CMA Announces Promotions and New Hires

The Country Music Association has announced several staff promotions and new hires across various departments.

Senior Vice Presidents

Sheri Warnke has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In her new role, Warnke will have direct oversight of several departments including Communications; Membership and Balloting; Research; Strategic Partnerships; Strategic Marketing; and CMA’s vast online and social platforms.

Amy Smartt has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration. In her new role, Smartt will have direct oversight of Accounting, Facility Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Operations, and Legal/Trademarks Administration. She will also serve as Secretary/Treasurer of the CMA Foundation.

Events and Special Projects Department

Chris Crawford has been hired as Senior Director of Live Events and Special Projects. Reporting directly to CMA CEO Steve Moore, he will oversee the CMA Events and Special Projects Department, which includes logistical and operational execution of CMA Music Festival, CMA Awards, and the “CMA Country Christmas” television taping, including venue coordination and ticket sales. He previously served as the production manager for Sugarland’s 2011 “Incredible Machine Tour.”

Greg Pitman has been hired as Production Manager, and will work on the logistical and operational execution of all CMA events, including CMA Music Festival, CMA Awards, and “CMA Country Christmas,” among others. He will report to Crawford. Pitman previously provided freelance production, including work on the 2011 CMA Awards, Joel Osteen Ministries, and more.

Jessica Turk has been hired as Production Coordinator, and will provide support for the department. Turk was previously an intern in the CMA Strategic Partnership Department.

Communications Department

Dawn Fisher Copley has been promoted to Senior Media Relations Coordinator. She will oversee all media logistics needs for CMA events and serve as a liaison with ABC affiliates to facilitate their coverage of CMA’s television properties. She will pitch stories to media outlets, write press releases, and create video and web tools that aid media outlets in their coverage. In addition, she will oversee the department’s intern and event volunteer program. She reports to Scott Stem, CMA Director of Media Relations.

Amanda Severs has been hired as Communications Coordinator role. She has served as a temporary assistant shared by the CMA Communications, Strategic Marketing, and Strategic Partnerships Departments since August 2011.

Finance and Administration Department

Lance Morton has joined CMA as the Network Administrator. He will be responsible for maintaining the CMA internal network, connectivity and network servers; providing hardware and software end-user support; assisting with the planning and implementation of Information Technology (IT) needs for company events; and more. He reports to Ken Sanderson, Senior Manager of Information Technology. Morton spent more than 10 years with the United States Navy.

Brittany Norton has been hired as receptionist. Norton was previously a tour manager with several artists, including Jessica Lea Mayfield. Prior to that, she worked at Vector Management. Norton graduated from Belmont University.

Strategic Marketing Department

Matt Ames has joined as the Digital Marketing Manager. He will create content, implement, and analyze results for all of CMA’s digital initiatives. He reports to Ben Bennett, Senior Manager, Digital Strategy. Ames is a professional web designer/developer who previously worked with the Tennessee Medical Association as project manager.