Matrix honorees (front row, L to R) Ellen DeGeneres, Jill Abramson, Beth Comstock, Renetta McCann, Candace Bushnell, Cynthia Leive, Katherine Oliver, Geena Davis and Joan Hamburg, with their presenters.
May 1, 2006- On April 3, Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, received a Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications, Inc. Commissioner Oliver was honored along with Jill Abramson, Managing Editor of The New York Times, Author Candace Bushnell, Beth Comstock, President, NBCU Digital Media and Market Development, Actress Geena Davis, Renetta McCann, Chief Executive Officer, Starcom Mediavest Group, WOR Radio Personality Joan Hamburg, and Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Leive, in a ceremony hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and sponsored by the Oxygen Network.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented Commissioner Oliver with her award. “K.O. is the force behind the hugely successful 'Made in NY' incentive program which introduced the concept of customer service into government and attracted productions by offering logistical help, vendor discounts, free advertising and tax credits,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “Last year, the program had a $1.5 billion economic impact on our state, and the biggest portion of that was spent right here in NYC. Today, our studios are completely booked - in fact, they're expanding, and new stages are being built - and thousands of new jobs have been created … I can't say I'm surprised by the success of our Film and TV office. From the moment I first hired Katherine Oliver back in the early days of Bloomberg LP, I knew she would be great at whatever she did.”
In her acceptance speech, Commissioner Oliver credited her success to building relationships and being persistent. Calling upon Ellen DeGeneres and Geena Davis to bring their television shows to New York, she reported, “If there is anything I [have] learned, [it is] to take risks and to never - never- take no for an answer.”
The event raised money for college scholarships for young women.
