CMA Names Warnke VP Strategic Partnerships

The Country Music Association announced today (4/8) that industry veteran Sheri Warnke would be joining the professional staff of CMA as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, effective immediately.

“Sheri has already done an outstanding job of building marketing relationships for the industry and corporate brand partners for CMA’s core events, CMA Music Festival and the CMA Awards,” said Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “We are fortunate to have the full resource of her time and talent focused on CMA and our mission of advancing country music.”

Warnke had been the Nashville-based representative for MS&L, one of the world’s leading communications firms. MS&L was named CMA’s sales and marketing agency last fall and will continue to consult with CMA on future marketing endeavors as needed.

In her expanded role at CMA, Warnke will develop and market sponsorship and partner packages for the CMA Awards and CMA Music Festival. In addition, she will work with CMA and the industry to develop new equities and campaigns to offer added value and opportunities for brands and companies to partner with country music.

“It is an honor for me to join CMA and to represent country music’s passionate fan base to corporate America,” Warnke said. “We have made fantastic progress this year and I’m looking forward to ramping up our efforts moving forward.”

Before MS&L, Warnke was most recently at Playboy Enterprises as regional sales manager. Warnke is an industry expert, having served on the Board of Directors for CMA, Leadership Music, T.J. Martell Foundation, and Gilda’s Club, as well as maintaining memberships in organizations including CMA, NARAS, and the National Advertising Federation. Prior to her role at Playboy Enterprises, she spent more than 15 years in high-level consumer magazine publishing roles including four years as the VP/Group Publisher of Country Weekly and Country Music Magazine.