THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEW CLASS OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Professional Development Program Serving 16 Women Within the Country Music Industry in its Third Year
The Country Music Association, the premier membership trade association of the Country Music industry, has announced a new class for its Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA). Selected through an application process, the professional development program, in its third year, is an interactive group coaching experience for 16 high-performing, high-potential women leaders within Country Music.
Kicking off on Monday, August 5, the 12-week program, sponsored by Amazon, will include educational sessions, bimonthly group coaching and more. Tailored to enhance the professional growth of female leaders in Country Music, WLA equips participants with vital leadership skills and fosters a supportive community among women in the music industry. Established program alumni and industry experts will mentor the new cohort. The program is designed to facilitate open exchange and trust-building while ensuring ample room for individual growth among all participants.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming this group of women to our WLA class,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Senior Vice President, Industry Relations & Philanthropy. “Now in our third year, I am continuously amazed and inspired by the women that we are able to engage with through this program, and this year is no different. I am also especially excited to welcome new executive coaches this year and have no doubt that these women will walk away empowered and more prepared for the impactful careers that lie ahead of them.”
The new class of CMA’s Women’s Leadership Academy includes:
- Michelle Attardi (Senior Creative Director, Big Machine Music)
- Jackie Augustus (Lead of Country & Folk Artists Partnerships, Spotify)
- Lydia Schultz Cahill (Senior Director Creative Services, SESAC)
- Elice Cuff (Senior Director of Media Relations, BMI Nashville)
- Lindsey Feinstein (Account Director, Girlilla Marketing)
- Katie Germano (Agent, CAA)
- Beth Hamilton (Agent/Partner, WME)
- Betsy Lee (Business Manager, FBMM)
- Kelly Littlefield (Director of HR & Operations, The Neal Agency)
- Anna Pittman (Vice President of Artist Development, Warner Music Nashville)
- Jeanette Porcello (Senior Manager of A&R, Downtown Artist and Label Services)
- Shana Melissa Saunders (Product Manager, Universal Music Group Nashville)
- Grace Schoper (Manager, Dennis Entertainment)
- Casey Thomas (Vice President of Marketing & Commerical Partnerships, Monument Records)
- Jess Tomlins (Project Manager & Day-to-Day Manager, Neon Coast)
- Emily Wright (Agent of Music Brand Partnerships, United Talent Agency)
Cohort members will embark on their WLA journey by setting personal goals before engaging in collaborative group sessions overseen by esteemed executive coaches Lisa Gamble of Gamble Coaching & Consulting LLC and Nicole Provonchee of Bright Blue Consulting. Gamble and Provonchee are dedicated to empowering female leaders in both their personal and professional lives, with extensive experience in developing, leading and evaluating leadership development initiatives. The curriculum aims to enhance professional skills by addressing key topics such as personal branding, career mobility, DEI, conflict navigation, self-advocacy and negotiation, self-promotion and influence, as well as increasing confidence to maximize leadership impact and career success.
About the Country Music Association
Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. Music industry professionals and companies across the U.S. and around the globe are members of CMA. The organization serves as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advances the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a three-hour network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on ABC.
