CSS Talent Superhero Awards

WHAT IS A TALENT SUPERHERO?

Many believe they are the world's mightiest mortals.

A Talent Superhero does more than leap tall buildings in a single bound. These crusaders can be seen Recruiting, Selecting, Developing, and Engaging top performers on their teams and in their markets every day! Read about previous Talent Superhero winners in our Talent Magazine!

They are beacons of light, leading the way to strength management success... but these outstanding managers who possess extraordinary powers are only mere mortals at heart. They have mastered their talent universe by creating strong processes to follow and then sticking to their plans for success.

Talent Superhero Defined

A Talent Superhero does more than leap buildings in a single bound. These managing crusaders can be seen:

Building and maintaining a strong talent bank.
Recruiting top talent to the organization.
Coaching people to maximize their strengths.
Retaining top performers over time.

2024 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2024 Talent Superhero Award Winners

More info about each of the 2024 Talent Superhero Award Winners will be published in the 2025 Talent Magazine - coming July 2025!

In alphabetical order:

Beth Nifong

Director of Sales

Bonneville International, San Francisco, CA

Inger Alfred

Director of Sales

Lands' End

Jeremy Ginn

Station Director

Cox Media Group, Athens, GA

Lina Cravotto

Director of Sales

Cox Media Group, Tulsa, OK

Nick Maine

Chief Revenue Officer

Galaxy Media Partners

Patrick Fuentes

Vice President In-Market Sales

McClatchy

Rob Razzi

Vice President Sales

Clear Channel Outdoor, Philadelphia, PA

Scott Burton

Vice President Sales

Cox Media, Louisiana

Stephanie Slagle

Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer

Graham Media Group

Susan Holshouser

Branch President

Clear Channel Outdoor, Tampa, FL

Terri Cope-Walton

Vice President & General Manager

Graham Media Group, Jacksonville, FL

Traci Thomson

Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Lencore Acoustics

2023 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2023 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Read more about each of the 2023 Talent Superhero Award Winners in the 2024 Talent Magazine!

In alphabetical order:

Ashley Williams

Director of Sales

Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL

Audrey Savage

General Sales Manager

Graham Media Group, San Antonio, TX

Crista St. John

General Sales Manager

Bonneville International, Seattle, WA

Dan Scutari

Director of Sales

TEGNA, Greensboro, NC

Heather Perry

Director of Sales

McClatchy, Myrtle Beach, SC

Jason Wilson

Vice President

Cox Media, Oklahoma-Arkansas

Jeff Clewett

Director of Sales

Bonneville International, Denver, CO

Jessica Schwartz

Vice President of Sales

Townsquare Media, Trenton, NJ

John Palmer

Local Sales Manager

Cox Media Group, Jacksonville, FL

Nicole Bordelon

Digital Sales Manager

TEGNA, Houston, TX

Richard Thomas

Sales Manager

Cox Media Group, Atlanta, GA

Ryan Frazier

Regional Director of Sales

Clear Channel Outdoor, Southteast

Sarah McHugh

Director of Sales

Townsquare Media, Grand Rapids, MI

Shar Hermanson

Director of Strategy

Mid-West Family, Madison, WI

2022 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2022 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Read more about each of the 2022 Talent Superhero Award Winners in the 2023 Talent Magazine!

In alphabetical order:

Alex Zagryn

Vice President of Sales

iHeart Media, New York, NY

Allison Delagrange

General Sales Manager

Federated Media, Fort Wayne, IN

Amy Bloxom

Regional Vice President

Townsquare Media, Shreveport, LA

Carrie Berkbuegler

Director of Sales

Zimmer Communications, Columbia, MO

Cindi Reed

Director of Sales

Apartmentdata.com

JC Campese

Vice President/Market Manager

Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL

Jesse Wilson

Local Sales Manager

TEGNA, Seattle, WA

Laura Coristine

General Sales Manager

Cox Media, New England

Michelle Long

Vice President of Sales

McClatchy, Columbia, SC

Ryan Subica

Operations and Activation Manager

TEGNA, Seattle, WA

Stephanie Callihan

Vice President/Market Manager

Cox Media Group, Houston, TX

Steven Biebel

Local Sales Manager

TEGNA, San Diego, CA

Val Maki

Senior Vice President/Market Manager

Bonneville International, San Francisco, CA

2021 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2021 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Read more about each of the 2021 Talent Superhero Award Winners in the 2022 Talent Magazine!

In alphabetical order:

Amy Coplen

Local Sales Manager

TEGNA, Austin, Texas

Angelina Rosario

Director of Sales

Cox Media Group, Miami, Florida

Carolyn McCulligh

Vice President of Advertising

McClatchy, West Region

Darlene Park

Director of Sales

Bonneville International, Denver, Colorado

Fran Mallace

Former Group Vice President

Cox Media (Current CEO of Make-A-Wish Arizona)

Frank Palino

Director of Sales

TEGNA, Seattle, Washington

James Conner

Director of Sales

Emmis Communications, Indianapolis, Indiana

Jason Finkelberg

Market President and Chief Revenue Officer

Townsquare Media, Hudson Valley

Jim Richmond

Director of Sales

Bonneville International, Seattle, Washington

Jimmy Farrell

Director of Sales

Cox Media Group, Jacksonville, Florida

Maryann Balbo

Group Vice President

Cox Media, Multiple Markets

Sarah Dobbins

Vice President of Sales

Townsquare Media, Northern New England

Scott Hopeck

Division President

iHeartMedia, New York

2020 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2020 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Read more about each of the 2020 Talent Superhero Award Winners in the 2021 Talent Magazine!

In alphabetical order:

Beth Bowers

Senior Director of Sales & Digital

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution / CoxNext, Atlanta, GA

Byron Wilkinson

Director of Sales

TEGNA, Austin, TX

Carol Terakawa

Chief Revenue Officer

Shopkick

Carolyn Whitman

Vice President of Sales

iHeartMedia, New York

Channah Hanberg

General Manager and General Sales Manager

CRISTA Media, Seattle, WA

David Crumb

Vice President and Director of Sales

Townsquare Media, Buffalo, NY

David Hynson

Vice President of Sales

iHeartMedia, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Joni Claerbout

Director of Sales

Cox Media, FL, GA, and AL

Katie Reid

Vice President and General Manager

Cox Media Group, Jacksonville, FL

Kim DiGiovanni

Vice President/Director of Sales-DeKalb Market Manager

Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Northern Illinois

Michelle Woods

Director of Sales

Cox Media Group, Seattle, WA

Rob Babin

Senior Vice President

Head of Radio at Cox Media Group

Steve Chase

Director of Sales

TEGNA, Denver, CO

Tracy Picente

Director of Sales

Townsquare Media, Utica, NY

2019 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2019 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Read more about each of the 2019 Talent Superhero Award Winners in the 2020 Talent Magazine!

In alphabetical order:

Bill Hendrich

Executive Vice President

Cox Media Group

Carolyn Carver

Market President

Townsquare Media, Amarillo, TX

Christine Seiks

Vice President of Sales

Townsquare Media, Portsmouth, NH

Dave Keiser

Vice President of Sales

iHeartMedia, Dallas/Fort Worth

Derek Calstrom

Vice President of Sales Growth

Questco

Edson Barrantes

Local Sales Manager

TEGNA, Phoenix, AZ

Leslie Talansky

Vice President

Cox Media, California

Mike Watkins

Local Sales Manager

Cox Media Group, Atlanta, GA

Mitch Boyle

Local Sales Manager

TEGNA, Seattle, WA

Nancy O'Brien

Director of Sales

Hubbard Broadcasting, Chicago, IL

Sonya Villamagna

Local Sales Manager

TEGNA, Houston, TX

Steve DeLusant

Senior Vice President of Sales

iHeartMedia, New York, NY

2018 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2018 Talent Superhero Award Winners

More details on each of the 2018 Talent Superhero Award Winners is published in our 2019 Talent Magazine.

In alphabetical order:

AJ Punjabi

GSM at Cox Media Group

Miami, FL

Anna McGovern

GM at MediaWorks

Orewa, New Zealand

Brian Lang

Market President/CRO at Townsquare Media

Portland, ME and Portsmouth, NH

Eric Fow

DOS at Summit Media

Louisville, KY

Lori Clark

DOS at TEGNA

Houston, TX

Mark Handwerger

LSM at Meredith Media

Portland, OR

Maryann Balbo

VP at Cox Media

Kansas/Arkansas

Nicki Harkrider

VP Sales at TEGNA

Houston, TX

Steve Dinardo

DOS at Bonneville

San Francisco, CA

Susan Karis

VP Sales at Hubbard Broadcasting

Phoenix, AZ

Taja Graham

VP Sales at Emmis

Indianapolis, IN

Tami Honesty

VP/GM at Radio One

Dallas, TX

Tim Skibbe

GSM at Federated Media

South Bend, IN

Nominate Your Talent Superheroes!

Who's next?

Superfans, it's time to nominate your Talent Superheroes in the form above!

2017 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Congratulations to the following 2017 Talent Superhero Award Winners

Read more about each of the 2017 Talent Superhero Award Winners in the 2018 Talent Magazine!

In alphabetical order:

Allison Delagrange

GSM at WMEE

Fort Wayne, IN

Becky Domyan

DOS at Emmis

St. Louis, MO

Ben Saurer

GSM at WOWO

Fort Wayne, IN

Denise Daniels

GSM at KPTV/KPDX

Portland, OR

Elizabeth Bond

Sales Manager at KHOU-TV

Houston, TX

Kevin Crane

Sales Manager at MediaWorks

New Zealand

Ralph Renzi

GM at Cox Media Group

Miami, FL

Ron de Castro

Market President/CRO at Townsquare Media

Russell Lawson

Station Director/DOS at CMG

Athens, GA

Scott Burton

VP at Cox Media

Louisiana

Sonia Ungerman

GSM Hubbard Broadcasting

Minneapolis, MN

Nominate Your Talent Superheroes!

Who's next?

Superfans, it's time to nominate your Talent Superheroes in the form above!