After successfully serving as interim director of the Walter Kaitz Foundation since April 2018, Michelle Ray has been elevated to the role of Executive Director effective immediately, NCTA President & CEO Michael Powell announced today. Ray was named interim director this past spring when former executive director Dr. David Porter, Jr. announced his departure from the Foundation.
As Executive Director, Ray will oversee the day-to-day management of the Foundation, which is a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in the media and entertainment industries. She will also manage the fundraising and distribution of Foundation funds in support of organizations and programs which champion industry-wide diversity initiatives.
“During her tenure as interim executive director, Michelle proved that she was capable of leading the Walter Kaitz Foundation and fulfilling its mission of serving as a catalyst for increasing diversity and inclusion throughout our industry,” Powell said. “Michelle is a shining example of how our industry can benefit from nurturing and advancing the careers of women and multi-ethnic professionals. Under Michelle’s leadership, the Foundation will continue to be a valued voice and important contributor to this industry.”
Ray has worked with the Walter Kaitz Foundation since 2006, previously serving as the Deputy Executive Director where she had oversight of developing and implementing the Foundation’s strategic direction, initiatives and programmatic activities. She also served as an emissary for issues around diversity and inclusion and worked collaboratively with other national organizations that advocate for the social and economic interests of women and ethnic minorities.
Prior to the foundation, Ray served in several roles at NCTA since 1990 focused on event planning, marketing and production. She is a member of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT), the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
Ray earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She is also a graduate of WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, NAMIC’s Executive Leadership Development Program at UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management and CTAM’s Executive Management Program at Harvard University School of Business.
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The Walter Kaitz Foundation stands at the center of the telecommunications industry’s long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion and seeks to advance the contributions of women and multi-ethnic professionals. Through the funds we raise, the organizations we support and the programs we produce, the Walter Kaitz Foundation serves as a catalyst for increasing diversity in three distinct areas – its workforce, its programs and its programming.
NCTA – The Internet & Television Association represents network innovators and content creators that connect, entertain, inform and inspire consumers every day. NCTA’s members have invested $275 billion in private capital to build the world’s most powerful technology platform, reaching 93 percent of American homes and serving 66 million customers. More than 200 programming networks are creating imaginative, popular and award-winning television content. Our industry supports 2.9 million American jobs and employs at least 300 people in every congressional district.