Winners of 11th Annual Red Letter Awards Announced

The Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Southeast Chapter will honor the outstanding achievement and leadership of six of its members at the chapter's 11th annual Red Letter Awards Gala. The ceremony will be held Thursday, October 16 at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta and will be hosted by Rene Syler, co-host of Exhale on ASPiRE TV, author, breast cancer advocate and on-the-go mom. The recipients of this year's Red Letter Awards are recognized for making significant contributions to WICT's mission of developing women leaders and exemplifying the chapter's 2014 Touchstone theme, "Inspire."

"It is an honor to celebrate this year's Red Letter Award honorees. The individual and collective contributions of each honoree are an inspiration to those in cable and telecommunications industry and beyond," said Kathy Gray, president of the WICT Southeast Chapter. "Rene Syler has served as a leader and inspiration to so many, and we couldn't think of a finer host for this celebration."

The 2014 Red Letter Award recipients are as follows:

• Woman of the Year: Shirley Powell, executive Vice president of corporate communications for The Weather Company, will be honored for visionary leadership and having a milestone year that contributed to the evolution of the cable telecommunications industry.
• Horizon Award for Woman to Watch: Sheila Hicks, Vice president of sales operations for Cox Communications, will be celebrated for her consistent record of professional success and job excellence.
• Catalyst Award: Karen McCague, Vice president of workforce services for Scripps Networks Interactive, will be recognized for her significant contributions in the industry as a woman who holds a position in technology.
• The Mentor Award: Jerilyn Bliss, Vice president of corporate communications, along with Denise Gough, Vice president of legal affairs for Scripps Networks Interactive, will be acknowledged for championing women's issues in the workplace and developing mentoring initiatives within their organization and the industry.
• Rising Star Award for Emerging Leader: Jennifer Schultz, senior director of analysis-technology for Cox Communications, will be recognized for establishing competency and success in her area of expertise and for being an influential leader within her organization and the industry.

Tickets for this year's Red Letter Awards Gala are $195 per person, $1,850 per table and $3,400 per two tables. The early bird pricing of $1,750 per single table can be enjoyed if purchased by September 1. All tickets and tables can be purchased by contacting Kimberly Beckwith, senior director of partnerships for the chapter. Email her at kimberly.beckwith@starz.com or call 404-274-6484.

About WICT Southeast

Established in 1980 as one of the national organization's first local chapters, the Women in Cable Telecommunications Southeast Chapter consists of more than 1,100 members from Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. WICT Southeast has been named "Chapter of the Year" three times, has been recognized for "Mentoring Excellence" four consecutive years, and also has earned "Programming Achievement" and "Enterprise" awards by the national organization. Please visit wict.org/southeast for more information.

About WICT

For thirty-five years, Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide professional development programs, research and services that help advance women in cable media. With nearly 10,000 members, WICT is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable and telecommunications industry. Comcast NBCUniversal, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Suddenlink Communications are WICT's Strategic Touchstone Partners. Please visit www.wict.org or follow @WICT on Twitter for more information.