Hampton University News March 18, 2014 HU Celebrates Women in Communications with its 'Head over Heels' Luncheon The 36th Annual Conference on the Black Family at Hampton University will culminate with a celebration of African-American women in communications. The "Head over Heels" luncheon will take place on Friday, March 21, from Noon until 2 p.m., inside the student center ballroom on campus. The luncheon, which will be hosted by national television personality and Hampton University professor, April Woodard, will pay tribute to women who have achieved extraordinary success in communications, while exemplifying the beauty of womanhood and maintaining the virtues of strong family values. The 2014 "Head over Heels" honorees are: Debbie Pollock-Berry, senior vice president, Human Resources, XO Communications; Bonita Billingsley Harris, manager of media and community relations, Dominion Virginia Power; Barbara Ciara, anchor, News Channel 3; Lynne Harris-Taylor, vice president, Specials & Music Production, BET Networks; and Tina Lewis, president, The HRL Group. The luncheon is made possible through generous support from Dominion Virginia Power, BET Networks, XO Communications, Campus 2 You, and Time Inc. General admission tickets are $35 and can be purchased online by clicking here<http://events.hamptonu.edu/cbf/> or calling (757) 727-5405. About the Honorees: Debbie Pollack-Berry is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for XO Communications. She oversees recruitment, human resources management and internal communications for her company. Prior to joining XO, she served as Chief People Officer for the North American Energy Alliance (NAEA). She is on the executive advisory council for the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) and the governing body chair for the Washington, D.C. HR Leadership Summit. She also is on the Board of Directors for LEADVA. Bonita Billingsley Harris began her career in media as a television news reporter and anchor and has been honored with various local, regional and national awards. Currently, she is the Manager of Media and Community Relations for Dominion Virginia and North Carolina Power, an elected member of the Chesapeake School Board, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Barbara Ciara has worked at NBC and ABC affiliates in the Hampton Roads area. She served as managing editor of L-N-C, a groundbreaking partnership between commercial television, cable, and the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, and as managing editor of the partnership between WVEC-TV and WHRO public television, where she produced and hosted "This Week In Hampton Roads." She has been honored with numerous awards and is the former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and an alumna of Hampton University. Lynn Harris-Taylor is responsible for many of the awards shows and specials that air on BET. As Vice President of Specials and Music Production for the network, she has been at the helm of productions such as the "BET Awards," "BET Honors," "Rip the Runway," "BET Hip Hop Awards" and "106 & Park." She is an alumna of Hampton University. Tina Lewis is president of HRL Group LLC, owner and operator of 10 McDonald's franchises in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her jewelry design company, "Designs by Tina," is an approved vendor for the MGM Mirage and Beau Rivage casinos. She is a three-time, 14-year breast cancer survivor, and she serves as a global ambassador and on the board of directors for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. In 2012 she and her husband invested in LPM Media LLC, which produces the number one show on the Oxygen network "Preachers of L.A." About the Conference: Since 1978, when HU President Dr. William R. Harvey recognized a need for consistent and formal dialogue concerning the African American community, the HU Conference on the Black Family has provided an annual forum for people to come together to discuss important issues concerning the Black Family. This year, national leaders from media, entertainment, politics and education will convene on Hampton University's campus for the annual conference, March 19 to March 21. The three-day conference, titled "Essentially Black: Media and the Modern American Family," and coordinated by HU Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications, will explore how the modern American family is being impacted by the convergence of race and ethnicity, nontraditional relationships, and media-coverage across multiple platforms. Topics explored will also include crime and gun violence, and health & wellness. Full registration for the conference, which includes the "Head over Heels" luncheon and a WHOV evening of live entertainment, is $95. To register, click here<http://events.hamptonu.edu/cbf/> or call (757) 727-5405. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!