New York Women in Communications honored seven “rising stars” in communications at ceremonies Oct. 11 in the Bloomberg building, 120 Park Ave., with opening remarks by Jacki Kelley, COO of Bloomberg Media.

More than 150 were present to honor those who “have made significant contributions to their companies and industry and are admired by peers and employees. They embody the values of NYWICI and are actively involved in the communications industry.”

WICI Award winners

(L to R): Honorees: Elaine Welteroth, Editor, Teen Vogue; Erin Quintana, EVP Client Managing Partner, J3 UM; Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich, Co-Founder, Managing Partner and President of Editorial Operations, Masthead Media; Lauren WesleyWilson, President, ColorComm; Melody Lee, Director, Brand and Reputation Strategy, Cadillac; Sarah Personette, Head of Global Business Marketing, Facebook; Tammy Tibbetts, Founder & CEO, She’s the First, girl’s education and youth leadership non-profit. (photo: NYWiCi)

NYWICI's website carried the following quotes of the honorees:

  • “Culture eats strategy. It all comes down to people. Focus on relationships.” Erin Quintana
  • “We’re not victims in our careers and that’s where empowerment comes from. There’s always something you can do to make you happier.” Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich
  • “Done is better than perfect.” Lauren Wesley Wilson
  • “We threw out all the formulas—we needed to be really authentic to what excites us in order to excite others.” Elaine Welteroth
  • “Nothing really scares me. You can make it through anything; it might just take a while.” Melody Lee
  • “There is no such thing as sacrifice if you own the decisions you make.” Sarah Personette
  • “It’s amazing to see how something so simple can start a conversation, “ on how she turned a Youtube video into an international movement, sponsoring more than 2,214 years of girls’ education for 804 STF Scholars in 11 countries and in the U.S. Tammy Tibbetts