NEW YORK—Gordon Smith, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters and the advocacy association that he leads will be honored by the Broadcasters Foundation of America with the 2015 Golden Mike Award on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The black-tie fundraising gala will benefit the Foundation’s mission of providing aid to broadcasters in need. A former U.S. Senator, Smith has been at the helm of NAB since 2009.
“Gordon’s accomplishments for broadcasters is widely recognized across our profession,” said Philip J. Lombardo, chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation. “But perhaps many are not aware of Gordon’s tireless efforts on behalf of the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation to help our colleagues in need. Gordon’s influence has raised awareness of the Foundation’s charitable mission, and his commitment to helping those in our business who need it most has been admirable. We are honored to have Gordon on our board and to recognize his dedication to our purpose with the 2015 Golden Mike Award.”
“It is a privilege to represent this industry of charitable, giving professionals,” Smith said. “I am awed by the number of broadcasters who come forward to help their colleagues through the foundation’s work. I’d like to thank the board of dDirectors for this recognition, and I would ask all broadcasters to please consider your good fortune and help those in our profession who, through no fault of their own, have fallen on the hardest of times.”
Prior to joining the NAB, Smith served as a two-term U.S. Senator from Oregon and later as senior advisor in the Washington offices of Covington & Burling, LLP. During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Smith's committee assignments included the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the panel that oversees all broadcast-related legislation. He also served on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Smith's role on the Commerce Committee and as chairman of a Senate High Tech Task Force helped foster his interest in new media and new technology issues.
Born in Pendleton, OR, Smith attended college at Brigham Young University, received his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, and practiced law in New Mexico and Arizona before returning to Oregon to direct the family-owned Smith Frozen Foods business. Before his election to the U.S. Senate in 1996, he was elected to the Oregon State Senate, rising to the position of President of that body after only three years. He and his wife Sharon live in Bethesda, Md., and are the parents of three children and two grandchildren.
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has distributed millions of dollars in aid to thousands of broadcasters and their families who lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease, or unforeseen family tragedy. Individual membership is only $150 a year and can make a difference in the life of a colleague who has fallen on desperate times. Donations can be made as a personal gift to the Foundation’s Guardian Fund, and corporate contributions are accepted through the Angel Initiative. In addition, a bequest may be made through the Foundation’s Legacy Society.
For more information on applying for a grant or making a donation, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, or call 212-373-8250.
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