September 7, 2021
Wins 2021 Bronze Medal for Best Advance in Leadership Development for Racial/Ethnic Minorities
For Immediate Release
Sept. 7, 2021
Media Contact
Jayla Shannon
media@namic.com
(646) 545-2505
NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2021—NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Development Program, created in partnership with the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business Executive Education & Lifelong Learning, was awarded a coveted Brandon Hall Group Bronze Medal for Excellence in Learning in the category of Best Advance in Leadership Development for Racial/Ethnic Minorities.
The Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) was created to advance high-potential leaders of color to senior levels in their companies. The goal is to identify and develop executives of color, build and strengthen their skills, prepare them for promotion and provide useful tools to help them meet the unique challenges that come with holding key leadership roles.
“We are absolutely thrilled and honored to receive this prestigious award,” said A. Shuanise Washington, President and CEO of NAMIC. “Companies around the globe highly value the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards because they recognize true advances in our industry. The Executive Leadership Development Program was designed to help professionals of color advance into leadership and, equally important, have sustained success in those roles. We believe it is doing exactly that.”
Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning has been NAMIC’s academic partner for the ELDP since 2012. Darden was selected as a partner to help reimagine executive preparedness and success in a global, digital marketplace—building on the NAMIC program’s decade of proven success.
“Since the NAMIC and Darden partnership began in 2012, we have worked together to craft a rigorous learning experience merging advanced business skill development with evidence-based insights into how leaders of color deploy those skills effectively in their companies,” says Professor Martin Davidson, Senior Associate Dean, Global Chief Diversity Officer, and Johnson and Higgins Professor of Business Administration. “The result is an experience that participants frequently describe as ‘transformational’ and ‘life changing.’”
The ELDP, founded in 2001 in collaboration with UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, is designed as a learning journey for executives, providing opportunities to gain knowledge, interact with peers and academic faculty, and reflect on the impact of the latest industry practices and their application at work. The content and the relationships in each cohort, which is generally 45 participants, build upon each other throughout the eight-month experience.
Charter Communications, Inc., a leading broadband connectivity company known through its Spectrum brand, has been the Visionary Sponsor of the ELDP since 2019 (Class XIX). Charter executives represent 15 percent of ELDP alumni since the program’s inception in 2001 and its support is emblematic of NAMIC and Charter’s shared commitment to diversity, inclusion, and leadership development in the media and entertainment industry.
“This is a great accomplishment for NAMIC, Darden and Charter,” said Rhonda Crichlow, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Charter. “For 20 years, ELDP has been a go-to program for nurturing high-potential executives and supporting industry companies’ efforts to retain and advance executives of color. ELDP supports Charter’s goal of ensuring that we have the best talent in the industry, reflecting the ever-evolving and diverse markets we serve.”
The ELDP is structured as four training modules, each comprising three to four days. Diverse faculty from multiple disciplines collaborate to model an “enterprise perspective” across all business functions, including strategic thinking and enterprise perspective in a global context; financial and business acumen; customer orientation and innovation; and leading strategic change and fostering a high-performance, high engagement culture. A faculty leader ensures the program is meeting its objectives.
“NAMIC is committed to developing the cable, media and entertainment industry at all levels,” Washington said. “Each year we choose some of the top-performing executives of color to participate and we’ve been able to increase thought diversity at the highest levels of the industry.”
The Brandon Hall Group is a preeminent research and analysis firm in human capital management, with more than two decades of experience and 10,000 global clients. The 2021 Excellence Award entries were evaluated by a panel of independent, senior-level industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives. The criteria included program design, innovation and measurable benefits.
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About NAMIC
NAMIC is the premier organization focusing on cultural diversity, equity, access and inclusion in the cable and communications industry. More than 4,000 professionals belong to a network of 18 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that support leadership development, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC collaborates with industry partners to expand and nurture a workforce that reflects America’s cultural richness. For more information, please visit www.namic.com or follow @NAMICNational on Twitter.
About Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning
Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning is a top-ranked, global provider of executive development and lifelong learning. Delivered by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation and taught by the Darden School of Business’ highly acclaimed faculty, Darden Executive Education influences organizations and leaders through development experiences that activate change and drive growth. Offering more than 35 open programs and partnering with leading organizations worldwide to develop custom business solutions, we provide personalized, transformational learning experiences at our locations in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area, as well as online. Learn more at: www.darden.virginia.edu/executive-education.
About Charter
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR) is a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 31 million customers in 41 states through its Spectrum brand. Over an advanced communications network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services including Spectrum Internet®, TV, Mobile and Voice.
For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business® delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled with special features and applications to enhance productivity, while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions. Spectrum Reach® delivers tailored advertising and production for the modern media landscape. The company also distributes award-winning news coverage, sports and high-quality original programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks and Spectrum Originals. More information about Charter can be found at corporate.charter.com.