😮 Oh no! Did you forget to RSVP? You can still join us virtually with this link. We look forward to breakfast, networking, celebration, and fun as we honor the winners of the 2024 WICT Heartland Touchstones Awards! And the 2024 honorees are…

The Horizon Award – Casey Alexander, Sales Strategy and Enablement Manager 

Casey Alexander is a Sales Strategy and Enablement Manager at Cox Communications. Her role is the liaison between the Center and the field sales teams for the Cox Communities team. She is the “face of the field” as she supports them with new product, policy, or process changes. She provides the strategy team with feedback and insight on making the Quick Connect program better and more efficient. She is a current member of the Programming Committee, co-leading our Wichita in-person event this year. Casey has in the past also served on the Marketing and Communications Committee. When Casey is not serving in WICT: Heartland committees, she is volunteering to speak at in-person WICT events in her market. She has an evident passion for connecting, supporting, and helping others grow. 

Woman of the Year – Rachel Anderson, Lead Product Manager, Cox Business Product 

Rachel is a board member for the Heartland Chapter. She has played a vital role to the board’s success as project manager and secretary. What makes Rachel stand out is not her organizational skills (though they are second to none), or her ability to keep us on track (which we would be lost without)…but her passion and engagement for everything we do. Rachel is thoughtful, strategic, and consistently engaged. Juggling a busy profession on the side, you would never know it by the way she engages and prioritizes WICT support. She’s truly incredible and deserves recognition for her leadership!  

 

Emerging Leader – Lisa Swinney, Supervisor, Construction Estimating – Cox Communications 

I’m thrilled to nominate Lisa for the Emerging Leader Award because of the leadership potential and passion I’ve personally seen her bring to The WICT Network: Heartland chapter. Even though I’m not on the board or committee, I’ve had the opportunity to see her in action and hear from others who work closely with her. Lisa has shown a true passion for WICT, and I’ve seen it firsthand through the way she encourages people in our department and throughout the company. She’s always promoting WICT, not just to her peers but also to team members and anyone interested in getting involved. From the feedback I’ve received, her ideas have made a lasting impact that aligns with the chapter’s goals and her leadership shines through in the work she’s done with the Membership Committee.  

One standout moment was when I mentioned the opportunity to join the SCTE Sooner State Chapter Vendor Day. Lisa jumped at the chance to get involved and didn’t miss a beat. When I dropped the ball on follow-up, she made sure to step in, keep us on track, and keep things moving forward. That kind of initiative and dedication speaks to her commitment to WICT’s success. As far as I could tell, Lisa led WICT Heartland’s involvement in the SCTE Sooner State Vendor Day, an effort that will help connect people with WICT and potentially diversify the chapter’s membership by connecting with employees and companies inside and outside of Cox. This shows her vision and understanding of the chapter’s goals around diversity and inclusion. What I really appreciate about Lisa is her ability to bring people together and create a space where everyone feels heard. She’s all about collaboration, and that’s a huge part of her leadership style. She makes sure everyone has a voice, which is why she’s been able to foster such a positive, connected team. 

Lisa embodies what it means to be an emerging leader. Her passion for WICT, her proactive nature, and her ability to engage others are exactly what makes her such a strong candidate for this award. From what I’ve seen and the feedback I’ve gotten, it’s clear that Lisa is on the path to becoming a key leader, not just within WICT but also in the broader media and tech industry. For all these reasons, I’m proud to nominate Lisa for the Emerging Leader Award and can’t wait to see her continue to make a lasting impact. 

The Awards:  

• The Emerging Leader Award: Recognizes individuals demonstrating the potential to become influential leaders within their organization and industry. 
• The Horizon Award: Recognizes a Heartland committee or board member with a consistent record of professional and personal success.  
• The Inspiration Award for Woman of the Year: Recognizes a woman who has had a milestone year and is highly regarded for career achievement and dedication to excellence.  

 Along with honoring our 2024 award winners, you’ll be inspired by our keynote speaker, Lisa Lovallo. Lisa is Cox Communications’ Vice President & Southern Arizona Market Leader. Prior to Cox, she was a District Manager at Procter & Gamble in Los Angeles, CA. She then spent 14 years building and growing a successful international import and export company. She’s held multiple positions at the University of Arizona and even ran for the Arizona State Legislature. Lisa’s career journey is one of inspiration, challenge, and finding that next open opportunity – even when it seems the door has closed. You won’t want to miss her story and the career (and life) lessons that come from it.

The WICT Heartland Touchstone Summit
Wednesday, Oct. 2
9:30 – 10 am CT Breakfast
10-11 am CT Summit

We look forward to seeing you there!