CMA Promotes Kirk & Overend To Senior Director Roles

The Country Music Association has promoted Michelle Kirk to Senior Director, Integrated Marketing and Mary Overend to Senior Director, Marketing.

Kirk previously held the position of Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships at CMA before she became a Brand Partnerships Agent at WME. In 2019, the Illinois State University graduate returned to the organization as Director, Integrated Marketing. In her new role, she is responsible for managing day-to-day activity on all broadcast television integrations and CMA’s network sales partnership, along with developing strategies and managing relationships with key marketing and digital partners. Additionally, Michelle and her team work to ensure the organization’s strategic initiatives, marketing relationships and industry needs are met, while educating corporate partners on the power and potential of strategic alliances with country music. She reports to Senior Vice President, Marketing, Content & Communications Strategy, Kelly Striewski.

Prior to joining CMA, Mary Overend was the eCommerce Marketing Coordinator at Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh and most recently served as CMA’s Director, Marketing. In her new position, she oversees the organization’s digital properties, including social media, email marketing, multiple websites, year-round app and curated playlists in addition to advertising campaigns and radio partnerships. She determines strategies to support CMA’s key goals and integration with data architecture/CRM initiatives, while her team manages day-to-day operations and relationships with internal teams and external vendors. Overend reports to Vice President, Marketing Catherine Frizzell.

“Michelle and Mary are valuable leaders and integral members of our team at CMA,” says Striewski. “Beyond a broad knowledge base of marketing, their expertise across the broadcast and digital landscapes specifically, allows CMA to continually expand our fan engagement and brand footprint, further develop our partnership opportunities and ultimately grow all categories of our audience; all of which feeds into our mission of driving awareness and consumption for the country music genre. I look forward to seeing them shine in their new roles!”