THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION INTRODUCES NEW CLASS OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Now in Its Fourth Year, the Leadership Program Supports 14 Women Across the Country Music Industry
The Country Music Association, the leading trade association supporting the Country Music industry, proudly announces the newest class of participants for its Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA)—a cornerstone of CMA’s year-round commitment to fostering leadership and community across the business.
Now entering its fourth year, the program is more than a professional development initiative, it is an active, evolving network of women shaping the future of the music business. The experience began with an opening reception yesterday, August 3 at Gold Pacific Studios. The first official session kicks off today, August 4, with CMA Board Chairman Jennie Smythe delivering opening remarks. The 12-week, cohort-based program will guide 14 high-performing, high-potential women through a dynamic journey of weekly group coaching, peer connection, and hands-on leadership training. In addition to learning alongside executive coaches and industry mentors, participants gain access to a growing network of program alumni who continue to support one another long after the program ends.
“The Women’s Leadership Academy has grown into a powerful reflection of the women who make this industry stronger every day,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Senior Vice President, Industry Relations & Philanthropy. “It’s not just about 12 weeks of programming; it’s about lifelong impact. I’m incredibly proud of the energy and intention behind this program and can’t wait to see how this new class builds on the momentum of the women who came before them. Together, they’re shaping the future of our business.”
The new class of CMA’s Women’s Leadership Academy includes:
Jackie Augustus (Lead, Country & Folk, Artist Partnerships, Spotify)
Shaina Botwin (Vice President, Boom Music Group | Co-Manager, Sasha Alex Sloan)
Sara Foster (TV and Live Event Producer)
Melissa Goldberg (Vice President, Digital & Social, CMT)
Morgan Kenney (Country Music Agent, WME)
Anna Kolander (Senior Manager & Head of A&R, Activist Artists Management)
Olivia Laster (Head of Artist & Label Relations, Sticks Management)
Rakiyah Marshall (Founder & CEO, Back Blocks Music)
Morgan Mills (Chief Marketing Officer, CmdShft)
Courtney Pender (Vice President, People Experience, Sony Music Publishing)
Karen Schillinger (Agent, Creative Artists Agency)
Chandler Nicole Sherrill (Senior Director, Creative, Electric Feel Entertainment)
Shana Melissa Saunders (Product Manager, Business Development, Music Corporation of America)
Christina Wiltshire (Senior Director, A&R, Warner Chappell Music)
WLA participants will start by setting intentional personal and professional goals, which will serve as a foundation throughout the program. Cohort members will take part in facilitated group sessions led by executive coaches Lisa Gamble of Gamble Coaching & Consulting LLC and Nicole Provonchee of Bright Blue Consulting—both recognized for their commitment to advancing women leaders and their deep expertise in leadership development. The curriculum is designed to build practical leadership skills while fostering personal growth, covering topics such as personal branding, career advancement, conflict management, negotiation, self-advocacy, influence, and confidence—equipping participants to lead with greater clarity, impact, and resilience.
About the Country Music Association
Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. Music industry professionals and companies across the U.S. and around the globe are members of CMA. The organization serves as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advances the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a three-hour network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on ABC.
CMA Women’s Leadership Academy Class of 2025
Back (L-R) Sarah Trahern (CMA CEO), Morgan Kenney (Country Music Agent, WME), Rakiyah Marshall (Founder & CEO, Back Blocks Music), Melissa Goldberg (Vice President, Digital & Social, CMT), Chandler Nicole Sherrill (Senior Director, Creative, Electric Feel Entertainment), Shaina Botwin (Vice President, Boom Music Group | Co-Manager, Sasha Alex Sloan), Sara Foster (TV and Live Event Producer), Tiffany Kerns (CMA Senior Vice President, Industry Relations & Philanthropy), Lisa Gamble (Gamble Coaching & Consulting LLC), Nicole Provonchee (Bright Blue Consulting)
Front (L-R) Olivia Laster (Head of Artist & Label Relations, Sticks Management), Morgan Mills (Chief Marketing Officer, CmdShft), Shana Melissa Saunders (Product Manager, Business Development, Music Corporation of America), Anna Kolander (Senior Manager & Head of A&R, Activist Artists Management), Christina Wiltshire (Senior Director, A&R, Warner Chappell Music), Jackie Augustus (Lead, Country & Folk, Artist Partnerships, Spotify), Karen Schillinger (Agent, Creative Artists Agency)
Photo Credit: Emily April Allen/CMA
CMA Women’s Leadership Academy Class of 2025
Photo Credit: CMA
