Neil Smit and David Zaslav Named Honorary Co-Chairs for the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference

Neil Smit and David Zaslav Named Honorary Co-Chairs for the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference

NEW YORK, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) today announced that Neil Smit, president & CEO, Charter Communications, Inc. and David Zaslav, president & CEO, Discovery Communications, will serve as Honorary Co-chairs for the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference. Scheduled for September 14-16, 2008, the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis.

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Regarded by the communications industry as the cornerstone of cable's Diversity Week, the theme for this year's Annual Conference is Diversity: Pipeline to Innovation. "Diversity and inclusion lead to an increased level of creativity, resources, and skills resulting in innovation, which drives the cable and telecommunications industry," said Kathy Johnson, president, NAMIC. "Charter and Discovery are among those companies advocating diversity to not only increase innovation, but also the bottom line, so we are pleased to have Neil and David on board for this year's conference."

Smit brings more than 20 years of experience working with multi-service providers and leading consumer brands to his executive post at Charter Communications, a leading broadband company and the third-largest publicly traded cable operator in the United States. Smit serves on the boards of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, CableLabs and C-SPAN. "In this rapidly evolving industry, diversity is a key to maintaining a competitive advantage. At Charter we value diversity of thought, culture, and background because it leads to greater innovation and value for our customers," said Mr. Smit.

Zaslav sets the strategy and oversees all operations for Discovery Communications, the world's number-one nonfiction media company with more than 100 networks in over 170 countries. Additionally, Zaslav serves on the boards of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, The Cable Center, Center for Communication, TiVo and is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center for Media. "Discovery is committed to creating an environment that leverages diversity to drive our business results and operating performance. I'm honored to serve as Co-chair for such a critical industry conference," said Mr. Zaslav.

The Annual NAMIC Conference is the premier forum for professionals at every level to share their perspectives through participation in educational track sessions focused on corporate diversity and inclusion, digital media, ad sales and leadership development. The three-day agenda will also feature dynamic General Sessions; special luncheons presented in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Program and the 2008 Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award recipient; presentation of the Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMAs); Diversity in Communications Career Expo; and exceptional networking opportunities. Analysis of NAMIC's 2008 Employment Research findings will also highlight this year's event.

Planning committee Co-chairs for the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference include: Kenetta Bailey, senior vice president, Marketing, WE tv; Marsha J. Conaway, regional vice president, Human Resources, Midwest Region, Time Warner Cable; Charisse R. Lillie, vice president, Human Resources, Comcast Corporation and senior vice president, Human Resources, Comcast Cable Communications; and Pragash Pillai, vice president, Strategic Engineering, Bresnan Communications.

Annual Conference sponsors to date include the Walter Kaitz Foundation, Scripps Networks, Russell Reynolds, A&E Television Networks, Cisco, Rainbow Media, NCTA, TuTv and TV One. Inquiries regarding event sponsorship and career expo exhibition should be directed to Danny McGlone, vice president of Fund Development, NAMIC, at 212-594-5985.

For more information on the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference and to access online registration, visit www.namic.com or contact Sandra Girado, meetings and events manager, NAMIC, at 212-594-5985. NAMIC's room block at the New York Marriott Marquis has been established at the rate of $409.00 per night. Hotel reservations can be booked before the August 15th deadline by calling (800) 228-9290.

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 is comprised of 2,000 professionals belonging to a network of 17 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.

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Source: NAMIC

CONTACT: Daphne Leroy, Vice President of Marketing & Communications of
NAMIC, +1-212-594-5985 (office), daphne.leroy@namic.com; or Charmaine Chapman
of BTB Communications, +1-310-882-5498 (office), char@btbcommunications.com,
for NAMIC

Web site:

http://www.namic.com/

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