Mel Kolinski & Staci Corbett Named President & Vice President
ORANGE, CALIF. – December 29, 2025 – Alliance of Channel Women, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of female leaders in the indirect channel of the telecom and IT industry, announced today its 2026 Board of Directors, who lead ACW’s mission to accelerate the growth of female technology channel leaders. The organization has elected four new board members who will serve two-year terms beginning in January 2026.
The new 11-member board also has selected its new officers for the 2026 term.
- Mel Kolinski, Senior Director of Sales & Partnerships for Ostra Cybersecurity, was named President. Kolinski joined the board in 2025 and served as Chair of ACW’s Local Chapters Committee. Previously, she was Co-Chair of the ACW Events Committee and Co-Moderator for the ACW Local Chapter in Minnesota.
- Staci Corbett, Director, Channel Marketing at Fusion Connect, was selected as Vice President. Corbett joined the board in 2024 and has served as Chair of ACW’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) Committee.
- Sommer Figone, Director, Field Enablement at RapidScale, will continue in her role as Secretary. She joined the board in 2024 and also served as Chair of the ACW Events Committee.
- The Treasurer will be announced at a later date.
Newly elected board members include:
- Laura Gibbs, Channel Sales and Marketing expert and Co-Chair of the ACW Mentoring Committee
- Shannon Orr, Senior Director of National Strategic Partners at AVANT and Moderator of the ACW Chicago Local Chapter
- Meg Thompson, Strategic Architecture Manager at CCI Systems, Chair of the ACW Events Committee and member of the ACW Mentoring Committee.
- Jen Waltz, Chief Information Security Officer at IMAJENATIVE, and member of the ACW Membership Committee.
Returning board members include:
- Madison Beedy, Director of Channel Sales at EarthLink and Chair of the ACW Sponsorship Committee
- Tracy Hali, Executive leader in People, Partner and Customer Success, Co-Chair of the ACW Mentoring Committee and member of the Membership committee.
- Holly B. Hunt, Senior Director of Channel Program Management, CyberMaxx, and former Chair of the ACW Communications Committee
- Jackie Steinberg, Channel Chief at DartPoints and Co-Chair of the ACW Awards Committee
“This board represents the strength, diversity and momentum of the ACW community,” said incoming ACW President Kolinski, “Each of these leaders brings a deep commitment to advancing women in the channel, and I’m excited to work together as we build on ACW’s legacy and continue expanding our impact.”
ACW also acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of outgoing board members, including:
- Mayka Rosales-Peterson, Director, Partner Marketing Americas, IBM, who served on the board for three years, including the last two as President. Prior to that, she was the ACW Communications Chair for two years.
- Akilah Murrell, Director of Channel Marketing at F5, who served on the board for four years, including the last two as Vice President. Prior to that, she was Chair of the ACW Mentorship Committee for a year.
- Ashley Cole, Senior Channel Manager at AppDirect and ACW Finance Committee Chair, who served on the board for three years, including the last two years as the ACW Treasurer.
- Maureen O’Connell, Executive Director, Global Partner Sales at Comcast Business, who served on the board for three years, including two years as Chair of the ACW Local Chapters Committee.
“We’re incredibly grateful to ACW’s outgoing board members for their dedication and leadership,” said incoming ACW Vice President Corbett. “Their service helped shape the organization ACW is today, and their contributions will continue to influence ACW’s mission and community for years to come.”
More Information
ACW stands by the principle of rotating leadership, which brings new thought leaders to the group and provides opportunities to as many of its members as possible.
For information about ACW membership or committees, visit ACW online at www.allianceofchannelwomen.org
About the Alliance of Channel Women
In 2025, the Alliance of Channel Women celebrates 15 years of breaking barriers for women in the technology channel. Founded in 2010, ACW is a not-for-profit organization of women in the indirect channel of the telecom and IT industry. ACW brings us together to empower and advance women’s careers and leadership roles in the technology channel through education, community, advocacy and opportunities for personal growth. To learn more and to become a member, please visit www.allianceofchannelwomen.org.
Media Contact:
Khali Henderson
BuzzTheory (for ACW)
pr@allianceofchannelwomen.org
khenderson@buzztheory.com
480.848.6726