CBS Entertainment promoted Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i on Thursday to Senior Vice President, Entertainment Diversity & Communications.
The veteran TV executive will be tasked with expanding the division’s diversity initiatives and developing new programs to recruit, nurture and hire a broad array of talent to work in front of and behind the camera.
She will also serve as the entertainment liaison to multi-cultural coalition groups and provide outreach to agencies, guilds and other industry organizations that represent diverse talent.
Smith-Anoa’i will continue to report to CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler and Chris Ender, CBS Corporation’s Executive Vice President of communications. She will also continue to work closely with Josie Thomas the Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for CBS Corporation.
“Tiffany is a dedicated and energetic executive that has played a strategic role in expanding CBS’s diversity efforts both within our Entertainment Group and among the many organizations that represent diverse talent,” Tassler said in a statement to TheWrap. “She works diligently to promote an all-inclusive philosophy throughout the creative process while her unbridled passion and strong voice has resulted in new Network diversity initiatives that have created career opportunities for diverse writers, directors and performers. We look forward to Tiffany continuing to advance the dialogue of diversity with all of our constituents.”
Smith-Anoa’i was appointed Vice President, Entertainment Diversity & Communications, CBS Entertainment in 2009. Since then she has created and launched “CBS On Tour,” a community outreach program, expanded the writer selection process for “The CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase,” implemented an annual diversity symposium for casting directors, partnered with GLAAD to host learning workshops and teamed up with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to encourage roles for women in front of and behind the camera.
She first joined CBS in 2000 as a senior publicist. Prior to that, Smith-Anoa’i was responsible for publicity and promotions at Image Public Relations and worked at Nike, Inc.