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Walter-Kaitz Foundation ABOUT US - STAFF
Dr. David Porter, Executive Director 

David M. Porter, Jr., Ph.D.
Executive Director
Dr. Porter oversees day-to-day management of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, including the allocation of Foundation funds in support of cable industry diversity efforts and development of an industry-wide supplier diversity initiative.

He was formerly the Director of Graduate Programs for the Howard University School of Business from 2003 - 2006. Prior to his position at Howard University, he was an assistant professor at the UCLA Anderson School and served as faculty director as well as co-creator of the UCLA African American Leadership Institute.

At UCLA, Dr. Porter helped develop the Executive Leadership Development Program of the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), which in recent years has provided leadership training at the Anderson School to hundreds of NAMIC members and cable executives of color.

He also has held professional positions at Amoco, Pacific Bell, and Xerox, served as Treasurer of the National Society of Black Engineers, and consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies on diversity-related issues.

Dr. Porter holds five college degrees: a PhD in organizational behavior and a Masters Degree in Sociology from Harvard, as well as a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering, a Masters Degree in Sociology, and a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering, all from Stanford.

 

Michelle A. Ray, Program Manager 

Michelle A. Ray
Senior Director, Programs & Strategic Initiatives
As Senior Director, Michelle Ray is responsible for assisting in developing and implementing an industry-wide national supplier diversity program, assisting in the Foundation’s strategic plan and deploying marketing strategies for the Foundation, including its annual fundraising dinner. 

Ms. Ray has spent more than 15 years in the cable industry at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), focusing the last three of those years on marketing. She was responsible for marketing efforts surrounding the association’s annual trade show both domestically and internationally. 

Ms. Ray also has worked in live television production and event settings, including the CableACE Awards, the NCTA Vanguard Awards, the Community Spirit Awards and others. She sits on the Steering Committee of Cable Positive’s Tony Cox Fund for Local HIV/AIDS Programming; is a member of the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Cable; and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Ms. Ray is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science. She attended Harvard University’s Executive Management Program in June of 2002 under the auspices of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing.