FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Omnicom Group’s Tiffany R. Warren to Receive the AAF's Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award

The American Advertising Federation will honor Omnicom Group’s Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer as 2017 recipient of its highest honor for service to the Federation and its membership.

WASHINGTON DC,  May 22, 2017—Tiffany R. Warren, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom Group and long-time supporter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) has been named the 2017 recipient of the Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award. The AAF is pleased to honor Warren with this award at its upcoming annual national conference, ADMERICA, in New Orleans, LA., in June, recognizing her commitment to both the industry at-large and to the AAF.

Warren’s involvement, commitment to volunteer leadership and service to the AAF embody the spirit of the Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award, which is awarded annually and is named in honor of the late Bart Cummings, whose extraordinary career was dedicated to industry service and to advancing the social and economic values of advertising. 

Warren’s first contact with the AAF came even before her career started when in 1997 she was named one of AAF’s Most Promising Minority Students (now the Most Promising Multicultural Students program).  In 2005, she became a member of the AAF’s Academic Committee and her commitment to, and involvement with, the AAF has been consistent since then.  She has served as a District Student Advertising Competition Coordinator and as a judge for the Most Promising Minority Students, Mosaic Awards, and Advertising Hall of Fame.  In 2010 Warren was inducted to the Advertising Hall of Achievement.  2010 also marked the year that she became a member of the AAF Board of Directors and the Board’s Executive Committee.  From 2010–2014 Warren served as Vice-Chair of the Mosaic Council Executive Committee and as the Committee’s Chair from 2014–2016.  In 2014 and 2016 she served on the Advertising Hall of Achievement Executive Committee and since 2016 has served as the AAF Board of Directors Secretary.

“Tiffany R. Warren is the living proof of the value and effectiveness of AAF’s diversity efforts,” said James Edmund Datri, President and CEO, American Advertising Federation. “While there was no doubt, given her inherent talent and drive, that she was destined for great success I am proud that being named as an AAF Most Promising Minority Student helped to jump-start her extraordinary career.  We are particularly proud that she continues to give back to the industry and the AAF through her work on our Board of Directors and so many other programs.  It is a personal pleasure to work with Tiffany as her thoughtfulness and good humor are always in evidence.  We are very proud to award Tiffany R. Warren with the Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award this year, the highest honor given for service to the Federation and its membership.”

Warren’s interest in diversity in advertising began as a young girl watching television in her grandmother’s kitchen searching the commercials for anyone who looked like her.  Much of her career can be seen as a reaction to being most often disappointed.  She has been creating opportunities ever since.  At Bentley University, her commitment to studying advertising led to the creation of a special major designed to support her interest in advertising, business and media.  After graduation, Warren held jobs as assistant account executive at Hill Holiday and Arnold Worldwide.  After a stint as manager of diversity programs for the American Association of Advertising Agencies, she returned to Arnold as VP, Director of Multicultural Programs and Community Outreach and then joined  Omnicom Group in her current role.

Warren will be honored at ADMERICA, the AAF’s annual national conference on Friday, June 9 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, LA. Each year, the conference brings leading advertising professionals, agencies, clients, media companies and college students under one roof for education, inspiration, innovation, collaboration and celebration of the advertising industry. The conference also showcases the industry’s best work during the American Advertising Awards and Mosaic Awards, and future talent during the National Student Advertising Competition finals. For more information about ADMERICA and to register for the conference, please visit admericaaaf.org.

For more information about the Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award, please contact Joanne Schecter via email or by phone at (202) 898-0089 or, visit the AAF’s website.

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