Women in communication discuss moving ahead at third annual national conference

“I believe we are at the beginning of a new era for women in communication, an era that rewards work, determination and professional excellence with the respect and dignity,” said Ilia Calderon, Univision Nightly News anchor, to kick off the Third Annual National Conference of the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication April 5 at Biscayne Bay Campus.

More than 300 people attended the day-long conference, Women in Communication: Moving Ahead, featuring some of the top women in the communications profession from around the country. In her keynote address, Calderon discussed how the#metoo and #timesup movements are having a positive impact on women’s careers in the industry.  

“Although this issue is nothing new in any profession, I find it interesting that it was the women in the communication industry who pushed it into the forefront, resulting in the tipping point moment we are seeing today,” she said. “For far too long, women in communication have been sought after for their natural beauty and professionalism but undervalued when it comes to the marketplace and equal compensation.” 

Click on the video above to watch Calderon’s full speech.

Left to Right: Nathalia Ortiz, Cynthia Hudson and Alina Falcon.

Sharri Berg, chief operating officer for news and operations for Fox television stations and senior vice president for news and operations of Fox News, also delivered a keynote address at the conference. Berg discussed how women can get ahead by focusing on qualities like passion, body language, energy, effort and work ethic. These were part of her Top 10 Things that Require Zero Talent but, according to Sharri Berg, can help women looking to advance in their careers greatly. Rounding out her top 10 were being on time, attitude, being coachable, doing extra and being prepared.

In addition to the speakers, the conference featured a conversation with professionals in the morning, which included Rosanna Fiske, vice president for corporate communications of Wells Fargo & Company; Samantha Ragland, manager of digital entertainment strategy at the Palm Beach Post; and Michelle Zubizaretta, co-owner of Zubizaretta Investments, Inc.

The afternoon session, Thought Leaders Talk, included Alina Falcon, senior vice president of daytime programming, for NBC / Universal Telemundo Network, and Cynthia Hudson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN en Espanol and Hispanic strategy for CNN /US. Moderator for the session was Nathalia Ortiz, a reporter for WSCV- Telemundo 51. 

Throughout the year the Kopenhaver Center conducts programming for the advancement of women professionals and academics in all the fields of communication in order to develop visionaries and leaders who can make a difference in their communities and in their professions. The center leads the way for future generations of communicators and this annual conference brings together outstanding women communicators to talk about issues facing women in the industries today.

Co-sponsors for the conference were CNN, the Miami Herald, the Women’s Media Center in Washington, D.C., Smith Edwards Group, LLC, Boden, and WPLG, Channel 10.