Toby Graff Named Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, Lifetime Networks

Toby Graff Named Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, Lifetime Networks

NEW YORK, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Toby Graff has been named Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, Lifetime Networks, it was announced today by Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Lifetime Networks, to whom she will continue to report. The elevation is effective immediately.

In her new role, Graff, who had been Vice President, Public Affairs, since October 2002, takes on additional oversight of the corporate communications department, including trade and business media relations for all Lifetime Networks' properties and initiatives.

Graff will continue to lead Lifetime's Emmy(R) Award-winning awareness and advocacy campaigns, which include PSAs, content on myLifetime.com, community outreach, legislative advocacy and programming, all designed to inform, support and inspire women on a range of issues affecting them and their families. Graff will also remain as supervisor of the Networks' corporate giving and participation in industry and charitable events.

In making the announcement, Wagner said, "Toby is an incredible and thoughtful advocate for women, who combines her great drive with tremendous skill and determination. With her unique combination of passion and practical no-nonsense smarts and strategy, Lifetime and women are very fortunate to have her working on their behalf."

The Network's nonpartisan Every Woman Counts public service campaign currently focuses on increasing women's engagement and involvement in the Presidential election and politics. Other efforts, in partnership with over 200 leading women's organizations, have united the company's resources to help end violence against women, stop breast cancer, promote girls' self-esteem and draw attention to importance of women's heart health.

Under Graff's leadership, Lifetime has led successful efforts to get five pieces of critical legislation signed into law, including a bill to eliminate the backlog of untested DNA evidence from rape kits and two bills to combat slavery of women, championed as part of Lifetime's miniseries "Human Trafficking." Another bill, to end the barbaric practice of "drive-through" mastectomies, has garnered the tremendous support of 22 million signatures via a Lifetime online petition and recently received a House Subcommittee hearing.

Lifetime's public affairs efforts have received numerous accolades such as the prestigious 2003 Governors Emmy(R) Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the "Stop Violence Against Women" initiative. Other organizations that have recognized Lifetime's commitment include: the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the YWCA of the U.S.A., The National Domestic Violence Hotline, The National Women's Political Caucus, the National Organization for Women, the Ms. Foundation for Women, American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT), the Association of Cable Communicators (formerly The Cable Television Public Affairs Association) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT).

In 2006, Graff was selected as one of 26 women in the cable industry to participate in the prestigious Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) Betsy Magness Leadership Program. She was also named one of Broadcasting & Cable's 2005 "Next Wave of Women" in the industry and one of Jewish Women International's ten Women to Watch for 2007.

Graff has served on the Education Advisory Board of New York City League of Women Voters; the Communications Advisory Board of RAINN, operator of the National Sexual Assault Hotline; the Myelin Repair Foundation Communications Advisory Board; and the Advisory Council of the NYS Anti-Trafficking Coalition.

Graff joined Lifetime in 2000 as Director, Corporate Communications. Prior to that, she served for more than two years as Deputy Press Secretary for then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Previously, Graff worked on health care and welfare reform as a Special Assistant for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She began her political career as Assistant Press Secretary for the Clinton-Gore 1992 Presidential Campaign, working out of the Frankfurt, Kentucky office.

Graff earned a Master's Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Distinction in Political Science from Boston University.

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and a top-rated basic cable television network. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Source: Lifetime Networks

CONTACT: Gary Morgenstein, +1-212-424-7162, Morgenstein@lifetimetv.com

Web site: http://www.lifetimetv.com/
http://www.mylifetime.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment