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2010 Luncheon Information
2010 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Cathy Hughes
Radio One, Inc. Chairperson
Cathy Hughes is the founder and chairperson of Radio One, Inc., the largest African American owned and operated broadcast company in the nation. Radio One is the first African American company in raclio· history to dominate several major markets simultaneously and possesses the first woman-owned radio station to rank #1 in any major market.
Hughes' dedication to minority communities, entrepreneurial spirit, and mentoring of women are manifested in every aspect of her work and life. As such, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Area Broadcasters Association and The Seventh Congressional District Humanitarian Award.
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Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she moved to Washington, D.C. in 1971 and became a lecturer in the newly established School of Communications at Howard University. She entered radio in 1973 as a general sales manager at WHUR, Howard University Radio, increasing station revenue from $250,000 to $3 million in her first year. In 1975, Hughes became the first female vice president and general manager of a station in the nation's capital and created the format known as the "Quiet Storm" -- the most listened to nighttime radio format, heard in over 50 markets nationally. Purchasing her first station in 1980, WOL-AM (D.C.), Cathy Hughes pioneered yet another innovative format -- "24 hour Talk from a Black Perspective:' With the theme, "Information is Power:' WOL is the most listened to talk radio in the nation's capital.
Radio One's newest ventures include TV One, Inc., in partnership with Comcast, Giant Magazine, Reach Media, and Interactive One.
Radio One is now a public company, but the foundation of Radio One is still based on the spirit of a family and strives to reach the heart of the community.
2010 HONOREE
David J. Grain
Founder, President and CEO of Grain Communications Group, Inc.
DA is the Founder, President and CEO of Grain Communications Group, foe. ("GCGI"). GCGl's core business is to acquire, build, own and, operate wireless communications tower sites specifically developed for federal and state government wireless systems throughout the United States. GCGI customers include the United States Coast Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, United States Department of Agriculture as well as several state entities. The GCGI team has collectively over 100 years of experience in the wireless tower industry. GCGI is a certified Small and Minority Business Enterprise as well as a GSA Contract Holder.
Prior to forming GCGI, Mr. Grain served as President of Global Signal Inc. (formerly NYSE listed GSL) from its emergence from bankruptcy through its operational turnaround. Global Signal was one of the largest independent wireless communications tower companies in North America with a leading presence in the Southeastern United States. Under Mr. Grain's leadership, Global Signal grew its portfolio from approximately 2,000 towers to over 11,000 communication sites in all 50 states, Canada and the UK through numerous acquisitions including the $1.202 billion agreement with the Sprint Corporation for the exclusive right to lease and/or operate more than 6,600 wireless communication towers and related assets. In January of 2007 Global Signal was acquired by Crown Castle International (NYSE - CCI) for $5.7 billion.
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Prior to joining Global Signal, Mr. Grain served as Senior Vice President of AT&T Broadband's New England Region, the third-largest cable television cluster in the United States with revenues of over $1.5 billion, serving over 2 million cable television subscribers and employing a workforce of more than 6,000. Prior to leading this operation, Mr. Grain spent more than a decade in the financial services industry, most recently as a Principal at Morgan Stanley in New York where he focused primarily on telecommunications, media and technology companies.
Mr. Grain is an active member of the Business Executives for National Security (BENS), the Young President's Organization (YPO), is a founding director of, and investor in the Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida in Sarasota, Florida, and was a member of the National Finance Committee of Obama for America. In 2005, Mr. Grain was selected by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to participate in the U.S. Joint Civilian Orientation Conference-69 (JCOC-69).
Mr. Grain earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross in 1984 and is a member of the College's Board of Trustees. Mr. Grain also earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College in 1989 and is a member of the MBA Advisory Board. Mr. Grain is married and has two children.
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