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Abby Auerbach
EVP, Chief Communications Officer, TVB and Executive Director, NEXT Women
Abby is responsible for advocacy, public relations, corporate communications, events/conferences, and TVB.org. She directs TVB’s NEXT Women program and leads the organization’s DEI Task Force. Previous to TVB, she ran the local broadcast buying unit at Ogilvy as Senior Partner, U.S. Director. Ms. Auerbach serves on the board of the International Radio & Television Society, is a former director of the Alliance for Women in Media, and a member of She Runs It. She is a past chair of the 4A’s Local Broadcast and eBusiness committees. In 2019, she was a recipient of the TVNewsCheck Women in Technology Futurist Award for her work leading the development and adoption of ePort.
Greg Balasco
Owner & President, Lakeland Automall
Greg Balasco has been the Owner & President of Lakeland Automall since 2011. Balasco, resides in Tampa Florida with his wife, whom you see in many of his commercials. He joined Lakeland Automall in 2009, and two years later purchased the business.
Katherine Barnett
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Hearst Television
Katherine Barnett oversees the company’s efforts in the areas of recruiting, personnel management and employee relations, and has significantly expanded the company’s efforts in the areas of diversity and military recruitment. Previously, Barnett served as human resources director for the Institute for Systems Biology. Before that, she served for more than four years as human resources manager for Hearst’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer and as acting HR manager for Hearst Seattle Media (Seattlepi.com). Prior to her work in Seattle, she served for more than nine years as a human resources specialist for Hearst’s Houston Chronicle and, previously, as program coordinator for the YMCA of downtown Houston. Among numerous volunteer activities, Barnett is the Board Chair for the Emma Bowen Foundation. She previously served on the boards of C2HR (Content & Connectivity Human Resources) and the Seattle Society for Human Resource Management, and in Houston as a Young Life leader.
Aria Began
Vice President, Enterprise Success, Madhive
Aria Began is the Vice President of Enterprise Success at Madhive, where she leads the client success organization. Aria’s team manages client activation, engagement, strategic advising, and growth initiatives for Madhive’s clients. Since joining the company in 2020 as Director of Client Success, Aria has played an integral role in helping local broadcast clients, including Fox, Premion and Scripps, grow and build their streaming TV advertising businesses. Prior to Madhive, Aria served as the Director of Enterprise Client Success at VideoAmp, where she focused on growing and supporting Holding Company clients.
Nikki Bethel
President & CEO, Emma Bowen Foundation
Nikki Bethel is a dynamic, results-driven senior leader with over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, DEI, talent management, leadership development, and public speaking. As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Emma L. Bowen Foundation (EBF), Nikki is responsible for leading the development and implementation of EBF’s mission to prepare students of color for the workforce and increase and sustain diversity in the media industry. A primary spokesperson for EBF, Nikki works with staff, board and stakeholders to develop the foundation’s future strategic direction, including building bridges with corporate and industry partners while guiding financial sustainability, brand identity, and long-term success.
Tom Buono
Founder & CEO, BIA Advisory Services
Tom Buono has been tracking the television industry since he launched Investing in Television, a publication profiling every television in the nation, shortly after starting BIA in 1983. Since then, Tom has been involved in valuing hundreds of stations and creating the firm’s Media Access Pro™ and BIA ADVantage™ dashboard products profiling local stations and advertising in every market in the nation. Tom is also the founder and CEO of SpectraRep, the leading provider of datacasting services in the U.S. with distribution on over 130 full power TV stations. Tom can be reached at [email protected].
Erin Callaghan
President of Enterprise Partnerships, Futuri Media
Erin Callaghan is Futuri’s President of Enterprise Partnerships. Her passionate belief is that there’s never been a better time to be in media! She enjoys working with broadcasters and digital publishers, nationally and internationally, to harness technology and AI to propel revenue, audience and content growth. Prior to joining Futuri, Callaghan spent more than 25 years in broadcast sales and sales management at companies including Cox Media, Journal Broadcast Group, and Capstar.
Joe Cerone
Executive Vice President, Local Investment, IPG Mediabrands
Joe leads a renowned team of local-investment experts, negotiating on behalf of clients across the IPG Mediabrands network, spanning UM, Initiative and Mediahub. Earlier in his career, Joe spent seven years at Initiative in the greater Atlanta area, later joining Publicis Media’s Zenith, where he served as Executive Vice President, Director of Local Investment. His career has included time as a broadcast VP at Carat USA, and he started as a buyer at Ogilvy & Mather. Clients that Joe has advised span the universe of global brands, including CVS, American Express, Estee Lauder, Hyundai Motor America, and Toyota Motor America/Lexus Motor America.
Toni Coonce
President and Chief Revenue Officer, WideOrbit
Toni joined WideOrbit in 2006, bringing over 20 years of media industry experience on both the client and vendor sides of the business. Prior to WideOrbit, Toni worked for Marketron Solutions, holding positions in support, project management, sales engineering, and sales. Before that, she was Finance Manager at a small broadcast group for two years. As CRO, Toni leads all Sales efforts at WideOrbit.
Michael Collette
Chief Executive Officer, Run3TV
Michael Collette is guiding Run3TV as it expands its footprint in the broadcasting industry. Collette is a serial CEO for companies specializing in media technology, TV viewing data production and application, as well as Smart TV software. He held leadership positions at Inscape, Dativa, TVScientific, OpenTV, Active Video, Ucentric Systems, and PhyFlex Networks. Collete was awarded a Technical Emmy for Innovation in TV Measurement while at Inscape. Run3TV provides an application framework that enables broadcasters and their developers to efficiently build and deploy standards-compliant apps that run on a wide selection of TV chipsets and operating systems. Today, Run3TV powers nearly 200 applications in broadcast markets throughout the U.S. and the application framework is available on more than 13 million certified NEXTGEN TV sets from Hisense, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony, and TCL as well as NEXTGEN TV certified upgrade accessory receivers from ADTH and Zinwell.
Missy Evenson
Vice President Sales, Local Media, Scripps; Chair, TVB Board of Directors
Missy Evenson is VP Sales, Local Media for Scripps. Missy has been with Scripps for twelve years and in her current role as VP Sales, Local Media for six years. Prior to this role Missy was a Regional Director of Revenue Strategy for Scripps, Director of Sales at KMGH in Denver and held previous management roles in broadcasting in Texas. She has been on the planning, buying and sales side of the media business. Missy is the current Chairperson for the TVB Executive Board of Directors, Member of the Scripps Employee Women’s Resource Group and member of the executive women’s program Chief.
Michelle Gelman
SVP, Product Management, Nielsen
Michelle Gelman is SVP, Product Management for Nielsen’s National TV, Local TV, and Radio core audience measurement businesses. During her nearly 10 years at Nielsen, she has developed Nielsen’s audience measurement products that have fundamentally altered how companies transact on audience measurement data. In her role, she leads the end-to-end product vision for Nielsen’s highest-value products, including the strategy, execution and client delivery. Her wide range of experience has included Television and Digital measurement, both within the US and Internationally.
Hadassa Gerber
EVP, Chief Research Officer, TVB
Hadassa Gerber was named Chief Research Officer of TVB in June 2014. Hadassa joined from the Syndicated Network Television Association (SNTA), where she served as the Director of Research and Systems. Prior to joining SNTA, she served in several senior and executive director roles for leading advertising agencies including Y&R, Media Edge, DeWitt Media, and McCann Erickson. Known as an industry thought leader in media analytics, media strategy and digital, Hadassa has worked with numerous blue-chip companies, agency executives, and brand managers to help develop innovative solutions to complex marketing challenges and maximize return on investment. She is a board member of the Media Ratings Council (MRC), a member of NAB’s COLTAM, the ARF and CIMM.
Carl Hulse
Chief Washington Correspondent, The New York Times
Carl Hulse is the Chief Washington Correspondent of The New York Times and an acknowledged authority on the U.S. Congress and national political affairs. As a Washington journalist for nearly 40 years, he has covered 7 presidencies and 20 congressional election cycles. He is the author of “Confirmation Bias: Inside Washington’s War Over the Supreme Court,” a critically acclaimed account of the history-making partisan battle over the makeup of the high court and the federal judiciary. He appears regularly on televised public affairs programs and served as the Washington Editor and Chief Congressional Correspondent of The Times. He writes the “On Washington” column.
Dave Heller
President, Main Street Communications & Main Street Baseball
Dave Heller is one of the top media consultants and campaign strategists in the Democratic Party. As President of Main Street Communications, Dave has compiled the best won-loss record in the Democratic Party helping clients win election to Congress. His clients have won 15 out of 19 open seat House races and all four of his congressional clients won their elections in 2022. He’s handled the media for 30 different Members of Congress and earned 19 Pollie Awards for his TV and radio ads. Dave also owns two Minor League Baseball teams, the Quad Cities River Bandits (K.C. Royals affiliate) and Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington Nationals affiliate).
Erin Keating
Executive Analyst, Cox Automotive, Inc.
Erin Keating is an Executive Analyst and Senior Director of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. She has 25 years of experience in marketing and communications, including 10 years with Audi of America, where she also ran Audi Motorsport North America. With a focus on the wider industry, the individual automakers, and consumer shopping and buying behavior for new vehicles, Erin provides analysis and insights leveraging the breadth and depth of data from DRiVEQ, Cox Automotive’s data intelligence engine. Upon joining Cox Automotive, Erin was responsible for Enterprise Data Strategy – Partnerships.
Steve Lanzano
President and CEO, TVB
Steve Lanzano is President and CEO of TVB. Steve joined TVB as president on January 1, 2010. He came to the association from HAVAS U.S., where he was the Chief Operating Officer. Previously he was the North American CEO of Mediaedge:cia (now Wavemaker), responsible for overseeing the agency’s operations across the U.S. and Canada. Steve was also global media director at sister agency Mindshare, where he was responsible for the American Express business.
Nancy Larkin
EVP, Managing Partner, LOCALONE Investment, Horizon Media
Nancy Larkin is EVP Managing Partner LocalOne at Horizon Media. She is an industry veteran who has been with Horizon for 30+ years. Throughout her tenure she has worked to make sure that Local Investment operation is second to none. She has guided the team through the many changes in this ever-evolving multi-screen world as well as leading the team in the development of automation, advanced TV & targeting platforms. Over the years, Nancy has led the department through the many changes in measurement and has been instrumental in the development of simplified and efficient communication with stations and sales representative organizations. She fearlessly leads a division managing across 50+ distinct client needs bringing dedicated expertise and accountability to a legacy and evolving medium.
Bob Liodice
CEO, ANA
Bob Liodice is CEO of the ANA. He was previously EVP, responsible for member relations, business development, strengthening relationships with ANA member companies, and broadening the membership base. Prior to joining ANA, he was VP of global marketing and sales for Grupo Televisa, and he worked for over 15 years in marketing and financial management at Kraft General Foods. Bob serves on the boards of directors of The Advertising Council, Better Business Bureau National Programs, ANA Educational Foundation, Digital Advertising Alliance, Trustworthy Accountability Group, and World Federation of Advertisers.
Paul LeFort
Managing Director, Local TV Client Solutions, Nielsen
Paul LeFort leads a team focused on serving the evolving needs of Local TV & Cable operators, as well as Major Local Sports Teams. Paul and his team are dedicated to empowering clients to navigate the dynamic media environment, with data-driven insights to uncover growth opportunities and drive success. Prior to joining Nielsen, Paul held senior roles in Sales & Client Service at Verance and Arbitron Radio (which was acquired by Nielsen), where he honed in expertise and deepened industry collaborations with Local Media operators across the nation.
Dave Lougee
Senior Advisor, Former President & CEO, TEGNA
Dave Lougee is a Senior Adviser at TEGNA, where he was the President & CEO from 2017-2024. Lougee is a past chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board of Directors as well as the NBC Affiliates Board of Directors and the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Board of Directors. He is past vice chairman of the BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Board of Directors. Dave is a graduate of the University of Colorado.
Leo MacCourtney
Former President & CEO, Katz Television Group
Leo MacCourtney served as President of Katz Television Group from March 2012 until his retirement in July 2024. Under his leadership, the Katz team focused on strengthening advertiser relationships, advocating for local broadcast television, and driving linear and digital TV business development. Leo was inducted into the Broadcast and Cable Hall of Fame in 2022. He is the Chairman Ex-Officio of the International Radio & Television Society Foundation and the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), where he has been a board member since 2005 and served as treasurer. He currently serves on the board of the Washington Media Scholars Foundation, is Vice Chairman and Treasurer for the Broadcasters Foundation of America and is a board member of the Library of American Broadcasters Foundation (LABF).
Noelle Martinez
Account Executive, Nexstar Media Group, KXAN Austin
Noelle Martinez, originally from Dallas, Texas, is now happily settled in Austin after earning her degree in Advertising with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Texas. Over the past year at KXAN, she has had some incredible opportunities, such as speaking as a panelist at the TAB show, sharing her experiences with UT advertising students (a full-circle moment for her), and getting Google Ads certified. She was also proud to be named one of the top Olympic sellers at KXAN. What really drives Noelle is building genuine relationships with her clients and helping them navigate the advertising landscape to achieve their goals and make a real impact.
Jim McLaughlin
President & Partner, McLaughlin & Associates
Jim McLaughlin is a nationally recognized public opinion expert, strategic consultant and political strategist who has helped to elect a US President, Prime Ministers, a Senate Majority Leader and a Speaker of the House. Jim has worked for over 70 members of Congress, 14 U.S. Senators, 10 Governors, numerous Mayors and scores of other elected officials. He also serves as a consultant and market research strategist to Fortune 500 companies. During this past election cycle, he helped to elect President Donald J. Trump and McLaughlin & Associates helped win 5 of the 10 toughest congressional races in the country according to one respected publication. McLaughlin also helped to elect several other statewide GOP office holders that ranged from Governor, US Senate to Attorney General. McLaughlin & Associates has also been widely accredited for its accurate polling in predicting a Donald Trump victory.
Mark Mellman
CEO, The Mellman Group
Former President of the American Association of Political Consultants, a member of the organization’s Hall of Fame, Mark Mellman is one of the nation’s leading public opinion researchers and communication strategists. His clients include leading political figures, Fortune 500 companies, and some of the nation’s most important public interest groups. Doonesbury labeled Mellman a “Prince of Polling.” Mellman also serves as President of Democratic Majority for Israel, an organization of leading party figures dedicated to ensuring Democrats’ success and the party’s continued support for a strong U.S.- Israel relationship. Mellman has helped guide the campaigns of thirty U.S. Senators, a dozen Governors, over three dozen Members of Congress, and numerous state and local officials.
Erin Peckinpaugh
Former VP, Marketing & Corporate Responsibility, Hensley Legal Group, PC
Erin Peckinpaugh is the Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Responsibility at Hensley Legal Group, where she handles public relations, media placement, and community events. In this ever-evolving digital world, Erin is a firm believer that “Top of Mind Awareness” drives bottom of the funnel action, a principle that guides all of her efforts on behalf of the firm. Prior to joining HLG, Erin worked as an Account Executive for the CBS and NBC affiliates in Indianapolis, then served as the Executive Director of a local non-profit.
DJ Perera
Chief Media Officer, The Advertising Council
DJ is responsible for continuing to evolve The Advertising Council’s media model to ensure its future viability and success. She works with Team Media to develop strategic partnerships across the media ecosystem, strategically using pro bono and paid media elements to enhance their impact, developing engagement strategies in website development, and leading the exploration of trends in consumer engagement and innovation in emerging media and technology. An accomplished media executive, DJ was previously with Boehringer Ingelheim where she led their US Media Center of Excellence that oversees Consumer and Professional paid media for the company’s Human Pharma and Animal Health business units. Prior to that she was head of US Integrated Media at Beiersdorf.
Brian Pugh
Chief Product Officer, Comscore
Brian is dedicated to driving innovation and delivering value to customers by integrating Comscore’s data solutions across the entire media lifecycle, from planning to optimization to performance measurement. Brian’s recent tenure as Comscore’s Chief Information Officer enabled him to strategically align data and technology with the company’s product vision, ensuring that new solutions are not only innovative but also future-proofed for cross-platform environments. He has also held various product, audience measurement and analytics roles at Comscore. His role as EVP of Analytics, was pivotal in developing advanced methods that blend traditional panel data with digital census information—ushering in Comscore’s cutting-edge media measurement capabilities.
Trisha Ripperger
Chief Marketing Officer, Tom Wood Group
Trisha Ripperger is a seasoned marketing professional with a passion for driving strategic growth and delivering exceptional results. Currently serving as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Tom Wood Group, which has 28 businesses and 1,100 employees, Trisha is responsible for overseeing the company’s overall marketing strategy, encompassing brand development, digital marketing, advertising, customer acquisition, and retention initiatives. Trisha’s journey in the marketing world began after completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a specialization in marketing. She has held various leadership positions with prominent companies. Under Trisha’s guidance, Tom Wood Group has experienced unprecedented growth and has solidified its position as a trusted and customer-centric brand.
Kyle Roberts
President/CEO, AdImpact & Smart Media Group
Kyle has been in the media buying industry for over 20 years. Prior to founding AdImpact, originally known as Advertising Analytics LLC, he led one of the top media buying shops in D.C. for nine years. Originally aimed to fill the holes he saw in advertising intelligence offerings, Kyle has grown AdImpact to become the leading provider of political advertising and commercial advertising analytics.
Antonio Roman
Executive Vice President, Local Media Sales, TelevisaUnivision
Antonio Roman is EVP for Local Media Sales at TelevisaUnivision, Inc., overseeing TV, radio, and digital sales in the U.S. Over the past year, he led TelevisaUnivision’s Local Media division’s transformation founded on a client-centered approach. Previously, he served as Regional President for Univision’s Eastern Region, leading market expansion into Tampa, Washington DC and Orlando and boosting revenues significantly. With over 25 years of experience, Roman has held various senior roles within the TelevisaUnivision, Inc., leading numerous sales teams and driving significant profits, amongst them: Senior Vice President New York Sales, Senior Vice President National Sales and Vice President Network Sales. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the TVB.
Brad Seitter
EVP, Local and National Business Development, TVB
With over 25 years of experience, Brad and his team travel nationwide to educate advertisers on the impact of combining local broadcast TV with digital to maximize reach and ROI. Under his leadership, TVB’s business development efforts have successfully shifted millions of ad dollars toward broadcast TV by demonstrating how a strategic mix of video formats can elevate brand visibility and engagement across all 210 DMAs. Brad’s career also includes time with Scripps and FOX, as well as serving as President of the Kansas City Chiefs GameDay Television Network. Brad’s expertise in both traditional broadcast and emerging digital platforms provides valuable insights into creating the right video mix for today’s advertising strategies.
Anne Schelle
Managing Director, Pearl TV
Anne Schelle is the Managing Director of Pearl TV, a business alliance of eight major U.S. broadcast TV companies focused on pioneering initiatives in digital media and wireless platforms for broadcasting. In her role, she leads efforts in developing NEXTGEN TV, including spearheading strategies to drive consumer adoption and awareness of this transformative technology that enhances broadcast television experiences. Anne’s leadership extends across various influential roles, including current board positions on the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA), Run3TV, and WYPR Baltimore Public Radio Station. She is also a two-time Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) board member.
Ben Soff
Director, Equity Research, Deutsche Bank
Ben Soff, a Director at Deutsche Bank, covers live events, video games and TV broadcasting as lead analyst, while contributing to the bank’s research on wireless, cable and media. Ben has been with Deutsche Bank since 2015 and is a CFA Charterholder. Prior to joining the bank, Ben studied at Cornell University, where he received a BS in Applied Economics and Management.
Blakely Summerhays
Media Buyer, GMMB
Blakely Summerhays is a Media Strategist at GMMB who specializes in crafting and executing strategic paid media campaigns for high-impact political campaigns across the country. Blakely has been instrumental in winning several multi-million dollar TV campaigns across the country, including clients such as the DGA, DSCC, and DNC. She has played a key role in GMMB’s work on winning ballot initiatives to secure reproductive rights post-Roe, serving as the lead media strategist for the historic campaigns in Ohio in 2023 and Kansas in 2022. As a media planner, Blakely helps clients understand the media landscape and competitive environment of their races to create campaign strategies that win – no matter the playing field.