Kaitz raises $1.5 M

Wednesday night's Walter Kaitz Foundation [1] Annual Dinner in New York raised more than $1.5 million, eclipsing last year's total of $1.4 million. Nearly 1,600 attended the event.

Proceeds from the event will go toward programs designed to improve diversity in the cable industry, and will be distributed in grants to three "diversity partner" organizations: the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT), and the Emma Bowen Foundation.

For the first time, the event also honored a group of "Diversity Champions":

• Glenn A. Britt, chairman & CEO, Time Warner Cable
• Mae Douglas, senior vice president and chief people officer, Cox Communications
• James Hatcher, senior vice president, legal and regulatory affairs, Cox Communications
• Sherryl Love, vice president of materials management, Cox Communications.

The 2005 Diversity Advocate was U.S. Rep. Mel Watt (D - NC, 12th District), Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus.