CTHRA Taps SNI's Chris Powell As President

The Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association's 2013 leadership includes new officers and two new board members.  Christopher R. Powell (pictured above), executive vice president of human resources for Scripps Networks Interactive, has been elected to the role of president. Powell has served on CTHRA’s board since January 2010, and he received CTHRA’s Excellence in HR Award in 2012 for his transformative leadership during SNI’s spinoff from E.W. Scripps and subsequent growth on its route to become a $2 billion business.

“Chris Powell brings a wealth of HR experience to the role of president. He recognizes the importance of aligning HR initiatives to support a company’s business, and that will translate into his vision for CTHRA,” Pamela Williams, CAE, CTHRA’s executive director, said in a release.

CTHRA’s executive committee is comprised of Powell and these newly elected officers who will serve two-year terms: Vice President/President-Elect Sheryl Anderson, executive vice president of HR and administration for Starz Entertainment; Secretary Abby Pfeiffer, senior vice president (SVP) of HR for Charter Communications, and Treasurer Janice Turner, SVP of HR for WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone. In addition, Bill Strahan, executive vice president of HR for Comcast Cable, was appointed as at-large-member of the executive committee. 

CTHRA also has several new board members: Seth Feit, regional vice president of HR for Time Warner Cable–East Region; Scott Murphy, SVP of HR for Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc.; Rhonda Taylor, executive vice president and chief people officer for Cox Communications; and Tom Tooker, vice president of HR for A+E Networks. The four join CTHRA’s 2013 board members: Pamela Hagan, corporate vice president of HR for Bright House Networks; Eric Hawkins, SVP of HR for Discovery Communications; Catherine Houser, executive vice president of HR for Viacom Media Networks; Lisa Kaye, president and CEO of greenlightjobs; Joanne O’Brien, SVP of HR for NBCUniversal News Group; and Paul Richardson SVP of HR for ESPN Inc. and chief diversity officer for The Walt Disney Company.  

CTHRA’s board of directors will hold its first-quarter board meeting on February 22 in Miami, Fla.