The American Advertising Federation (AAF) plans to launch an aggressive fund-raising campaign in support of its Mosaic Center. It is the first major initiative under the leadership of new board chair Tiffany R. Warren and vice chair Carter Murray and has, as its goal, to raise $2 million by year-end 2022 to help fund these efforts.
“I have spent my entire 25-year career working to make sure inclusion is an intentional, tangible act,” said Warren, EVP, chief diversity and inclusion officer, Sony Music Group and board chair, AAF, adding that, "As a member of the inaugural class of AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Students, I know first-hand what’s possible through the leadership opportunities AAF offers. The organization has championed for the best in the industry and consistently stands up for diversity, equity and inclusion. We want to keep the same energy moving forward, which means we must lean on our corporate partners, potential partners, members and others in the community for support as we look to expand the programming, content, technology and human resources we provide.”
The AAF Mosaic Center was launched over two decades ago and serves as a resource and advocate for the value of diversity, equity and inclusion–hallmarks of the association’s efforts to promote and advance multiculturalism within the advertising industry. Among the programs supported by the Mosaic Center are the Mosaic Awards, which recognize companies, agencies and individuals whose commitment to diversity is evident through their creative work and organization-wide initiatives; Most Promising Multicultural Students Program, which connects the advertising industry with the nation’s top multicultural college students; and HBCUs for Advertising, which helps to fund AAF college chapters at Historically Black Colleges & Universities as an incubator for Black success stories and untapped Black talent.
“2020 was the busiest year ever for AAF’s Mosaic Center,” noted Carter Murray, CEO of FCB Global and board vice chair, AAF. “Supporting the Center isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a business imperative if we want to ensure that our industry continues to attract and retain the most diverse and inclusive talent on the planet.”
Added Steve Pacheco, president and CEO, AAF, “Creating an inclusive industry has been a top priority of AAF by way of our Mosaic Center. It’s just one of the many ways AAF delivers on our mission to be ‘The Unifying Voice of Advertising.’”
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More