NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — The Country Music Association, a trade association supporting the country music industry, announced the participants for the 2025 Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA), a program designed to foster a more diverse country music community, including its leaders.
Now in its 4th year, the program kicked off on August 3rd with a reception at Gold Pacific Studios, followed by the start of programming on August 4th, with CMA Board Chairman Jennie Smythe delivering opening remarks.
The 12-week, cohort-based program will guide 14 women through a course that includes group coaching, peer connection, and hands-on leadership training. The program also provides participants with access to a network of alumni who support each other even after the program ends.
Programming includes facilitated group sessions led by executive coaches Lisa Gamble of Gamble Coaching & Consulting LLC and Nicole Provonchee of Bright Blue Consulting, covering topics such as personal branding, career advancement, conflict management, negotiation, self-advocacy, influence, and confidence.
“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)
