WICT Southern California To Honor 4 Execs With 2023 LEA Awards

(From l.): 2023 LEA Award winners Tara Duncan, Wendy McMahon, Kia Painter and Beatrice Springborn
(From l.): 2023 LEA Award winners Tara Duncan, Wendy McMahon, Kia Painter and Beatrice Springborn (Image credit: WICT Network SoCal)

The Southern California chapter of The WICT Network has named four executives as winners of the 28th Annual LEA Awards, which honors top-level women in the content and connectivity industries for the leadership, excellence and advocacy they’ve shown throughout their careers. 

This year’s honorees, to be recognized November 3 at a gala luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, are: Tara Duncan, president, Onyx Collective, The Walt Disney Co.; Wendy McMahon, president, CBS News & Stations; Kia Painter, executive VP, chief people officer, Cox Communications; and Beatrice Springborn, president, UPC and Universal International Studios, NBCUniversal.

The November 3 event marks a return to a live luncheon event for the first time since 2019, prior to the pandemic. 

“Tara, Wendy, Kia and Beatrice are ideal LEA Award recipients, ambassadors really, as they truly exemplify The WICT Network’s mission statement to create bold, self-empowered leaders through advocacy and leadership training,” WICT Network Southern California president Jennifer Miles said. “We are proud to honor these extraordinary trailblazers.

“Beatrice, Wendy, Tara and Kia have proven themselves as crucial leaders, coaches and mentors to our strong community of women in entertainment,” she added. “To award these super women with a LEA is an honor and a privilege.” 

For more information on the LEA Awards, visit socalwict.org

Michael Demenchuk

Mike Demenchuk has served as content manager of Broadcasting+Cable and Multichannel News since 2016. After stints as reporter and editor at Adweek, The Bond Buyer and local papers in New Jersey, he joined the staff of Multichannel News in 1999 as assistant managing editor and has served as the cable trade publication's managing editor since 2005. He edits copy and writes headlines for both the print magazine and website, wrangles the occasional e-newsletter and reviews TV shows from time to time. He's also the guy to bother with your guest blog, Fates & Fortunes and Freeze Frame submissions.