Adrianne C. Smith has been appointed executive director for the Center for Excellence in Advertising. A 15-year veteran of advertising and marketing communications companies, Smith previously served
as partner of AdHere Network, an affinity/relationship marketing and video production firm. With an initial $250,000 grant from the 4As, CEA was established in September 2008 to help the advertising
industry achieve a more diverse workforce at middle to senior ad management levels. CEA will be managed by Howard University's John H. Johnson School of Communications, which has the only accredited
degree-granting program in advertising among the nation's historically black colleges and universities.