Vickie Yakuni
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Manager, Community Relations
Time Warner Cable
Ms. Yakunin manages community relations efforts for North Texas which includes Dallas, El Paso, Wichita Falls and the Golden Triangle. She is responsible for the company's Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) initiative, the development of community partnerships, board stewardship and employee volunteerism.
Ms. Yakunin introduced Connect a Million Minds to the Dallas community in March, 2010. CAMM is a 5-year, $100 million cash and in-kind commitment to inspire students to pursue education and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
"Time Warner Cable is committed to utilizing our resources and raising the awareness of the importance of education, particularly in STEM - an area of study in which our country is lagging," she said. "Through our support of DFW-TEC, we are able to further promote STEM learning among students and educators."
In addition, Ms. Yakunin is accountable for identifying community partners who are a strategic fit for the CAMM initiative and other community relations goals. She is responsible for developing and executing strategic partnerships which are aligned with the company's overall business goals.
"We've been fortunate to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with organizations including Girls Inc., the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and the Museum of Nature & Science among a number of others. These organizations share our vision of educating students on the importance of studying science, technology, engineering and math."
Time Warner Cable is committed to providing students with the tools they need to be successful in the future. "We are pleased to be a partner of the DFW-TEC organization and look forward to working together to improve and grow STEM education in North Texas."
Connect a Million Minds is a five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative to address America's declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math, which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. Program highlights include: original PSAs that challenge public perceptions of STEM; a unique website, www.connectamillionminds.com, where parents and community members can pledge to connect young people with the wonders of science; "The Connectory", a one-of-a-kind online resource that makes it simple and easy for parents and students to find informal science and technology learning opportunities in their communities; grants to support non-profit organizations that bring stimulating, high-quality and affordable after-school STEM learning to students; TWC employees, over 47,000 strong, who volunteer their time at community events like science fairs and robotics competitions, and share their passion for engineering and technology with students at CAMM career days. TWC's national CAMM partners are CSAS (Coalition for Science After School) and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Ms. Yakunin has been in the telecommunications industry for the last eight years. Prior to joining Time Warner Cable, she held multiple positions with privately-held, Cox Communications.
