A Message from the Chapter President Ready to serve our nearly 300 members

 

Welcome 2013!   The Midwest Chapter has made some great momentum over 2012 to improve the experience of our membership based on your feedback.  We offered more than ten programs for chapter members, launched a mentoring program, and we were able to award two scholarships to attend the WICT Leadership Conference in New York City.  We are looking to continue this momentum into 2013. WICT National also offers fantastic resources.  It took me a few years as a member before I began utilizing the National website regularly.  I often reflect on the WICT Touchstones, as well as utilizing WICT Connects as an additional form of networking.  I encourage everyone to take a look! Thank you for your membership and I hope to see you at a local program in the near future.  Warmly,  Sarah DeZell, WICT Midwest Chapter President

Please join Comcast Vice President of Human Resources and Women in Cable Telecommunications Midwest Chapter Advisor Caroline Aspenson for a conversation about personalizing your career plans.  In addition to answering questions and moderating the discussion, Caroline will share her own career journey story, including pivotal moments and key decisions made along the way.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

11:30 a.m.—1 p.m. (lunch provided)

Crowne Plaza - St. Paul, Minn.In conjunction with MCCA and the North Central Cable Show

rsvp: sarah_dezell@cable.comcast.com

Lunch will be provided 

Meet Your WICT Midwest 2013 Board of Directors Ready to serve our nearly 300 members

 President - Sarah DeZellRegion Director of Customer Care, Comcast CableSarah has 15 years of telecommunications experience, ranging from network engineering, technical operations, and customer care.  She joined Comcast in 2002 after working for AT&T in local and wireless services.  In 2010 she relocated from the Pacific Northwest to the Twin Cities region.  Sarah is currently responsible for the creation and implementation of standard procedures across Comcast Cable Corporation.

 Sarah served on the WICT Pacific Northwest Chapter board, 2007-2010, most recently as chapter president. She values WICT and its ability to help guide leadership and networking. Last year, Before taking on the president’s role, Sarah served as co-programming chair of the Midwest chapter. She is committed to adding her previous experience and feedback from local members in taking the Midwest WICT chapter to the next level. 

Vice President - Chandni Thakrar-Ochoa Director of Corporate Voice Operations, Suddenlink Communications

Chandni leads a team that oversees the implementation of new technology solutions, OSS/BSS, and Commercial Product Development under the Corporate Engineering department at Suddenlink Communications.. She has been in the cable industry for 11+ years, getting her start at Cox Communications in West Texas. Chandni is a native of Lubbock, Texas, who now lives in St. Louis, Mo., with her husband and two sons. She is a member of the 2011 WICT Rising Leaders class. In addition to her board service to WICT Midwest, Chandni will serves as the 2012 vice president of the St. Louis NAMIC chapter. She enjoys spending her free time (what’s that?) with her family and shopping.

  Treasurer - Erin LorenzSenior Director Information Technology, Suddenlink CommunicationsErin leads a team of IT professionals tasked with the management, design and configuration of HR systems for nearly 6,000 employees. Prior to joining Suddenlink in 2004, Erin wore many hats in IT for A.G. Edwards and Systems Consultants, Inc. Erin has been an active WICT member for four years. Before being named treasurer, she served as both membership chair and director-at-large. Erin is a 2011 Rising Leader and

recipient of the Spirit of the Midwest “Woman in Technology” award. Erin holds a bachelor’s degree from Missouri Baptist University. Originally from St. Louis, she hopped around the country throughout her childhood and is back to making her home in the St. Louis suburb Ballwin. Erin is happily married and is the proud mother of two daughters. She enjoys boxing, reading at least one book per week and spending time with family and friends.   

Secretary - Sarah MaschkaClient Services Partner Talent Acquisition, Comcast Cable

Sarah entered the telecommunications industry in early 2007, joining the Twin Cities Region recruitment team at Comcast, a Fortune 500 company and national leader in entertainment, communication products and services. Prior to her work at Comcast, Sarah worked in recruitment at a large collection agency in the Twin Cities providing hiring and selection support to hiring managers. Sarah graduated from Winona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications. She resides in the Twin Cities.

 Past President - Denise FarleySenior Director Revenue & Assets Recovery, Mediacom CommunicationsDenise has been employed with Mediacom for almost seven years. She has spent the majority of her career in the industry with numerous top-tier MSOs, focusing on operation management. In 2009, WICT National named Denise its Chapter President of the Year. Denise resides in West Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband and has a son in college who is majoring in marketing.

 Chapter Advisor—Caroline AspensonVP Human Resources, Comcast Cable

Caroline leads a team of 16 HR professionals who support nearly 2,000 employees in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri. She also partners closely with business units throughout the region providing HR counsel and expertise. Prior to joining Comcast in 1999, Caroline held a variety of HR management positions. Her background includes more than 20 years of human resources experience in the cable and retail industries.  Caroline has been an active member of WICT for several years and is looking forward to playing a greater role with the organization.

  St. Louis Program Chair - Sarah TreiberMarketing Manager, Suddenlink CommunicationsSarah joined Suddenlink Communications in March 2007. She is the marketing manager, supporting creative execution of marketing and branding activities. Previously, Sarah was a marketing coordinator and a senior marketing specialist, focusing on the development of video on demand and sales channel marketing.  Sarah holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with an emphasis in

marketing from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, where she graduated with honors. In addition to her responsibilities at Suddenlink and her new role as programming chair, Sarah serves on the WICT chapter’s rebranding and Safe House charity luncheon committees. She is a member of the Cable and Telecommunications Association of Marketing (CTAM) for whom she serves as a Mark Awards judge. Sarah also contributes time to the MS Walk and Bike fundraising initiatives.  

 Twin Cities Program Chair - Jessica Miller XEC Store Manager, Comcast Cable  

Jessica is enjoying her second year in the cable industry. She began as a supervisor for the Comcast Inbound Sales team before accepting her current role. Jessica has worked in the technology industry at Ultimate Electronics and at Best Buy, where she served as a national sales manager trainer. Jessica also served as Alpha Retail Leader in the Women of Leadership Forum - Aurora Pack to increase revenue among female shoppers and improve retention/job satisfaction of female employees. She is studying business management at Western Governors University and will graduate in spring 2015. Jessica lives in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. She enjoys traveling abroad and continuing her studies in college. Her hobbies include scrapbooking and playing both online and board games. 

Mentorship Chair—Mary PorterVP Human Resources, Suddenlink CommunicationsMary joined Suddenlink in March 2010 and has spent the last 24 years in human resources. Mary serves as a strategic business partner to the corporate leadership team, leading all generalist, recruitment, benefits and HRIS support in the corporate office. Mary is also focused on managing all aspects of the recruitment initiatives, HRIS data input/output, Sarbanes Oxley, diversity and compliance responsibilities. She joined WICT in 2010 and attended the Betsy Magness Leadership Program, Class 24, in 2012.

Mary is the treasurer for the St. Louis Chapter of NAMIC. When Mary isn’t working, she is supporting her son’s sports life by serving as parent coordinator for his basketball team.  She also boats and Jet Skis with her family on the Mississippi (in the pretty area of the river, not the muddy parts!). In December, Mary will celebrate 27 years of marriage to  her husband Steve. 

Communications Chair - Lisa SheaCommunications Coordinator, Suddenlink Communications

 Lisa has been a part of the corporate communications team at Suddenlink, a top-10 U.S. cable broadband operator, for four years. Prior to her work at Suddenlink, Lisa owned and operated LEXIS Writing & Editing, LLC, providing written communications and public relations support for authors and corporate clients. She lives in St. Louis with her husband Jim and their three teenage daughters. Outside of work, Lisa enjoys reading, playing guitar and coaching a cheer squad.

IT/Database/Webmaster- Julie Sparlin IT Manager, Suddenlink CommunicationsJulie received her start in the cable telecommunications industry at Suddenlink in 2008 as a member of the IT team responsible for the health of human resources and payroll-related applications. Prior to joining Suddenlink, Julie spent her professional career in the correctional medical industry, starting out as an accountant and ending in a technical role in IT. She lives in St. Louis with her husband, two wonderful sons, and a retired greyhound. Outside of work, Julie enjoys playing golf, tennis and volunteering as a Boy

Scout den leader.

 Outreach Chair - Jill ArbetBenefits Analyst, Suddenlink Communications

With close to 15 years of industry experience, Jill Arbet joined Suddenlink in 2003 and was named VP of marketing in 2006. She currently leads the company’s marketing Brand initiatives, which encompasses brand growth and research, campaign creative, broadcast and cross-channel TV creation and schedules, and COOP marketing partnerships. Prior to Suddenlink, Jill was with Charter Communications for eight years.

Jill has been active in WICT off and on for the last fifteen years. While at Charter, she chaired and planned the annual WICT fundraising gala. Jill is an active Cable & Telecommunications Association of Marketing (CTAM) member, serving on its Mark Awards and judging committee. This year, she was selected for CTAM’s Cable Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School. Jill also belongs to the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) Lancelot Group, a marketing peer panel.

Director-at-Large, – Andrea WegleyAccount Director, ARRISAndrea, a native of Boulder, Colorado, has been part of the cable industry since 1995 and has spent her entire 16-year career with ARRIS. Currently Andrea is responsible for one major cable operator across the country.  Andrea serves on two WICT Boards ( Midwest and Texas), and one SCTE Board ( Crystal Coast, N.C.). Andrea hopes to foster leadership and diversity on the WICT

Midwest Board. She is passionate about putting women in technology on the map through increased participation, support and guidance of WICT’s Tech It Out programs. Andrea holds a B.A. in English from the University of Colorado, is married with a six year old daughter, and currently lives in St. Louis. 

Director-at-Large, - Beth PettiVice President, Information Technology, Suddenlink Communications

Beth oversees the program management office, which runs large-scale, cross-functional initiatives across the company footprint, including technology rollouts and new product launches. She has designed mentoring and leadership training protocols. Prior to joining Suddenlink in 2007, Beth served as a vice president at Teralogix Consulting, a project management company. Her IT career spans more than 20 years.  Beth is a member of the Project Management Institute and is PMP certified. Since joining WICT in 2009, Beth has attended national leadership conferences and participated in chapter events and community service projects. She is a Betsy Magness Leadership Institute (Class XXIV) graduate. Beth earned her B.B.A. in management information systems, with an emphasis in accounting, from Iowa State University in Ames. She enjoys running, boating and anything outdoors. She lives in St. Louis with her husband and two children.  

Director-at-Large, Spirit of Midwest - Michelle ScheuermannSr. Director of Communications, Sportsman ChannelMichelle is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to run, bike, kayak, ski, compete in races and just be outdoors. She started her own consulting firm, BulletProof Communications, with her clients Sportsman Channel and North American Media Group. Her focus is to help increase media relations and social media presence for her clients.  Michelle has a degree in agricultural business management from University of Wisconsin – River Falls and more recently received her accreditation in public relations from the Public

Relations Society of America. Michelle resides in St. Paul, Minn. with her husband Wayne and their cat, Harrison.  

Membership Chair - Sherri KronfrostDirector of Employee Engagement, Comcast Cable

In her 20-plus year career, Sherrie has gained experience in a variety of leadership roles including organizational development, training, human resources and operations. She has particular interest and expertise in organizational design and change management. Sherrie holds a Master of Human Resource Development degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Hotel & Restaurant Management. Sherrie lives in the suburbs of Twin Cities with her husband Kevin. Together they have five children, Sherrie’s favorite pastimes include yoga, entertaining friends and family, and musky fishing.

Ambassador—Pamela HermannVP Management and Financial Reporting, Suddenlink CommunicationsIn her role at Suddenlink, Pamela is responsible for providing operational reporting and financial analysis to senior leadership. Prior to joining Suddenlink in 2006, she worked in various roles across business planning, contracts, and financial analysis for The Boeing Company. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Truman State University and earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University. Pamela is also a member of the 2010 WICT Rising

Leaders class and Class 27 of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. Pamela lives in St. Louis with her husband and twin 4-year-old sons. She enjoys photography, scrapbooking and outings with her family.  

Ambassador - Theresa SundeCommunity Relations Coordinator, Mediacom Communications

Theresa Sunde has worked in the cable industry since 1996. In her position at Mediacom, she supports the regional vice president in an executive administrative role, serves as the company’s point of contact for the local franchise authorities, and promotes the industry’s many outreach programs. Theresa is married and has three daughters and a son. She is an active school and community volunteer. When not working, she enjoys cooking, reading novels, swimming and going to movies.

 Ambassador— David TashjianVP Sales & Marketing - Twin Cites Region, ComcastDavid has been with Comcast since 2005. In his current role, David provides strategic leadership for the sales and marketing teams in supporting and growing Comcast’s consumer product lines. David’s operational responsibilities include direct sales, retail sales--including 11 regional cable stores--directing and providing input on marketing communications, advertising, sponsorships and overall branding. David previously served in leadership roles for Comcast’s Beltway Region in the Washington, D.C., area.

Before joining Comcast, David served in a variety of operations, communications, and sales leadership capacities with Echostar Communications (Dish Network).

WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH YOU! In order to determine which social media outlets best reach our chapter members, can you please take a moment to tell us where you’d like to find us? Simply email lisa.shea@suddenlink.com and reply with which of the following outlets you currently follow: Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Others. Thanks!

Do you have news or photos you’d like to share in the next WICT Midwest newsletter? Contact Lisa Shea, Communications Chair

*lisa.shea@suddenlink.com (314-315-9350)  

Visit WICT Midwest and WICT National regularly for more news and information.