The 10th Annual ONYX Magazine Women on the Move will be held during Women’s History Month.
Judith Smelser, president and general manager of Central Florida Public, has been selected as one of 27 influential women to receive a 10th Annual ONYX Magazine Women on the Move (WOTM) award. This is the second year in a row that Central Florida Public Media has received this honor, with Morning Edition Host Talia Blake receiving a 2024 WOTM award.
"We search far and wide throughout Florida, The Bahamas, and beyond for outstanding women who are impactful and influential leaders in their field," said ONYX Magazine Publisher Rich Black, the founder of ONYX Magazine Women on the Move. "When Judith was nominated, our vetting committee was impressed with her accomplishments and outstanding leadership. In the three years since she stepped into her role, she has become a galvanizing leader of Central Florida’s journalism community."
Under Smelser’s leadership, Central Florida Public Media has made it a strategic priority to build trust and genuine relationships with diverse local communities that have been traditionally underserved and underreached by news media – through listening sessions, strategic partnerships and content-sharing agreements with Black-owned media outlets. The nonprofit has made strides in diversifying its staff, Board, and the voices audiences hear from and read about in news stories and discussion shows. It is supporting the next generation of journalists who look and sound like Central Florida through partnerships with organizations like the Central Florida Association of Black Journalists and NextGen Radio.
“I am truly humbled to accept this award on behalf of the dedicated staff and Board of Central Florida Public Media,” Smelser said. “My colleagues don’t just talk about the importance of amplifying the diverse voices of our Central Florida community through trustworthy, independent journalism – they act and deliver on that promise every day.”
ONYX Magazine was founded in 1997 to celebrate Black achievement through Florida. ONYX, Founding Partner Orlando Health, and Presenting Sponsor Orlando Shakes, will celebrate this year’s Women on the Move during Women's History Month on Saturday, March 1, at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.
This year's theme, inspired by National Women's History Month, is "Moving Forward Together: Women Educating and Inspiring Future Generations." In addition, ONYX Magazine has invited previous national and international honorees who have excelled across various professional disciplines, to reunite during this 10th-anniversary celebration.
WOTM will hold a special reception on Friday, February 28, 2025, at the award-winning Orlando Museum of Art. During this event, the distinguished honorees will participate in a Master Class interview and all honorees will receive gifts and accolades from across Florida. The WOTM committee is working purposefully to make this two-day occasion very memorable.
Each year, WOTM salutes a league of distinguished honorees among the class. This year, those honorees include Woman of the Year Joy Jibrilu, the CEO of Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, the first woman to hold the title, and Publisher’s Award recipient 97-year-old activist Dr. Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth. Lee, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, worked tirelessly to make June 19 a national holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in America. Renowned actress and healthcare advocate Kim Fields will be recognized with the Udell T. Black and Linda Y. Braynen Visionary Award for her inspirational movement "Refresh by Kim Fields," encouraging women to take time for themselves. Claudette McGowan, the CEO of Protexxa, will receive the International Impact Award. Her global IT leadership and cybersecurity prowess have made her a Canadian standout.