Moving Up

Terry L. Hayes

Terry L. Hayes has been named vice president, labor relations, for The New York Times. Hayes will be responsible for the Times’ daily labor relations with its 13 unions. He will report to Scott Heekin-Canedy, president and general manager of the New York Times. Prior to this appointment, Hayes was director, labor relations and human resources, at Atlantic Southeast Airlines Inc. since 2003. Before that, he was screening manager at the Transportation Security Administration in St. Louis, Mo., and also served as vice president, labor relations, at Trans World Airlines Inc. from 1999 to 2001.

Bryan Monroe

Bryan Monroe was appointed to the newly created position of vice president and editorial director of Ebony and Jet magazines. Prior to his new role, Monroe was assistant vice president for news at Knight Ridder Inc. His career in journalism includes 16 years at various Knight Ridder papers. At the San Jose Mercury News, he rose to the position of deputy managing editor after serving as an assistant managing editor, reporter, assistant city editor and design director. In 2005 he also led Knight Ridder’s efforts during Hurricane Katrina, helping the staff of The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi, Miss., publish continuously throughout the deadly storm and its aftermath. His and the team’s efforts were rewarded with the 2006 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service. Monroe also received the Award of Valor from the National Association of Minority Media Executives (NAMME) for work during the coverage of the storm. In 2003, he completed a year at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow. He is president of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Elisa Westfield

Elisa Westfield, a corporate attorney at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York, was selected as a Zuckerman Fellow at Harvard University and will pursue a master’s degree in public policy. The fellowship grants one year of tuition and fees at the Kennedy School of Government, the Graduate School of Education or the School of Public Health, plus a stipend of $30,000. She will be enrolled in the Kennedy School of Government’s mid-career program for the 2007-2008 academic year. Westfield received a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in 2002, an M.A. in international relations from Boston University and a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Westfield received a 40 Under-Forty award from TNJ in 2005. She is the founder of the nonprofit organization Girls Action Network Inc., a mentorship program that assists teenage girls in personal and professional development.

Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Michelle Gadsden-Williams was promoted to global head of diversity and inclusion for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. She received a 40 Under-Forty award from TNJ in 2006. Prior to this appointment, she was director for diversity and inclusion, the first African-American executive at Novartis to serve in this post. She holds a B.S. degree in marketing and a B.A. degree in communications from Kean University in New Jersey.

Danyel Smith
Danyel Smith returned to Vibe magazine as editor-in-chief under its new management. The Wicks Group of Companies LLC, a New York-based private equity firm that invests in selected segments of the communications, information and media industries, announced its acquisition of Vibe, the world’s leading urban music and lifestyle magazine, in July. The acquisition underscores management’s commitment to extend the Vibe brand into multiple media platforms and distribution channels, while strengthening its unique position among its base of young multicultural consumers. A former editor-at-large for Time Inc., Smith joined Vibe in 1993 and was appointed music editor a year later. In 1996, she was awarded a National Arts Journalism Program fellowship and was appointed editor in chief upon her return, serving until 1999. She is the author of the novel More Like Wrestling (Crown), a San Francisco Chronicle best seller, and she wrote the introduction for The New York Times best seller, Tupac Shakur. Her second novel, Bliss (Crown), was published in 2005. Smith comments regularly on pop culture for VH-1, WNYC and CNN. She holds a master of fine arts in creative writing from  New School University.

Barbara C. Williams
Barbara C. Williams joined Images USA, a full-service multicultural marketing communications company, as account supervisor. In this role, she will manage major agency accounts, including Amtrak, Wachovia and Procter & Gamble, and assist in new business development. Prior to joining Images USA, she served as a senior account executive at a direct marketing agency where she managed a fund-raising campaign, including direct mail, telemarketing and direct response TV, for an international advocacy and relief organization. Williams also served as a freelance marketing consultant. Her clients included T.D. Jakes Ministries/MegaFest 2005 and Griot Soul Recordings, where she developed and managed sponsorship initiatives and communication strategies to increase attendance and awareness. Williams holds a B.A. in mass media arts and an M.B.A. in marketing from Clark Atlanta University.