Caroline Beasley is CEO of Beasley Media Group. She previously served as interim CEO and before that as EVP/CFO, treasurer and secretary, beginning in 1994. She most recently served as joint board chair of the NAB Board and is a past chairman of the NAB Radio Board. In addition, she is a member of the BMI board of directors and the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s board. In 2017, Caroline Beasley was honored by Radio Ink magazine as Radio Executive of the Year, and she has been consistently ranked among the top five of the publication’s 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list. In addition, she has been recognized in the magazine’s Most Influential Women in Radio issue on an annual basis since 2003. Beasley received the 2016 Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and was the 2012 recipient of the Frances Preston Trailblazer Award from the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group.

Gordon Borrell is CEO of Borrell Associates. He is a sought-after speaker for conferences and company meetings and is the local media industry’s leading analyst. He is ranked in the top 2% among Gerson Lehrman Group’s 150,000 consultants worldwide and is quoted frequently in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Ad Age, Forbes, and other publications. Before starting Borrell Associates, Borrell was vice president for new media for Landmark Communications, where he worked for 22 years. He started his career as a reporter and editor for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1989 he began pioneering interactive ventures and helped establish the first TV, newspaper, cable, and network TV websites. Borrell is past chairman of the Local Media Association and past president of the Newspaper Association of America’s New Media Federation.

Steven Cahall is a managing director and senior equity media/cable analyst at Wells Fargo Securities. His media coverage includes traditional and digital media companies encompassing entertainment, broadcasting, audio, and advertising, as well as the cable sector. Cahall was ranked No. 4 runner-up (analyst) in the media sector in the 2020 Institutional Investor All-America equity research survey; he is also a three-time Institutional Investor All-America Research Team Rising Star in both the media and the aerospace and defense sectors. Before joining Wells Fargo in 2019, Cahall was the senior analyst covering media for Royal Bank of Canada. Prior to his career in equity research, he worked in defense exports in the Middle East.

John Caracciolo is president and CEO of JVC Broadcasting. His success story started at the age of 21, when he became chief engineer at WLIR-FM. In 1996 he took over the position of general manager of WLIR & WDRE. Caracciolo formed JVC Broadcasting in July 2009. The company operates 18 radio stations: five stations in the Nassau Suffolk-Long Island market; four stations serving Florida’s Gainesville-Ocala area; WOTW-FM (103.1 The Wolf)/Orlando; and WDYZ-AM (Florida Man Radio), broadcasting to North and Central Florida and four stations in Ft. Walton Beach. JVC also operates Long Island Events, a premier NTR facilitator and the operator of the LI Community Amphitheater on Long Island. John Caracciolo has over 35 years of radio, marketing, sales, and live event experience.

Leah Casterlin is a founding partner of Media Fortitude Partners. She started in the political media industry in 2000 at Message and Media, Inc. in New Jersey and became media director of the firm in 2007, responsible for planning and executing several successful multi-million-dollar statewide campaigns. In 2012, Casterlin was one of the first political media buyers to embrace digital media and incorporate it into many of her accounts. In 2017, along with partner Carrie Xu, she started Media Fortitude Partners, which executed the first political addressable campaign for Comcast with the Murphy for New Jersey Governor campaign. Since its launch MFP has executed several statewide campaigns, including both traditional and digital media. During the midterm elections in 2018, Media Fortitude Partners worked on political campaigns in over 20 states.

Christopher Ensley is a managing director of technology, media & telecom (TMT) investment banking at Noble Capital Markets, where he focuses on capital raising, mergers and acquisition advisory, and valuation opinions for clients. During his tenure on Wall Street, Ensley has participated in over $16 billion in transactions. Prior to Noble, Ensley was a TMT investment banker at Coady Diemar Partners, a boutique investment bank in NYC. Prior to Coady Diemar, he was a managing director in the equity research department at Bear Stearns; while at Bear Stearns, Ensley was a member of the number one-rated broadcast equity research team for six straight years (2002-2007). He has also been a vice president of equity research covering the broadcast sector at Lazard. Ensley began his Wall Street career as an equity research analyst at Salomon Brothers, where he covered the tower industry in addition to the broadcasting industry.

Richard A. Foreman, president of Richard A. Foreman and Associates, has a broad history of involvement in broadcast operations, spanning over 50 years. His experience ranges from on-air to executive and senior management positions with Sudbrink Broadcasting (WLIF/Baltimore) and General Electric Broadcasting, as a member of that company’s Communications Task Force. Foreman served Harte-Hanks Broadcasting as a corporate director of stations in Houston, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, and Memphis, and later as vice president of programming at  ABC’s Radio Networks in New York from 1978 through 1981. In 1981 Richard A. Foreman Associates Inc. was founded and since that time has been involved extensively in media brokerage and consulting. Foreman has engineered a number of interesting media transactions, such as the 1988 swap involving radio stations held by Viacom Broadcasting and Keymarket Communications and the first radio duopoly involving two publicly held companies (ABC/Jefferson Pilot) in 1994. Since its inception Foreman Associates has closed media transactions in excess of $2.25 billion.

Mark Fratrik is SVP and chief economist for BIA/Kelsey, responsible for forecasting across all local media segments. He also manages the company’s numerous proprietary databases and conducts primary research on various trends as they affect the broadcasting and related communications industries. Additionally, Fratrik is heavily involved in BIA/Kelsey’s strategic and financial consulting projects, conducting research and analysis for clients on matters related to the broadcasting, digital media, and related communications industries. Throughout his career, Fratrik has researched and spoken at numerous conferences on the impact of the economy on the broadcasting industries, revenue trends, proposed and enacted regulatory changes, and new media technologies. He is often quoted in the media and is a leading spokesperson concerning trends and forecasts for the media industry. He is the author of BIA/Kelsey’s series of studies on the state of the radio and television industry.

Mark Gray is CEO of Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company specializing in audio and video advertising solutions. Gray has been a leader in the media industry for more than 30 years, building a first-class sales organization that drives results for its broadcast partners and the nation’s top brands. As CEO, Gray oversees Katz’s radio, television, and digital companies. His primary focus is to lead Katz’s team of industry experts to deliver innovative ideas for advertisers and agencies; drive revenue for Katz’s partners; and continue to develop Katz’s technology and digital offerings, including bringing Katz to the forefront of the programmatic buying arena. During his tenure Gray has served in various capacities with Katz, including general sales manager and president of the Katz Radio division before being promoted to president of Katz Radio Group in 2006. Gray was named CEO of Katz Media Group in 2017.

Juliet Huddy is a veteran television broadcaster and host who now hosts the Early News on 77WABC Radio in NYC. Huddy joined WABC in 2018, providing news and entertainment updates on Bernie & Sid in the Morning. Soon after, she teamed up with Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to host the midday program Curtis & Juliet. Huddy got her big network TV break in 1998 as a national news correspondent for Fox News, based in Miami and later Los Angeles. After the 9/11 attacks, she was transferred to Fox HQ in New York City, hosting Fox & Friends, DaySide, and other shows. In 2007, she was given her own nationally syndicated talk show, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, interviewing everyone from Condoleezza Rice to Metallica’s James Hetfield. In 2012, Huddy moved to morning news at FOX 5 in NYC, and then launched her own music website, Blonde & Crossbones. She started her podcast Juliet: Unexpected in 2018, introducing listeners to the dazzling characters she meets through her trips. In January, she launched a travel segment on the Early News, Jet Set Juliet, that became the half-hour video podcast Roamin’ & Juliet.

Steve Lanzano is president and CEO of TVB. He is a 30-plus-year veteran of media agencies, having served as CEO North America of MEC (now Wavemaker) and COO of Havas Media. His accomplishments include operational and advertising honors including a Cannes Gold Lion for AT&T/Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, 7-Time Adweek/MediaWeek Media Plan of the Year Award honoree, and has been named an Adweek/MediaWeek Media All-Star in 1986, the inaugural year of the award. Lanzano is currently in his 11th year leading TVB. Under his leadership, membership has grown 20% to over 800+ stations, accomplished through the creation of national and local new business development teams, renewed research offerings, and a concerted effort to ramp up advocacy efforts within the industry and general press. Additionally, TVB’s annual conference has grown tenfold.

Brian Lawlor is president of local media for The E.W. Scripps Company. In addition to leading the company’s 61 television stations, he has responsibility for the local digital and OTT operations as well as Scripps local programming initiatives. Since assuming his current role in 2009, Lawlor has overseen the rapid growth of the company’s broadcasting assets from 10 TV stations in 2009 to its current portfolio, which makes Scripps one of the largest owners of TV stations in the country. Lawlor oversaw the acquisition of the Katz multicast networks and the launch of Court TV, and also had responsibility over the company’s 35 radio stations from 2015-2018 before Scripps exited the radio business. He has been the driving force in the successful launch of Scripps’ national programming which includes Right This Minute and The List. Lawlor previously served as the television board chairman for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Curtis LeGeyt is COO of the NAB. He is involved in all aspects of NAB’s work on behalf of free, local television and radio broadcasters. He previously served as the organization’s EVP of government relations. During his time at NAB, LeGeyt has led several highly successful efforts to advocate for laws that strengthen broadcasters’ ability to innovate and serve their communities. This includes permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization, inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act. Before joining NAB, LeGeyt served as the senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy.

Brian Lilly is CEO of Lilly Broadcasting and SJL Broadcasting. His companies operate television affiliates in Elmira-Corning-Horseheads, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania. The privately held company also owns radio stations in Erie and Warren, Pennsylvania. Lilly’s portfolio also includes One Caribbean Television, a channel dedicated to Caribbean lifestyle and information programming that began in 2004. Additional affiliates include CBS-Puerto Rico, CBS-Guam, and CBS/ABC in the U.S. Virgin Islands. WZMQ, a MeTV affiliate in Marquette, Michigan, was added in 2017. Brian Lilly is part of a family steeped in broadcasting tradition. His brother, Kevin, is president of the company. Brian’s father, George, founded the business in 1983. Brian was educated at Boston University and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2018.

Chesley Maddox-Dorsey is the CEO of A Wonder Media Group, LLC, which owns and operates SupeRadio and American Urban Radio Networks. SupeRadio is a national programming syndication company with 23 radio programs. The shows are broadcast in every major market throughout the U.S. AURN is the only African-American-owned network radio company in the United States, broadcasting news, information, and entertainment programming to more than 400 stations nationwide and reaching an estimated 25 million African-American listeners weekly. Maddox-Dorsey is a graduate of Oberlin College, with a B.A. in government. She is a frequent guest speaker at seminars and has published several articles on financing broadcast properties.

Drew Marcus is a senior advisor to Guggenheim Securities in its Investment Banking division. He has focused on media and technology during his entire career, which has included roles as an analyst, banker, portfolio manager, and venture capitalist. He is also managing partner of Sugarloaf Rock Capital, LLC, which invests in companies in the media, technology, telecommunications and consumer sectors and additionally serves as a venture partner at Walden Venture Capital. Marcus was founder and portfolio manager of SLRC Media Opportunities Fund from 2009-2016. The fund focused on long-term investing in public equity and debt securities in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. Earlier he was vice chairman of global banking at Deutsche Bank, focusing on media and telecommunications, from 2005-2008. Marcus has been involved in over 200 transactions valued at over $100 billion.

Bob McAllan is CEO of Press Communication, LLC and PMCM TV, LLC. Over his career spanning nearly six decades, he has been the owner and/or operator of radio and television stations in New Jersey (including the infamous New Jersey 101.5, the nation’s first Talk FM), New York, Philadelphia, Delaware, Orlando (and two other Florida markets), Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho. Press Communications’ focus is on six highly rated local radio stations in New Jersey and their Internet operations. PMCM TV owns two full-power VHF television stations: WJLP, licensed to New Jersey, and WNWT, licensed to New York. Both stations cover the entire New York market, and WJLP is the flagship station for the MeTV television network. McAllan is immediate past chair of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association and served as a member of the Florida, Nevada, and Wyoming Broadcasters Associations. A strong proponent of public television, he served for over a decade on the Foundation Board of the New Jersey Public Television Network. He currently serves on the board of the Media Rating Council in New York.

DuJuan McCoy is the owner of Circle City Broadcasting, which operates WISH and WNDY in Indianapolis. He previously owned and operated television stations in Indiana, Louisiana, and Texas as the founder and owner of Bayou City Broadcasting. In addition to being an owner since 2007, McCoy has over 30 years in broadcasting and broadcasting management. He’s worked in different regions of the country for ownership groups such as Capitol Broadcasting, River City Broadcasting, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and Fox Television stations. McCoy currently serves on the boards of the NAB,  NABLF,  the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, and the Broadcasters Foundation of America. He is on the FCC Advisory Committee for Diversity and is a member of the Board of Trustees at Butler University. He has recently announced a partnership with Cox Media Group to launch the Multicultural News Network (MNN), a 24-hour news network that focuses on America’s diverse communities.

Francisco “Frank” Montero is a partner with the law firm of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, specializing in telecommunications, broadcasting, media, and technology. His practice includes FCC regulatory counseling, corporate finance, asset and securities acquisitions, intellectual property, and real estate and commercial transactions. Montero was an appointed member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age and served as director of the FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities during the Clinton administration. While at the FCC, he worked extensively with industry, trade associations, financial institutions, and governmental agencies to create business opportunities for entrepreneurs and technology and telecommunications start-ups.

Steve Morgan, founder of Cybersecurity Ventures and editor-in-chief at Cybercrime Magazine, is a well-known researcher, journalist, and publisher. His annual reports on cybercrime and cybersecurity contain de facto standard statistical information found in major media outlets, academia, governments, vendors, associations, and used by experts globally. Morgan has written more than 500 articles for Forbes, CSO, and others. He is co-author of the book Women Know Cyber: 100 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime. Morgan is named on numerous lists including LinkedIn’s 5 Security Influencers to Follow, Onalytica’s Who’s Who in Cybersecurity, and the Top 100 Cybersecurity Influencers at RSA Conference.

Jack Myers is founder of MediaVillage and AdvancingDiversity.org. He’s the nation’s leading media ecologist, translating the work of Marshall McLuhan and his mentor Dr. Neil Postman to the practical realities impacting on advertising-dependent media companies, agencies, and brand marketers. Having begun his career in advertising sales and marketing with Metromedia Outdoor, ABC Radio, CBS-TV, and UTV Cable, Myers has dedicated his work to advancing media industry growth. His behind-the-scenes work with General Motors, Aegis Group, CBS, and other industry leaders from 1985-2009, when he launched MediaVillage, was instrumental in driving the transformation of media buying and selling and continues to impact the business today. MediaVillage hosts the industry’s only collective Knowledge Exchange, integrating educational content, research, diversity programs, media buying and selling tools, social media, and vertical search across more than 100 corporate and subject-matter-expert platforms. In 2021 Myers launched Advancing Diversity Week, culminating with the 4th annual Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors Induction Experience and inaugural GenZ Town Hall Meeting.

Steve Newberry serves as CEO of Quu, Inc., creators of innovative technology enabling radio stations to provide an enhanced listener experience and monetize visual advertising through full control of the RDS/HD in-car visual display. Immediately before joining Quu, Newberry was EVP/industry affairs and strategic planning for the NAB.  In that capacity, he was responsible for the organization’s television, radio, membership, and education departments and had primary leadership responsibility for NAB’s technology initiatives with the automotive industry. Before becoming a full-time NAB employee, Newberry served as the organization’s Radio Board Chair, NABPAC Chair, was twice elected the association’s Joint Television and Radio Board chairman, and was a recipient of NAB’s National Radio Award, the industry’s highest leadership honor. Newberry is the founder and chairman of Commonwealth Broadcasting Corp, a radio broadcast group with facilities throughout his home state of Kentucky.

Justin Nielson is a senior research analyst with Kagan, a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence, covering the broadcast TV and radio stations, digital audio and new media sectors in the U.S. Nielson leads a team of research analysts creating qualitative analysis, quantitative forecast models, event driven articles, and trend reports published on the S&P CapIQ Pro platform. His 14-plus years of industry experience and knowledge have made Nielson a frequently quoted analyst in numerous trade publications as well as national press. He has been a panelist, presenter, and moderator for industry conferences and investor summits such as the NAB Show, Wells Fargo Media & Telecom Summit, and the Kagan Media Summit. Prior to Kagan, Nielson worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and an investment representative at Edward Jones in Carlsbad, California.

Debra OConnell is president of networks for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED). OConnell oversees operational leadership including P&L oversight of all of the company’s linear television channels, as well as business planning, network/channel commercial marketing, and audience strategy for the ABC broadcast network and eight ABC Owned stations, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN Networks, FX Networks, Freeform, and National Geographic Networks. At the company for over 20 years, OConnell most recently served as president and general manager of ABC7/WABC-TV New York, where she had overall management responsibility for the station and all of its ancillary businesses, as well as Live with Kelly and Ryan. In her previous executive roles, she served as executive vice president/sales and marketing for Disney|ABC’s consolidated advertising sales group; president, national TV sales, ABC Owned Television Stations; and vice president of marketing at WABC-TV.

Larry Patrick is a partner at Patrick Communications and Legend Communications. His firm has sold over $8.5 billion worth of television and radio stations over the past 20 years. In all, the firm has completed over 700 transactions. He and his wife, Susan, also own 25 small radio stations in the Rocky Mountains and have an interest in several major market television stations. Patrick is a former senior vice president of the NAB, chairman of Ion Media, and COO of Gilmore Broadcasting and has owned or operated over 100 radio and 85 television stations. He holds a Ph.D. in communications and management as well as a law degree from Georgetown University. He currently serves on the NAB Radio Board.

Doug Ray holds dual roles within dentsu International as both chief product officer, Americas and chief product officer, global media. In his global role, Ray is accountable for the vision and delivery of integrated media products across Carat, iProspect, and dentsu X. In his Americas role, he works across the dentsu Americas’ creative, media, and CXM divisions to incubate and innovate new product and service solutions. Previously, he was CEO of dentsu Media Americas and dentsu US’s first president of product and innovation. In that role, he led the development and implementation of dentsu’s product suite, including the integration of Merkle’s M1 platform, which now underpins dentsu’s entire media organization. Prior to that, Ray was CEO of Carat U.S. He led Carat’s transformational growth as the agency more than doubled its revenue by partnering with some of the world’s most iconic brands.

Justin Sasso has served as the president and CEO of the Colorado Broadcasters Association since 2011. Sasso spent 25 years in radio broadcasting working for multiple broadcast groups along Colorado’s Front Range. Before his current position, he was a CBA board member for over five years while operating his Northern Colorado radio station. Having parents who were both in radio and television, Justin was bitten by the broadcast “bug” early in life. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, cycling, and aviation.

Nathan Simington is a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission, confirmed in January 2020. He brings both private and public-sector experience to the commission. Previously, he served as senior advisor at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. In this role he worked on many aspects of telecommunications policy, including spectrum allocation and planning, broadband access, and the U.S. government’s role in the Internet. Before joining the FCC, he was senior counsel to Brightstar Corp., an international mobile device services company. In this capacity, he led and negotiated telecommunications equipment and services transactions with leading providers in over 20 countries. Prior to joining Brightstar, he worked as an attorney in private practice.

Gordon H. Smith joined the NAB as president and CEO in November 2009. Before joining NAB, Smith served as a two-term U.S. senator from Oregon and later as senior advisor in the Washington offices of Covington & Burling, LLP. During his tenure in the U.S. Senate,  Smith’s committee assignments included the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the panel that oversees all broadcast-related legislation. He also served on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Smith’s role on the Commerce Committee and as chairman of a Senate High Tech Task Force helped foster his interest in new media and new technology issues.

Jen Soch is the executive director, specialty channels (audio & local video, DR, publishing, and advanced TV) at GroupM. She was most recently the integrated global investment lead at Mindshare, overseeing the Facebook business. Before that, Soch was with FairShare, where her focus was on driving strategy, analytics, operations, and investment for Domo, as well as the EVP/Commercial at the Guardian, where she ran the U.S. commercial operations focusing on effective delivery of advertising solutions. Soch has spent over two decades working for media agencies such as Ammarit Puris, Dentsu-Aegis, MEC, and MediaVest where she headed up planning, strategy, and investment activity for a range of client accounts. Soch spent over 10 years in the advanced TV space where she helped to define the addressable and digital marketplaces (including OTT, VOD, and mobile).

Deborah Wahl is global chief marketer for General Motors. She previously served as the global CMO of Cadillac. Before joining General Motors, Wahl served as the senior vice president and CMO for McDonald’s from 2014 to 2017, where she played a key role in the brand’s turnaround, proudly bringing All Day Breakfast to McD consumers.  In addition to McDonald’s, Wahl has held a number of CMO and marketing leadership positions, including at PulteGroup, Chrysler and Lexus. Wahl has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College and an MBA from the Wharton School. She also has a master’s degree from The Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania. Wahl is an active business leader who serves on the board of Groupon as well as on the Board of Trustees of Cranbrook Educational Community and is the chair of the MMA Board.

Bayard “Bud” Walters is CEO of the Cromwell Group. In 1969, he applied to the FCC for permission to construct a new AM radio station in Hawesville, Kentucky. That station debuted in November 1972, and served as the foundation for Cromwell Group, which now includes more than 31 radio stations in the Midwest and South and a 38-station Agricultural Network. Over the years, Walters has been named to the Broadcaster Halls of Fame in Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee and to DePauw University’s Media Wall of Fame. He was named 2014 National Radio Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Broadcasters and a Pioneer by the Broadcasters Foundation. Before forming his radio group, Walters worked on the advertising side for Leo Burnett in Chicago.

Bill Wilson is CEO of Townsquare Media, which he joined in September 2010. He previously served as president of AOL Media from 2006 to May 2010, where he had overall responsibility for AOL’s global content strategy. Before moving to AOL, Wilson was the senior vice president for worldwide marketing at Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG), where he was responsible for worldwide marketing including artist, digital, and nontraditional marketing across more than 50 countries for the world’s biggest artists including Dave Matthews Band, Outkast, Foo Fighters, Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox, and Santana. Wilson won an Emmy Award in 2006 for the record-setting and innovative Live 8 program and was named to the Hollywood Reporter’s “Digital Power List” in 2008, profiling the 50 people most influencing the creation and distribution of content online.