The Georgia Association of Broadcasters is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s awards. These awards are given each year at the GAB’s annual convention, GABCON during the Honor’s Luncheon. The awards are in honor of individuals who provide necessary support to the broadcasting industry in Georgia. These awards are made up of the Golden Mic Award, Legislator of the Year, Georgian of the Year, the Ditty-McLemore Engineering Award, and the new Rising Stars Award.
Also during the Honor’s Luncheon, we’ll have a panel discussion on how AI is transforming Business in the Peach State. We hope you’ll join us for this Join us for a dynamic panel discussion exploring the transformative power of artificial intelligence on Georgia’s economy. Industry leaders will share their insights on how AI is reshaping businesses across various sectors. From healthcare and finance to manufacturing and retail, discover how AI is driving innovation, increasing efficiency, and creating new opportunities. Learn about the challenges and ethical considerations surrounding AI implementation, and gain practical strategies for harnessing its potential to achieve business growth and success in the digital age.
2024 Rising Stars
New this year, the GAB is proud to introduce the GAB Rising Star Awards. The new category recognizes a single station employee in the early stages of their career who shows great promise in their desire and ambition to succeed in broadcasting. This individual consistently displays a strong work ethic, a desire to learn, and a willingness to go above and beyond their daily job responsibilities to ensure the station produces and airs excellent content that exceeds the expectations of its viewers or listeners. Judges will only consider individuals with less than five years of professional work experience.
Congratulations to our first class of GAB Rising Stars!
- Austin Eller- WSB-AM
- Haley Mason- CMG Athens
- Jamie Worsley- WALB-TV
- Jenna Petracci- WJBF-TV
- Jonathon Hoppe- WTVM-TV
- Josh Tanner- WCON
- Lydia Blackstone- WJCL-TV
- Sarah Smith- WSAV-TV
- Will Rioux- WRDW-TV
2024 Engineering Award
The next set of honorees for the 2024 Honor’s Luncheon are the recipients of the Angelo Ditty- Frank McLemore Engineering Award. This award recognizes exceptional broadcast engineers who have had a lasting impact on the radio and television stations in the state of Georgia. Beyond their own stations that they have kept on the air, they must also demonstrate professionalism among their colleagues and a willingness to help and support other engineers in the support of the industry.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
- Scott Trask
- Johnny Bridges
- Larry Nixon
Donna W. Hyland is the GAB’s 2024 Golden Mic Recipient. Hyland has been a tireless advocate for pediatric healthcare and the children of Georgia for more than three decades.
Hyland, President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, has overseen monumental growth and achievement throughout her career. During that time, the not-for-profit has become one of the preeminent pediatric clinical care providers in the country, with more than 12,700 employees managing approximately 1.2 million patient visits a year.
Hyland has played an instrumental role in high-impact projects as CFO, COO and CEO, including the merger of Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals; the addition of Hughes Spalding hospital and Marcus Autism Center; and the advancement of the research partnership between Emory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Under her leadership, Children’s is consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals both achieved Magnet recognition for their dedication to nursing excellence.
Now Hyland is spearheading one of the largest hospital construction projects in the state. The $2.2 billion North Druid Hills campus will include Arthur M. Blank Hospital, set to open in Fall 2024. Hyland’s dedication to pediatric healthcare has led to recognition as one of Georgia’s most influential leaders, and her community-centric approach has resulted in appointments to several local and corporate boards including the Atlanta Committee for Progress, Inc., Cousins Properties Incorporated, Genuine Parts Company and Truist.
Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp is the GAB’s 2024 Georgian of the Year. A native of Athens, Georgia, Brian Kemp started his first small business over 35 years ago with a pickup truck and a shovel. His experience as a small business owner has driven his mission to put hardworking Georgians first since taking office as Georgia’s 83rd governor in 2019.
Throughout his first term, the Peach State consistently broke economic records, with jobs and investments coming to every region of the state. Thanks to his decision to reopen Georgia’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic – the first state in the nation to do so – its unemployment rate remains at historic lows, there are more Georgians working than ever before, and the state has been named No. 1 for business for an unprecedented ten consecutive years.
In 2022, Governor Kemp was re-elected to serve a second term, running on a record of economic success in the Peach State and a plan to help Georgia families fight through 40-year-high inflation while strengthening public safety and improving education.
He has championed legislation to crack down on violent crimes and street gangs, end human trafficking and support its victims, enact historic tax cuts for families, give teachers historic pay raises, and ensure Georgia’s K-12 education system puts students and parents first.
Governor Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, and their three adult daughters live on their family farm in Athens.
Jason Anavitarte is the GAB’s 2024 Legislator of the Year. Anavitarte represents Paulding and Polk counties in Senate District 31. He is a former member of the Paulding County School Board and former Councilman for the City of Doraville where he was raised.
Recently in 2018, Jason was named one of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia. Jason in 2016 was a RNC Statewide Delegate to the convention that elected President Donald Trump in addition to being a past delegate to multiple county, district, and state conventions. In 2011, he was named by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the top 40 Under 40 Leaders in Georgia. In 2005, Jason was bestowed with the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Award named after the former Atlanta Mayor, businessman and Georgia Tech alumnus. Also in 2005, Jason was given the Public Service Award from the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech.
For nearly 20 years Jason has worked as a businessman in the private sector and healthcare industry developing solutions to help lift up families out of poverty by finding employment, skills gap training, and developing life skills. Jason served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Chattahoochee Technical College, the largest technical college in Georgia. In 2018, Jason was selected to join the American Enterprise Institute [AEI] Leadership Network. In 2016, Jason was appointed by Judge Dean Bucci to serve on the Executive Committee of the Paulding Judicial Circuit Drug Court Program.
Jason is a past Board Member of Fellowship for Christian Athletes [FCA], Paulding Public Safety Appreciation, Inc., Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], and Child Advocacy Centers of Georgia.
He received a B.A. degree from Georgia State University and M.S. degree in Regional Economic Development and IT/Telecommunications Policy from Georgia Tech. Jason and his family attend Burnt Hickory Baptist Church. Jason and wife, Jennifer, and daughters Taylor, Madison, and Kennedy reside in Dallas, Georgia in Paulding County.
