Cox Communications Inc.

Patrick Esser is President of Cox Communications, Inc., a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with more than 6 million residential and commercial customers. Esser brings 30 years of experience in cable and telecommunications to bear on his role as Cox's top executive, a position he's held since 2006. He joined Cox in 1979 as Director of Programming in Hampton Roads, Va., and was part of the original management team that pioneered Cox's advertising sales division now known as Cox Media. Named corporate Vice President of Advertising Sales in 1991, Esser was presented with the Cable television Advertising Bureau President's Award just three years later. Esser became Vice President of Operations for Cox's Western Division in 1999, and a year later was promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations. In 2004, Esser was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Cox has earned numerous accolades during Esser's tenure as President. In 2006, Cox debuted in DiversityInc's listing of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and in three years, the company scaled the list from its initial ranking at number 32 to its' ranking at number 6 in 2008. In 2008, DiversityInc also ranked Cox within the Top 10 Workplaces for African Americans and the Women in Cable Television (WICT) Foundation named Cox the Best Operator for Women in Cable for the sixth straight year. In 2006, Cox was named the top employer in cable by CableWorld, and in 2007 Esser was personally distinguished with recognition as Multichannel News'"first 'Executive of the Year." Customer service excellence remains a Cox hallmark under Esser's leadership. Cox ranks highly in annual J.D. Power and Associates studies of consumer satisfaction. In 2008, for the sixth consecutive year, Cox received highest honors for Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction StudySM; in the West and ranked highest among small/midsize business data providers in their Major Provider Business Telecommunications StudySM. To-date, Cox is the only telecommunications and entertainment company to receive top honors recognition from J.D. Power in studies of video, telephone and high-speed Internet satisfaction. In 2007, Cox also received PC Magazine's Readers' Choice Award for Cox High Speed Internet Service. Esser currently serves as Vice Chair of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, following successful tenure as treasurer and co-chair of The Cable Show, the industry's premier annual event in 2007. He also serves on the board of directors of C-SPAN, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing Educational Foundation, CableLabs, and Cable in the Classroom. Additionally, he serves as an adviser to the Association of Cable Communicators and the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications. Esser also serves as a Southeastern Trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Esser holds a B.A. and M.A. in communications media, and in 2003 was presented the university's Heritage Honors Alumni Achievement Award.

Patrick Younge is president and general manager of Travel Channel Media, an integrated multi-platform travel business wholly owned by Cox Communications. In this capacity, Younge oversees all of the company's assets in the travel space including: the Travel Channel, available in more than 91 million U.S. cable homes; Travel Channel HD™, the network's high-definition simulcast; www.travelchannel.com, the network's broadband travel hub; Travel Channel's video-on-demand (VOD) its mobile content platform, Travel Channel GO™; World Hum (worldhum.com), a leading online travel blog; and FlightDeck™, an innovative content-sharing and advertising network for online publishers and advertisers. As President and General Manager of Travel Channel, Patrick Younge serves as chief editorial executive and is responsible for all programming, production, development and operations for the network. He also manages the overall direction of the networks, interfacing with ad sales, marketing and affiliate sales to further develop their brands and their appeal to advertisers, operators and viewers. Prior to joining Travel Channel, Younge spent four years as head of programs and planning for BBC Sport, where he was directly responsible for scheduling over 1000 hours of sport output annually on BBC1 and BBC2 and delivered a 61 percent growth in average match audiences for his international rugby portfolio (6 Nations) since 2002. In 2004 Younge was joint leader of the pan-BBC Content Supply Review, tasked with recommending "how small BBC In-House production should be given domestic and international trends in technology, rights and the overall broadcasting environment." Previously, Younge spent two years as commissioning editor for multicultural programs at Channel 4, and 5 years at the BBC in a variety of roles including executive producer, news/current affairs, on screen news correspondent, and creator of the acclaimed current affairs program "Black Britain." Younge is a former member of the Council of the Royal Television Society (RTS), and his programs have won 3 prestigious RTS awards. In 2006, Younge was elected fellow of the Royal Television Society for his, "outstanding contribution to the furtherance of the Television Industry." Younge earned his Bachelor of Science degree from University College, Cardiff in Britain, and a graduated from the London Business School's Accelerated Development Program. Younge is based in Travel Channel Media's world headquarters in Maryland.

John Dyer is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Cox Communications Inc. He oversees Accounting and Financial Planning and Analysis, Mergers and Acquisitions and Programming. He is also responsible for the management of Cox's commercial services and advertising sales divisions, Cox Business Services and Cox Media, respectively. Dyer joined Cox Enterprises Inc., the owner of Cox Communications, in 1977 as Internal Auditor. In 1980, he joined Cox's cable division as Financial Analyst. He later served as Manager of Capital Asset Planning and Director of Operations before joining Times Mirror Cable, where he was Regional Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Operations. Dyer returned to Cox as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis when Cox acquired Times Mirror in 1995. In 1998, Dyer became Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, a position in which he executed several strategic acquisitions through which Cox acquired operations serving over 2 million customers. Also, he initiated and closed many system trades that substantially furthered Cox's strategy of concentrating its operations in tightly clustered urban and suburban markets. Most recently, Dyer served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Cox's Western Division, which includes operations in California, Arizona and Las Vegas. A graduate of the State University of West Georgia with a B.B.A. in accounting, Dyer also holds an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. He served on the executive committee of the New England Cable Television Association and its board of directors. Dyer is currently serving on the board of directors for the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).

Leo Brennan is Chief Operations Officer for Cox Communications. Brennan is responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations and ensuring companywide alignment with competitive strategies to enhance marketplace execution and grow the company’s 6.2 million residential and commercial customers. He provides leadership for Cox departments and divisions including: Field Operations, Field Services, Customer Care, Marketing, Public Affairs, Cox Business and Cox Media. Most immediately, Brennan was the senior vice president and general manager of Cox Communications’ Las Vegas system since 2005. In that position, Brennan was responsible for all Las Vegas system operations serving over 430,000 customers. Before assuming leadership of the Las Vegas system, Brennan served as general manager of Cox’s Orange County, CA., system for nearly 15 years where he oversaw the launch of the cable industry’s first triple play bundle of digital video, data and telephony service over a single network platform. Prior to his position at Cox Orange County, Brennan was a Vice President at Times Mirror Cable Television’s Northeast Region located in Cheshire, Conn. where he directed the operations of eight cable television systems serving over 225,000 households. Brennan also served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Coaxial Communications in Columbus, Ohio, a cable system serving over 55,000 customers. Brennan served as President of the Board of Directors of the Nevada State Cable Telecommunications Association and is Past President of the California Cable and Telecommunications Association. He has served in a number of community organizations as a Board Member and is currently on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Southern Nevada, and serves as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Ohio State University and is married to Beverly, his wife of 35 years.

Mae Douglas was appointed Vice President and Chief People Officer for Cox Communications in 2000. She is responsible for all of Cox’s human resources functions, including talent and leadership development, organizational development, workforce planning & recruiting, employee relations, labor relations, diversity, compensation and human resources management systems. Ms. Douglas joined CableRep, Cox’s advertising sales division, in 1995 as Manager of Employee Relations and was promoted to Director of Employee Relations in 1998. She was promoted to Regional Vice President of Ad Sales for CableRep in 1999. Ms. Douglas joined Cox from Ciba-Geigy Corporation in Greensboro, NC, where she was responsible for all human resources functions for the company’s Agricultural Division. Ms. Douglas is a graduate of the University of North Carolina where she earned a B.A. degree in Sociology. She currently serves on the board of directors for the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), was formerly a board member for the Women in Cable and Telecommunications Foundation (WICT) and Cable Positive. In 2002, Douglas was selected as a Woman to Watch by WICT and in 2003, she was selected as a Wonder Woman by WICT and MultiChannel News. She has been listed among the Top 50 minorities and women in cable in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2005 she was presented the first Pioneer award for outstanding leadership and commitment to diversity by NAMIC Atlanta as part of its 25 year celebration. The Kaitz Foundation that same year named her a diversity champion in the industry. In 2005, Black Professional Magazine listed her among their Top 100 Blacks in Corporate America. Under her leadership Cox Communications has received recognition for its people practices from WICT and Working Mother Media as Best Operator For Women in 2003, 2004, and 2005; Training Magazine Top 100 for workforce training and development in 2005; DiversityInc Top 50 companies for Diversity in 2005 and Cable World Top 10 companies in cable in 2006. She is also a member of the Society of Human Resources Management, National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, and the Grady Health System Foundation Board.

As Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mark Bowser oversees accounting and financial planning & analysis, mergers and acquisitions, and programming. He also is responsible for the management of Cox's commercial services and cable advertising divisions, Cox Business and Cox Media, respectively. Over his 30 year career, Bowser has been responsible for a portfolio of diverse strategic areas including finance, operations, sales, and business development for multiple Fortune 500 companies. He has held an extensive number of senior-level financial positions including accounting, financial analysis, and mergers & acquisitions at companies like Sprint. Specifically, his career with Sprint included positions as controller and the top financial officer for the $6.5B business division. Bowser joined Cox in 2006 as Vice President of Cox Business where he was responsible for overseeing the commercial services division of Cox Communications. In this role, he provided leadership to develop and serve a $5 billion market of diverse business customers. Prior to joining Cox, Bowser was Vice President of Dell's Large Corporate Accounts business division where he was responsible for providing computing solutions to Fortune 1000 customers. Bowser began his career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigating white collar crime. He began his telecommunications career at GTE where he held positions of increasing responsibility in finance until he joined Sprint and several of its predecessor companies. In addition to roles in finance, Bowser also served as president of Sprint's $3.5 billion Enterprise Markets division providing integrated telecommunications solutions to Fortune 5000 companies, and as senior vice president of Sprint's business sales. A native of Altoona, Pa., Mark earned a bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting from Pennsylvania State University. He is a board member for the STARTLIGHT Foundation and Ronald McDonald House charities. In addition, Bowser is a member of Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).

Bill Fitzsimmons is Vice President of Accounting and Financial Planning and Chief Accounting Officer for Cox Communications Inc. Fitzsimmons is responsible for overseeing all aspects of accounting and financial planning, including accounts payable, property, financial systems, general ledger, tax, budgeting and forecasting, internal reporting and analysis, program cost accounting, and payroll. Previously, Fitzsimmons served as Vice President of Financial Operations for Cox’s San Diego cable system. Fitzsimmons joined Cox in 1993 as Director of Finance for the company's system in Pensacola, Fla. Prior to joining Cox, Fitzsimmons was with Time Warner Cable in Dublin, Ohio; Reading, Pa.; and Denver, where he served 10 years in executive-level finance and administration roles. A graduate of Merrimack College in Massachusetts, Fitzsimmons holds a B.A in business administration and M.B.A from the University of Colorado. He also completed Harvard University’s Executive Management Program. Fitzsimmons is a member of Financial Executives International and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. He serves on committees for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association. Fitzsimmons is also a mentor for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Claus Kroeger was named Senior Vice President of Operations for Cox Communications, Inc. in 1998. He joined the company in 1976 as a management trainee at a former Cox system in North Adams, Massachusetts. Mr. Kroeger has held various operations positions in the field and has served as Director of Operations and Director of Business Development for Cox in Atlanta. In 1990, he was named Vice President and General Manager of Cox Cable Middle Georgia, where he served until assuming responsibilities as Vice President of Operations for Cox Communications, Inc. in 1994. Mr. Kroeger holds a B.A. from the University of Alabama and a M.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado. Mr. Kroeger has served as Chairman of the Cable Television Association of Georgia, is a member of the Tower Club and the Cable Television Administrative and Marketing Society. He serves as Chairman of the Coalition Opposing Signal Theft Committee of the NCTA, is a member of the Acquisitions Committee of the National Cable Television Center and Museum, and Treasurer of the Southern Cable Television Association.

Dallas Clement is Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development for Cox Communications, Inc. Clement provides overall product leadership including roadmaps, resource prioritization, Atlanta/field alignment and operational accountability for Cox's video, voice, high-speed Internet and wireless products and services. In addition, Clement participates in cross-industry efforts related to technology, policy and services, developing relationships with new partners and making strategic investments to competitively grow Cox and the industry. Previously, Clement served four years as Treasurer for Cox Communications, with responsibility for Cox's investor relations, mergers & acquisitions, capital structure and financial planning & analysis. He joined Cox in 1990 as Policy Analyst and was later promoted to Manager of Investment Planning and Director of Finance. In 1995, he was named Assistant Treasurer for Cox Enterprises Inc., the majority owner of Cox Communications. Prior to joining Cox, Clement served as Financial Analyst for Merrill Lynch. A graduate of Harvard College with an A.B. in applied mathematics and economics, Clement also holds an M.S. in engineering-economic systems from Stanford University. Clement currently serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Simtrol, Inc. In 2004, he received the National Cable Television Association Vanguard Award for Young Leadership. Additionally, he is a graduate of the 2006 class of Leadership Atlanta, a prestigious community leadership program.

Billy Farina is Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales for Cox Communications Inc. He is responsible for all operations, strategic planning and development for Cox Media, the company's advertising sales division. Prior to his current position, Farina served as Regional Vice President for CableRep Advertising, now known as Cox Media, overseeing Cox's ad sales operations in various markets. Previously, he was Director of Advertising Sales for CableRep in Atlanta. Farina joined Cox in 1984 as Account Executive in Rhode Island and was later promoted to General Manager in New England. In 1993, he oversaw ad sales in Cox's U.K. operation. A graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.A. in radio and television communications and a B.S. in political science, Farina also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. He is on the boards of directors for numerous organizations and businesses including the Cable Advertising Bureau, National Cable Communications and Cable Positive.

Jim Hatcher is Senior Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Cox Communications Inc. He is responsible for Cox's legal and regulatory affairs, including government relations and the company's compliance initiatives. Hatcher joined Cox Cable Communications in 1979 as Corporate Legal Counsel. He served as Secretary and General Counsel for Cox Communications' parent company, Cox Enterprises Inc., from 1987 until 1993 when he was named Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Cox Communications. Prior to joining Cox, Hatcher was in private law practice in Macon, Ga. A graduate of Furman University, Hatcher also holds a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is a member of the Georgia and South Carolina bar associations. Hatcher is also past Chairman of the Corporate Counsel Section of the State Bar of Georgia and is currently on its executive committee. Additionally, he served as Director for the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, Chairman of the Corporate Counsel Section of the Atlanta Bar Association, and board member for the State Bar Association of Georgia Diversity Committee. He also served as Director of the Fulton County Heart Association and Director of the Atlanta Speech School. In 2005, the Cox Communications legal department was honored as an "Employer of Choice" by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Also in 2005, Hatcher received the Diversity Champion Award from the Walter Kaitz Foundation.

Jill Campbell is Senior Vice President of Eastern Division Operations for Cox Communications Inc. She is responsible for overseeing the operations of Cox's Central Division cable systems serving approximately 2.1 million customers. Campbell joined Cox in 1982 as Director of Communications in Oklahoma City, where she also served as Customer Service Manager and acting General Manager. She later served in several roles for Cox operations including Vice President and General Manager for Cox's Bakersfield, Calif., and Santa Barbara, Calif., operations; Vice President of Customer Operations for Cox in Phoenix; and Vice President and General Manager for Cox's Las Vegas operation. In 2001, she was promoted to Vice President for Cox's Central Division. A graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Campbell also earned an M.B.A. from Oklahoma City University. She has served as a board member for a number of nonprofit organizations including United Way, Boys & Girls Club of America and the YMCA. She also served on the boards of the California, Arizona and Nevada cable television associations. Campbell was honored in 2000 by the Las Vegas Business Journal as one of the most influential women in Southern Nevada. She was also named as one of Multichannel News' Wonder Women of 2002. In 2004, Campbell was the recipient of the Atlanta WICT Woman of the Year Award and became the Chairperson of the WICT Foundation Board, in 2006.

Joe Rooney, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Cox Communications has 25 years of experience in the cable industry, including 20 years with Cox. He has overseen Cox’s national marketing, sales, branding, marketing sciences and research since 1999. Joe joined the Atlanta headquarters from Cox Orange County, California, where he helped create a bundling strategy in the system which was recognized as being the first in the nation to offer the triple-play of digital video, telephone and high speed Internet. Joe’s catch-phrase “It’s the Bundle, Baby” was born out of his experiences driving bundle penetration in the OC. Joe has been in the right place at the right time. He was the 2004 NCTA “Vanguard Award” winner for Marketing. He says his “other job” is supporting CTAM, and he has held numerous leadership positions with CTAM over the years, ranging from President of the Great Lakes Region in 1992 to his current role as Vice Chairman on the CTAM National Board of Directors. Additionally, Joe is co-chair of SkiTAM, the cable industry’s fund-raising arm for the US Disabled Ski Team. Joe is an Iowa Hawkeye. Joe and his wife Lori have 4 children (two in college!) and reside in Alpharetta, GA.

Andy Albert is Vice President of Programming for Cox Communications Inc. In this role, he is responsible for negotiating program carriage agreements with content producers such as ESPN, Disney, CNN, NBC, Univision, and HBO. He is actively involved in the company’s deployment of video on demand and high definition services, as well as the company’s multicultural programming strategy. He joined Cox Communications in 1995 as Director of Programming and was promoted to Executive Director of Programming in 2002. In 2003, Albert was promoted to Vice President. Prior to joining Cox, Mr. Albert served as Director of Programming and Director of Budgets and Financial Analysis for TeleCable Corporation in Norfolk, Va. Albert joined the General Electric Company in its Financial Management Program and served as a Sales and Marketing Analyst. Albert holds a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and telecommunications management, magna cum laude, from Syracuse University and an M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary. He was a founding member of the Atlanta Chapter of Cable Positive and was co-chairperson of its sponsorship committee for two years. He was a participant in CTAMU at Harvard University. He was the member of teams which received the Cox’s Vision Award for Leadership and for Diversity in 2004 as well as 1st place for Excellence in Multicultural Marketing from CTAM/NAMIC for the launch of Paquete Latino in 2005.

With 20 years of experience with Cox Communications, Belinda Turner Patterson is Vice President of People Services. Ms. Patterson serves as the key contact and liaison for Cox systems' human resources staffs on equal employment opportunities, compliance, employee and labor relations and benefits administration. She also has responsibility for overseeing human resources self service operations and policy developments to enhance experiences and opportunities for Cox employees. Patterson joined Cox as a Field Training Manager in 1986. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of People Services. A graduate of Tennessee State University, Patterson holds a bachelor's degree in political science. She is a member of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, CTHRA, Women in Cable and Telecommunications, the American Society for Training and Development and served for several years on the Board of Directors for the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association. Patterson recently graduated from the NAMIC Executive Development Leadership Program, Anderson School of Business at UCLA.

David Pugliese is Vice President - Marketing for Cox Communications Inc. In this role, he oversees Cox's initiatives in the areas of product marketing of Cox video products, Cox Digital Telephone service, bundling, competitive strategy, customer retention, and retail sales strategy. David joined Cox in 1996 as Executive Director of Voice and Data Marketing and was instrumental in launching and growing these new businesses for Cox. Prior to joining Cox, he developed telecommunications industry marketing, product management, and general management expertise through various positions with AT&T, Frontier Cellular and Global Crossing. David earned an M.B.A from the Rochester Institute of Technology and holds a B.S. in Marketing Management from Clarkson University. In addition, he has participated in executive education programs through the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University. David is an active member of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and is currently serving as chairman of its Telephony Committee. In his free time David enjoys golf, boating, motorcycling, and home renovation. He is also an active supporter of youth lacrosse.

Erin Hand is the Vice President of Talent and Development at Cox Communications. In her current role, Ms. Hand oversees the activities related to organizational and leadership development for the company, including executive and management development and the national curriculum design and e-learning solutions for Cox University. Hand joined Cox in 1990 as Manager of Field Human Resources. The focus of her career at Cox has been leadership and organizational development with positions as Director of Business Consulting, Director of Executive Development, National Director of Learning and Talent Development, and most recently Vice President of Talent and Development. Prior to joining Cox, Erin served as a Management Consultant for Jackson and Associates. Hand graduated from Creighton University with a B.S. in Psychology. She also holds a M.S. Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Georgia. Currently Ms. Hand serves on the board for the Atlanta chapter of Women in Cable & Telecommunications and is also an active member of the Cable Television Human Resources Association and the Telecommunications Executive/Management Development Network. In 1996, she received the Vision Award for Commitment to Employees, and in 2000 she earned the Vision Award for Commitment to Leadership.

As Vice President, Video Engineering, for Cox Communications, James Kelso oversees the architecture, selection, integration, testing and engineering design of current and future video network elements and associated technologies. He works closely with vendors to facilitate Cox-specific needs for core video and interactive services, and establishes strategies for system-level design of networks, infrastructures, and technology roadmaps. Kelso originally joined Cox in 1987 as a Video Production Manager in Gainesville, Florida, and he joined the corporate engineering team as Director of Engineering for Cox Media in 1991. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Marketing & Communications for SeaChange, where he led product development and marketing efforts behind SeaChange’s video-on-demand and cable advertising systems. Kelso’s articles, white papers and commentaries on emergent digital video, advertising and on-demand technologies have been published in domestic and international television trade journals. He is a member of the Society of Cable Television Engineers and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, and he frequently addresses television, advertising and consumer technology conferences. A graduate of the University of Florida, Kelso holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Telecommunications Management with a specialization in business.

As Senior Vice President of Technology for Cox Communications, Jay Rolls provides strategic direction for enterprise-wide engineering design, development and future technologies across all Cox product lines. Rolls joined Cox in 1995 as Director of Multimedia Technology. He was promoted to Vice President of Data Engineering in 2001 and Vice President of Telephone & Data Engineering in 2003. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Technology where he oversaw technology engineering for all voice, video and Internet products. Prior to joining Cox, he served as Vice President of Network Engineering at Excite@Home. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Rolls holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. He earned a master's degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

As Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Cox Communications, Jennifer Hightower oversees all telephone regulatory functions including compliance with rules and regulations, and relationships with other telecommunications providers. She also assists with policy making and strategic initiatives related to Cox’s telecommunications business. Hightower joined Cox in 1997 as Legal Counsel, and prior to her current role, she oversaw all transactional and operational legal support. Previously, she served as Assistant General Counsel for regulatory affairs. Prior to joining Cox, she served in various legal positions at BellSouth Corporation, RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. and Drew, Eckl & Farnham. In 2005, Hightower was honored as one of the Rising SuperStar Attorneys in Georgia and in 2007 was named SuperStar Attorney by the Georgia Corporate Counsel magazine She served as Chair of the Georgia Federal Bar Association from 2003 to 2005. Additionally, an active member of the Women in Cable Telecommunications, she served as Membership Chair of the Atlanta chapter from 2004 through 2006 and is fellows in the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. She also has served on the boards of Callanwolde School of Fine Arts; Piedmont Park Board of Young Members; and Junior League of Atlanta. Hightower is admitted to practice in Kentucky and Georgia, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, and her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

John Spalding is Vice President of Government Affairs for Cox Communications Inc. He oversees Cox Communications' government relations and public policy efforts at the federal, state and local levels. Prior to assuming his current role in 2006, Mr. Spalding served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for seven years and as Senior Counsel for three years. He joined Cox Communications in 1994 as Attorney, following two years as Attorney for Cox Enterprises, Inc., Cox Communications' parent company. Previously, he was a Partner with Swift, Currie, McGhee and Hiers, an Atlanta-based private law firm. Spalding currently serves as Chairman of The Arch Foundation for the University of Georgia, the University's official fundraising arm. In 2006, Spalding received the Jere M. Morehead Award from UGA for distinguished service and support of the University's Honors Program. He has also served as a trustee of the Atlanta History Center and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Spalding holds bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Georgia, where he was a Magna Cum Laude Honors graduate and elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Kathy Payne is Vice President of Programming for Cox Communications Inc. In this position, Payne is responsible for programming contract negotiations and compliance for hundreds of cable networks distributed to Cox’s 6.2 million customers. Among the notable major cable network groups under Payne’s purview are Fox, MTV, Comcast, Scripps, Rainbow, A&E, Lifetime, and she also holds responsibilities for most of Cox’s regional and other sports channel negotiations. She is also actively involved with the deployment of the company’s video-on-demand, high-definition and mobile television services. Payne joined Cox in 1993 as Attorney. She was later promoted to Senior Counsel and Assistant General Counsel before joining the Cox programming department in 2001 as Director of Programming and later, Executive Director of Programming. Prior to joining Cox, she served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for USTravel Systems Inc. and as Attorney with Dow, Lohnes. A graduate of Duke University, Payne holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy studies, magna cum laude, and a J.D., with honors, from the Duke University School of Law. Payne is an executive member of Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) since 1994 and a member of Class X of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, the premier executive leadership program of WICT. She was co-chair and then chair of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute from 2004-2006 and currently serves on the executive committee of WICT’s national board of directors as the Development Chair. In 2007 and 2008, Kathy was recognized by CableWorld as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Cable.” Kathy was selected to receive WICT Atlanta’s 2007 Horizon Award as the Woman to Watch in Atlanta and Multichannel News’ 2007 award for Women to Watch throughout the cable industry. Additionally, she was a member of the National Cable Television Association’s music licensing committee for over ten years. Payne is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association and was a founding board member of the Atlanta Chapter of Cable Positive. She is married to David Payne, CEO of Shorttail Media, Inc., and they have two daughters, Kendall (14) and Halle (12).

Kaish provides leadership for the future development, deployment and support of Cox Digital Telephone initiatives. In his role, he works with engineering, marketing and operations to oversee the company’s overall voice strategy and the integration of voice product features across all Cox products. Prior to joining Cox, Kaish served as Vice President of Next Generation Solutions for BellSouth Corp. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President of Hosting Services and Sales Support for Savvis Communications. Kaish holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Public Policy Studies from Duke University and an MBA from the University of Virginia. Before entering the communications industry, Kaish served four years as a Supply Officer in the U.S. Navy.

Mark Williams is Vice President of Technical Operations for Cox Communications Inc. In this position he is responsible for strategy and execution of the company’s safety program, technical facilities construction and engineering, disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and loss prevention efforts. He also will oversee Cox’s FCC compliance program. Williams joined Cox in San Diego in 1977. He has served twice on the corporate engineering team in Atlanta and has held technical management positions in Cox’s San Diego, Gainesville, Myrtle Beach and Middle Georgia systems. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Field Operations. Williams is a board member of the Society of Cable and Telecommunications Engineers and a past board member of the Georgia Cable Television Association. He received the SCTE Chairman’s Award in June of 2006 for his work on the SCTE Scholarship Subcommittee.

Mimi Thigpen is Senior Vice President of Strategy for Cox Communications, Inc. She is responsible for developing strategies across all of Cox's products and services that fuel the company's growth, competitive position and success in the telecommunications industry. Thigpen also develops market strategies based on emerging technologies and investment opportunities, is a key contributor to Cox's wireless efforts, and serves as the company's chief consultant on companywide initiatives and strategic planning and development processes. Prior to joining Cox, Thigpen served as a Managing Director of BearingPoint, Inc. and a Partner for Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, where she provided business advisory services in the communications and media industries. She began her career with the Hewlett-Packard Company, where she led multiple global sales and marketing teams. A graduate of Clemson University, Thigpen holds a B.S. in Mathematical and Computer Sciences. Thigpen is on the board of directors of Connecting With Kids, Inc. and is an active member of the Atlanta community, volunteering her time to causes such as Childspring International, Atlanta Urban Ministries, and Hands on Atlanta.

Necole Merritt serves as Vice President of Public Affairs for Cox Communications Inc. She is responsible for national public affairs strategies and programs to enhance the company’s reputation. She oversees Cox’s media relations, product communications, community relations and employee communications activities. She also works closely with local Cox operations on issues of national interest and serves as communications counsel to Cox management. Prior to joining Cox, Merritt served as Executive Director of Corporate Communications for AT&T. Previously, from 1999 – 2006, she held multiple senior level corporate communications positions for the former BellSouth Corporation in media relations, reputation management, internal, executive, public policy and marketing communications. Merritt began her career over 19 years ago as a member of the media launch team for Saturn Corporation. Merritt earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a master’s degree in Communications from California State University Northridge. An active member of the Atlanta community, Merritt is an adjunct communications instructor at Georgia Perimeter College; serves as a big sister with Cool Girls Inc.; a member of the marketing committee for Imagine It!, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta; a member of the nominating committee for the Northwest Georgia Girl Scouts Council; and an officer in Northwestern University’s Atlanta Alumni Club.

Phil Meeks brings twenty-eight years of diverse telecommunications experience to his leadership role at Cox Communications. As vice president of Cox Business, Meeks oversees the strategic direction of the fastest growing business unit of Cox Communications, including all marketing, operations, sales, product development and partnership initiatives. Prior to joining Cox, Meeks founded and managed Channel Solutions Inc., a company focused on enhancing the supply chain between technology vendors and value added resellers. A 20-year MCI veteran, Meeks was tapped for his most recent role by then CEO Michael Capellas to resurrect the company’s strategic alliance activities. As senior vice president of strategic ventures and alliances, Meeks grew MCI’s alliance revenue from $0 to $209 million in two years. Those new alliances included the CableNet initiative to sell consumer IP-based telephony services through multiple cable providers nationwide as well as technology partnerships with Cisco Systems, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. Meeks began his career in telecommunications at AT&T Information Systems and Southern Bell, where he served in several marketing and sales management positions. Meeks holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and journalism from the University of Georgia and has completed executive study programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Virginia.

Dick Mueller is Vice President of Network Operations for Cox Communications Inc. In this role, he manages all Network Operations at Cox Communications including network design, surveillance and operations. He is also responsible for traffic management, the management and operations of Cox’s national network operations and technical service centers, capacity planning, number administration, and switch administration. Mr. Mueller joined Cox Communications in September 1979 as Plant Operations Manager, Santa Barbara, Calif. before becoming a Staff Engineer of Advanced Systems Development at Cox’s Atlanta Headquarters. Other positions Mueller has held include Assistant Engineer of Development Division, Director of Engineering of Central Division, Director of Engineering and Operations, Vice President of Network Planning, Engineering and Operations. Prior to Cox Communications, Mueller worked for Dickinson Communications in Huntington Beach, Calif. as the Director of Engineering. Muller is active in the industry as a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), and Cable TV Pioneers. Mueller is also currently developing college level curriculum for Bachelors and Masters degree programs in Cable Telecommunications with Rochester Institute of Technology.

Robin Sangston is Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Cox Communications, Inc. She joined Cox Communications in 1995 as its fourth attorney. She was promoted to Senior Counsel in 1998. In 2000, she was promoted to Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. Currently, she oversees all of the operations of the Legal Department. Prior to joining Cox Communications, Ms. Sangston was an associate with the law firm of Dow, Lohnes & Albertson in the Washington, D.C. office. There, she specialized in litigation involving media companies. Sangston received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania where she was a member of the Mortar Board Honor Society. She received her J.D., with high honors, from George Washington University's National Law Center. She was selected to be a member of the George Washington Law Review and Order of the Coif. In 2004, Sangston served as the national Chair of Women in Cable & Telecommunications, Inc. ("WICT"), a 5,500 member non-profit organization whose mission is to develop women leaders in the cable television industry. Prior to serving as Chair, she held numerous other leadership positions in the organization, including President of the Atlanta Chapter in 1999. In addition, Sangston is an alumna of Class 8 of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, WICT's flagship executive development program. In addition to her work with WICT, Sangston supports a number of other organizations and initiatives dedicated to supporting women and minorities, including previously serving on the board of the Atlanta Chapter of Cable Positive, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising AIDS awareness and funding AIDS education, research and care. She actively participates as a mentor in the Cox Mentoring Program; the Women's Mentor Program of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, and the WICT mentoring program run by the Atlanta Chapter of WICT. In 2004, Sangston was the first recipient of the "Horizon Award for Woman to Watch" awarded by the Atlanta Chapter of WICT at its inaugural Red Letter Awards. In 2005, Sangston was ranked number 22 in CableWorld Magazine's Top 50 Most Influential Women in Cable issue. Sangston currently lives in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband and three children. She is active in a variety of community activities, including the local Boy Scout Troop, the Local School Advisory Committee and the Gwinnett County Swim League.

Scott Wise joined Cox as Vice President of Customer Care in July 2007. He is responsible for leading Cox's customer care organization which consists of 25 call centers and 3,500 employees. At the helm of the cable industry's leading customer care organization, Wise is responsible for maintaining and bolstering Cox's reputation for excellence in customer care. Wise provides vision and strategy for the company's traditional customer service infrastructure as well as its emerging customer self-service tools. Wise has over 20 years of customer service experience in the telecommunications, wireless and internet industries. Prior to joining Cox, Wise served as Vice President of Resource Planning for EarthLink where he oversaw the global operational functions of the customer service operation. In addition to the US organization, he managed operational functions based in the Central America, Asia and Africa. Previously, he served as Senior Director of Call Center Operations for Sprint PCS. Wise holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri and a master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. Wise can be reached by email at scott.wise@cox.com

As the Vice President of Sales and Distribution for Cox Communications, Sheila Crosby develops, implements and leads all residential sales strategies. She oversees inbound call center sales, retail sales partnerships, outbound telemarketing, in-house and contract sales teams, e-commerce and Cox-sponsored events. She also creates and supports sales tools, processes and metrics in order to drive increased sales performance. Crosby joined Cox in 2001 as Vice President of Sales for the company’s Arizona operation, where she was responsible for overseeing all sales channels for the state of Arizona and achieved record growth. Prior to joining Cox, she served as a Regional Vice President of Sales for WorldCom Wireless. In 2004, she was recognized in Multichannel News in July of 2004 as one of “Cable’s Next Generation Executives under 40.” A member of numerous industry organizations, she also has served on the board of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. A graduate of Arizona State University, Crosby holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, and she is pursuing an MBA at the Thunderbird International School of Management. Crosby is an alumna member of Alpha Phi National Sorority.

Stephen Bye joined Cox as Vice President of wireless services in September 2006, responsible for the development, management and support of wireless products and services. Stephen has 15 years of experience in telecom and prior to joining Cox he has worked for AT&T, inCode Wireless and BellSouth in the US, and also worked with operations of BellSouth International in Israel, Germany, Denmark, Peru, Venezuela and Argentina. Prior to joining BellSouth International in 1997, Stephen had previously worked for Optus Communications and Telstra in Australia. Stephen is a Chartered Engineer, a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK). He graduated from the University of Tasmania in Australia in 1990 with a BE and honors in electrical engineering and has a BSc with honors in banking and finance from the London School of Economics in the UK.

Steve Gorman is Vice President of Online Strategy and Interactive Media for Cox Communications Inc. Steve brings over 15 years of experience in all facets of Product Management including Strategic Marketing, Brand Management and all phases of Product Development and Research to his various responsibilities at Cox. His diverse background in both consumer durable goods and telecommunications has served him well since joining Cox in 1999 as Product Manager for Residential Internet. In 2002, he was promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Management for Cox High Speed Internet and Web Strategy where he was accountable for driving marketing strategy, pricing and packaging and has overall responsibility for customer acquisitions. Since joining Cox, Steve has propelled the growth of Cox High Speed Internet to over 3.5 million subscribers nationwide and the #2 share position in Broadband amongst MSOs in North America. Steve started his career in consumer durable goods at the Regina Corporation where he had P&L responsibility for the stick line of floor care products. Following Regina, Steve joined Dennis Hayes, the inventor of the analog modem, in Norcross, Ga. as Senior Product Line Manager for Hayes’ PC Modem Business Unit. Under his leadership, Hayes introduced the PC Card with “XJack” technology propelling Hayes’ mobile PC Card business unit into one of the most profitable in their history. In addition, Steve was instrumental in launching over twenty new products and line extensions at Hayes. In 1996, he moved on to BellSouth where he served as Product Manager for BellSouth Small Business Services. Steve was part of the team that launched the first DSL-ready products to both residential and business customers. In 1997, his team drove the introduction of a bundle of voice, video and document conferencing applications targeted at small business. It was at BellSouth where Steve also was part of the team marketing voice services to small businesses including BellSouth’s entry into long distance. In 1997, Steve joined the Cable Industry at MediaOne as Director of Business Development. MediaOne was later purchased by AT&T. Gorman graduated from Rider University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and serves on the advisory board of Agile Co, a fixed, mobile convergence company based in Alpharetta, Ga. He is a member of National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications and Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, for which he is a graduate of CTAM U, a weeklong summer learning program in conjunction with Harvard Business School. Gorman is also a supporter of SkiTAM, an annual fundraising program that benefits the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.

Steve Necessary is Vice President of Video Product Development and Support for Cox Communications Inc. Steve leads Cox's overall video product strategy and oversees the conception, development and deployment of new video products and enhancements to fuel Cox's growth in the video market. Prior to joining Cox in January, 2005, Steve served as President of the Video on Demand Division of Concurrent Computer Corporation. Previously, he spent over 20 years with Scientific Atlanta and held several senior management positions in marketing and general management before becoming CEO of the company's PowerTV software subsidiary. Steve received a bachelor's degree in Engineering Economic Systems with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology and earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is a member of CTAM, the SCTE and is a member and on the board of directors for Christians in Cable. Steve is married to the former Debbie Ragla and has three daughters, Kristi, Courtney and Abbie. He is an emeritus member of the board of the Atlanta Ballet and is active in Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church.

Susan Coker is Vice President and Treasurer for Cox Communications Inc. Coker joined Cox in 1995 as Director of Financial Planning for Broadband Services. She was later promoted to Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and Assistant Treasurer in 1999. Most recently, she served as the company's Treasurer. Coker was promoted to Vice President in 2003. Coker holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Duke University.

Tom Guthrie is Vice President of Operations for Cox Communications Inc. In this position, he manages 200 information technology professionals and is responsible for training, deployment, operations and support of computer systems, services, networks, and applications. Guthrie joined Cox in 2002 as Vice President of Information Technology Operations. He has been involved in systems engineering and information technology management for more than 20 years. Guthrie has a broad base of education and experience in engineering and information technology with degrees from the United States Military at West Point and the University of Virginia.

Tony Maldonado is Vice President of Acquisition Marketing and Sciences for Cox Communications corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia. His areas of responsibility include the creation of measurable, targeted marketing campaigns to drive profitable customer growth and the development of scaleable marketing solutions for Cox’s field operations. Mr. Maldonado oversees database marketing, marketing segmentation (including multi-cultural marketing), creative services, sales operations and commercial marketing strategy. Prior to his Atlanta role, Mr. Maldonado was the Vice President of Marketing for the Arizona region, Cox’s largest operation. Before working at Cox, Mr. Maldonado was Director of Marketing for Time Warner Communications third largest system located in Houston, Texas. Tony and his wife Cheryl have two dogs, a 70 pound boxer, “Bam-Bam” and a 4 pound Yorkie, “Pebbles.”

Veenod Kurup is Vice President of Data Product Services for Cox Communications Inc. Kurup oversees the development of an integrated service provisioning and management system as well as network management of email and news services for Cox’s 3.5 million high-speed Internet accounts. He also is responsible for the development and implementation of future product functionality and the tools, interfaces and business processes necessary to support the growth and enhancement of Cox’s high-speed Internet service. Kurup joined Cox in 1997 as a Project Manager. Previously, he served as a Software Engineer for Arrowsmith Technologies Inc. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Kurup holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

William Stemper serves as President of Comcast Business Services for Comcast Cable. In this role he oversees Comcast’s expanding business services strategy that promotes the deployment of new and existing communications products and services to the commercial marketplace. Stemper has over 25 years of leadership experience and an outstanding record of successfully delivering high-value solutions for business customers. He previously served as Vice President of Cox Business Services for Cox Communications in Atlanta, where he more than doubled the size of their business market in less than three years. Stemper also held key executive positions for AT&T Corporation that focused on serving needs of business customers in the United States and Europe. Mr. Stemper holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University. He and his family reside in the Philadelphia area.

What do you get when you cross a marketing director, advertising executive and seasoned market researcher? Dave Maddox, a talented and creative project director and senior analyst with 25 years of experience. Dave sees marketing initiatives from the client's perspective, and will confidently advise you in the application of research and the translation of data into realistic marketing strategies. Clients find his 'common sense' approach and 'to the point' reporting refreshing. While Dave has a diverse client base across many industries, he is known for his expertise in the home building, restaurant and retail sectors. He enjoys focusing on consumer research and leveraging his advertising background to dive into brand research. Dave is creative and innovative in his approach to getting 'answers' for his clients. Before joining WestGroup in 2002, Dave had most recently held positions with home builder T.W. Lewis, advertising agency E.B. Lane, and Circle K Corporation. Dave was also an independent consultant for a number of years. In addition to his work with clients, Dave also serves as WestGroup's in-house marketing director. Dave holds a BA in Communications from Arizona State University and has enjoyed returning to the university setting, occasionally teaching classes at ASU West. Dave has also presented at local and national research conferences, and you may have seen him on local news, dissecting each year's crop of Super Bowl commercials. Prior to entering the marketing field, Dave worked as an air traffic controller and as a PGA Golf Professional. When not working with research clients, he designs, builds and sells custom wood furniture out of his home workshop. Maddox says his nearest brush with fame came in 1993 when he played 18 holes of golf with Michael Jordan.

Scott A. Hatfield is Senior Vice President of Technology for Cox Communications, Inc. As such, he is responsible for Cox’s integrated technology organization which includes information technology and engineering. Hatfield is charged with the development, operation, and continuous improvement of a singular and seamless technology platform to empower Cox’s service delivery organization. This includes all aspects of architecture, design, development, and deployment across all products: video, data, wireline voice, and wireless. Previously, Hatfield served Cox as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer where his responsibilities were focused on information technology. He has served as Cox’s Chief Information Officer since January of 1996. Mr. Hatfield’s previous employment includes a role as Vice President of Information Management for Ohmeda Inc., a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, where he was responsible for the design and deployment of a new core business system across the company’s four international divisions. Previously, he served with Xerox Corporation in a variety of advanced internal applications development roles. Mr. Hatfield also worked with General Dynamics and the Ford Motor Company, where he created strategies and procedures for expert system utilization, as well as building and deploying advanced technologies. A magna cum laude graduate of Western Michigan University with a B.S. in computer science, Mr. Hatfield also holds a M.S. in computer information and science from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI.