NAMIC Announces Paula Williams Madison As Recipient Of The 2014 Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award

LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) has named Paula Williams Madison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Madison Media Management LLC, the 2014 Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award recipient.  Among the diversity association's highest honors, the award was established in 1992 in memory of the late Congressman from Texas for his lifelong advocacy of social justice and equality for people around the world.  Madison will be honored as part of the NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast scheduled for Thursday, May 1, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. PT at the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with the Cable Show. 

Since the inception of the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award, NAMIC has continued its tradition of honoring individuals and organizations affiliated with the communications industry that demonstrate a commitment to advancing the concerns of people of color.  A longtime philanthropist, Madison champions many social causes and community outreach initiatives.  Madison serves as a Board Member for the Greater Los Angeles United Way, the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, the California Science Center Foundation and Vice Chair of National Medical Fellowships, Inc.  Additionally, Madison chairs The Nell Williams Family Foundation and is a member of the Executive Committee supporting the capital campaign for the Bronx New York's Cardinal Spellman High School.  In August 2013, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Madison to the Los Angeles Police Commission where she serves as Vice President.

"As we pay tribute to the late Congressman on the 25^th Anniversary of his passing, NAMIC is honored to recognize the achievements of Paula Williams Madison, an esteemed industry trailblazer, whose commitment to humanitarianism exemplifies Congressman Leland's legacy," said Alicin Wiliamson, Interim President of NAMIC and Principal, Raben Group.

In 2011, Madison retired from NBCUniversal, where she had been Executive Vice President of Diversity as well as a Vice President of the General Electric Company (GE), the former parent company of NBCU. During her 22 years with NBCU, Madison held a number of successful leadership roles, including President and General Manager of NBC4 Los Angeles, Los Angeles Regional General Manager for NBCU's Telemundo TV stations and Vice President and News Director of NBC4 New York.

Her career as a journalist led to a 1996 Peabody Award for NBC4 New York's investigation, "A License to Kill." Madison's continued dedication to quality journalism helped NBC4 Los Angeles earn numerous Emmy, Golden Mike and Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.

Madison served as CEO of The Los Angeles Sparks, a WNBA professional women's basketball team, from 2011 to 2014, when she sold her family-owned business to Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim Group.  A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Madison has received an impressive list of accolades such as being named one of the "75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America" by Black Enterprise Magazine, listed among the Hollywood Reporter's and Ebony Magazine's "Power 100" lists, and honored with the Anti-Defamation League's "Deborah Award."  A marathoner, Madison is a past recipient of the "Citizen of the Year Award" presented by the City of Los Angeles Marathon.

In addition to the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award, the NAMIC breakfast will feature the presentation of the Next Generation Leaders Awards honoring emerging executives of color for their professional acumen and achievements in fostering multiethnic diversity within the communications industry.  Italia Commisso Weinand, Executive Vice President of Programming and Human Resources, Mediacom Communications Corporation is this year's Honorary Chair.  Industry executives, Douglas V. Holloway, President, Multichannel Distribution, ION Media Networks, Inc. and Michelle L. Rice, Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales & Marketing, TV One are the 2014 Planning Co-Chairs. 

Event Sponsors of the 2014 NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast include the NCTA, Univision, Charter Communications, Mediacom, Al Jazeera America, The Weather Channel, NBCUniversal, NCC Media, Crown Media Family Networks, Revolt TV, Fox Audience Strategy, Scripps Networks Interactive, Viacom and The Africa Channel.

For more information regarding the NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast, including questions pertaining to event sponsorship and ticket/table purchases, contact Sandra Girado, senior director of Meetings and Events, at NAMIC National, 212-594-5985. Online registration can be accessed at http://www.namic.com.

ABOUT NAMIC
NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises 2,200 professionals belonging to a network of 16 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. For more information, please visit www.namic.com and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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