L. Dates is the Dean of the John H. Johnson School of Communications at Howard University, where she served as a faculty member in the Department of Radio, Television and Film and Associate Dean before becoming Dean. Dr. Dates has been a frequent speaker and panelist on national television and radio programs where she discussed images of African Americans in the mass media. She has appeared on “Both Sides with Jesse Jackson,” “Booknotes with Brian Lamb” on CSPAN,” “All Things Considered” on NPR, “Close Up” on NPR, “Our Visions” on BET, and “On the Media” on NPR, among others. Prior to her career at Howard, Dr. Dates served as anchor and executive producer of a weekly television magazine for the Baltimore, Maryland, NBC affiliate, WBAL-TV, and as executive producer and host for a distance learning television series for Morgan State College students studying African American history and culture. She served as a panelist on a weekly public affairs television series for the Baltimore, Maryland, ABC affiliate, WJZ-TV, in a weekly series entitled “Square Off,” and as the co-anchor of the weekly television series “North Star” for the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, WBAL-TV.

In the 1990’s Dr. Dates served as a Fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University where her research focused on media images and effects, media treatment of African Americans and similar multicultural groups and women. She writes, as well, about the significance of diversity in media industries and in higher education.

Dr. Dates co-edited the book, Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media, authoring six of the ten chapters. She has written chapters for 15 other books, authored sixteen peer-reviewed articles and numerous general article publications.

Dr. Dates’ work with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication includes service as vice president and president. She served, as well, as vice chair of the Accrediting Committee of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has served as site team leader for more than 15 visits for the accreditation of programs and as a member of the Accrediting Council of ACEJMC. She served as a facilitator for site team training sessions for ACEJMC and as a member of numerous accreditation and re-accreditation site visits.

From 1997-2001, Dr. Dates served as chair of the Black College Communication Association, an organization of many of the 39 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), which have communications programs and on the national advisory board of the George Foster Peabody Awards (1995-2002).

Dr. Dates served as a Cable Commissioner and chair of the Education Task Force for the Baltimore, Maryland, Mayor’s Cable Communications Commission from 1990-1994, 1988-1990 and from 1979-1981. She also served as president and vice-president of the Baltimore Cable Access Corporation from 1982 through 1988.

Dr. Dates is the recipient of numerous awards including the Ebony Award for Women in Marketing and Communication and the Woman of the Year Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

NANCY HILL President /Chief Executive Officer 4A’s

Nancy Hill was named president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Advertising Agencies on February 1, 2008. Previously, she served as chief executive officer at Lowe New York.

A veteran of AAAA member agencies on both east and west coasts, Ms. Hill has served as executive vice president and managing director at BBDO New York, where she oversaw several of the agency's largest accounts.

Ms. Hill joined BBDO from Hill | Holliday, where she was first president of its San Francisco office, and later served as executive vice president and managing director for New York. In San Francisco, she was named one of the "75 Most Influential Women in Business" in both 2001 and 2002 by the San Francisco Business Times. Her background is steeped in technology experience from clients such as Cisco, Microsoft, LucasArts, Sybase, Sony, and Verizon.

Ms. Hill began her career in the recording industry. Later, she spent 11 years at Doner in Baltimore and TBWA\Chiat\Day before moving to San Francisco to lead Goldberg Moser O'Neill, which became Hill Holliday in 2001.

Ms. Hill has served on the Board of Directors of the Miami Ad School and led the launch of its New York campus. In addition to many teaching engagements throughout the country, she is actively involved in a community and education program in Ecuador where she has a home.

DAVID PRINCE Senior Vice President Talent Development 4A’s

After a brief career in finance, David began a career in advertising as assistant account executive with Lintas: New York. At the time he was the first person of color to hold that position at Lintas.

After three great years, he moved on, climbing the management ranks at such agencies as Publicis, Ogilvy, and Warwick, Baker O’Neill.

Looking for new challenges, David joined a start up multicultural shop called J. Curtis & Company. As head of account management and new business, David was instrumental in bringing in blue-chip clients including United Airlines, Citibank and (former employer) Salomon Smith Barney.

In 2001, David seized the opportunity to open his own agency as part of the winning team for a CDC anti-obesity campaign.

In May of 2008, David became the svp, Talent Development for the 4A’s, a new position charged with oversight on all initiatives devoted to building and nurturing our industry’s greatest asset: Our People.

“I am always looking forward to a new challenge.”

TONI FAY PresidentTGF Associates

Toni Fay is president of TGF associates, a management consulting firm.

Toni is a former corporate vice president of Time Warner Inc and is the first African American officer elected by the company.

During her tenure at Time Warner, Toni spearheaded and executed signature award winning global initiatives to enhance Time Warner’s reputation and leadership position as a good corporate citizen.

Many of these projects received international acclaim and included multi media campaigns such as Gordon Parks: Half Past Autumn; Listen Up, The Lives of Quincy Jones; Songs of My People; Americanos-Latino Life in the United States; and It’s US – A Celebration of Who We Are In America Today. Ms Fay also initiated and directed Time Warner’s community relations, contributions, minority business development, and employee volunteerism divisions.

Prior to her corporate career, Toni held positions as a social worker in the South Bronx, regional Commissioner of the Governors Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse (Pennsylvania), Director of Development for the National Council of Negro Women, and executive Vice president of D. Parke Gibson Associates.

In addition to serving on the Clinton/Gore transition team in 1992, Toni was appointed by President Clinton to the Boards of the National Institute for Literacy and the Corporation for National and Community Service .

Toni maintains an active involvement in civic affairs and has served on the Boards of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation; the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund , the Apollo Theatre Foundation: UNICEF, Bethune Cookman College, United Way of Bergen County; Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and Library; the Coro Foundation; the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies; U.S Capitol Historical Society; The Executive Leadership Council and Foundation, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Council of Negro Women and Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Toni, a native New Yorker , is a graduate of Duquesne University (B.A.) and the University of Pittsburgh (MSW and M.Ed.)

Toni is listed in Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World.

JEFF BURNS, JR. Veteran Marketing Executive/Author Vice Chairman John H. Johnson School of Communications Board of Visitors

Jeff Burns, Jr. is Vice Chairman of the John H. Johnson School of Communications Board of Visitors at his alma mater, Howard University and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Livingstone College. He is passionate about education and community service; and serves on the boards of the New York Urban League and the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce. Burns has worked on Rev. Jesse Jackson’s PUSH Trade Commission and Rev. Al Sharpton’s Madison Avenue Initiative to help increase advertising dollars for Black owned media.

Burns was Associate Publisher/SVP of Johnson Publishing Company, where he was responsible for selling and marketing the EBONY brand. In addition, he created special integrated marketing events for sponsors associated with EBONY such as Outstanding Women In Marketing & Communications Awards; the African American Men’s Day; Mothers’ & Daughters Empowerment Program and the film festival entitled Hollywood in Harlem.

Burns is a much sought after speaker on African American marketing and education initiates for Historically Black Colleges. Through the years, he has written numerous articles on both topics.

DARNELL HAMMOCK
Administrative Assistant

OUR ADVISORY BOARD

DR. ROCHELLE FORD
Associate Dean
John H. Johnson School of Communications
Howard University

CONSTANCE CANNON FRAZIER
Executive Vice President
Corporate Programming and Development
American Advertising Federation

NATATIA GRIFFITH
NYC Commission on Women’s Issues
Former President, New York Coalition of 100 Black Women

SANDRA SIMS-WILLIAMS
SVP, Diversity & Inclusion
VivaKi

JOHN CASH
Group Director, Account Services
Images USA

R. VANN GRAVES
SVP, Group Creative Director
McCann Erickson, New York

RENATA “TONI” ROY
Partners Achieving Solutions, LLC
CEA Project and Partner Development