Cumulus Media has appointed Melissa Forrest as their new Atlanta VP/Market Manager.
Forrest joins Cumulus after a long run at iHeartMedia. During her tenure at iHeart, Forrest was Market Manager in Atlanta from 2008-2012 and San Diego from 2012-22. She also oversaw Riverside/San Bernardino CA from 2016-18 and has been serving as a consultant since July 2022. Forrest also has held market leadership roles with Entercom in Austin and Seattle.
Forrest takes the position held by Sean Shannon until his exit last month.
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has appointed Melissa Forrest as Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Atlanta. Forrest joins Cumulus Media from iHeartMedia San Diego, where she has been President since 2012, and was also over the Riverside, CA, region from 2016-2018. Prior to that, Forrest was Atlanta Market Manager for iHeartMedia/Clear Channel Radio from 2008-2012 and was Vice President/Market Manager for Entercom Communications in Austin, TX, and Seattle, WA, from 2004-2008.
Forrest holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and earned a BSBA degree in Marketing & Management from the University of Missouri. She has been honored by Radio Ink magazine for multiple years as one of the Best Managers in Radio and as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Radio. Forrest has also been a fixture on the San Diego 500 Influential Business Leaders list for multiple consecutive years. She has served the community and industry on numerous boards of directors throughout her career, including the Southern California Broadcasters Association, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation. She was also a member of the Sustainability & Industry Committee for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.
Dave Milner, President, Operations, Cumulus Media, said: “Melissa is a high energy leader, with a track record of transforming business organizations into highly successful operations. We are extremely excited to welcome her as VP/Market Manager of Cumulus Atlanta and have full confidence in her ability to maximize our outstanding assets in this key market.”
Melissa Forrest commented: “I have embraced many markets during my career, but I look forward to returning home to Atlanta. The opportunity to work with Dave and the entire Cumulus Atlanta team makes this homecoming even more meaningful.”
