Jan Ray Suk

CMA, Television Production

Jan Ray Suk began her career in the music industry in 1967 as assistant to CMA Executive Director, Jo Walker- Meador and went on to head both their public relations and special projects departments.

She was soon back working on the CMA Awards in 1977 as talent coordinator, but she has also served as associate producer, coordinating producer, and production manager on several other shows. Walter Miller named her talent executive of the CMA awards in 1990. Although she worked on the first CMA Music Festival (Fan Fair) while a CMA employee, she returned and has coordinated talent for the CMA Music Festival and its affiliated television specials for ABC-TV since the Festival moved downtown in 2001.

She has been involved with the CMA Awards every year since it became a nationally televised entertainment special. As public relations coordinator, she was responsible for setting up the first post-awards press conference, which was held at Mr. Ed's Bar, across the alley from the Ryman Auditorium. Jan left the CMA in 1976 to pursue a career in television production, and immediately worked on the Johnny Cash Summer Series for producer Joe Cates. One of the few Nashville-based production specialists, she was the producer of Roy Acuff's 50th Anniversary Roast, hosted by Vice-President George H.W. Bush, the parade coordinator for the 200th Birthday Celebration of Nashville, and COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION

Among network television shows she's worked are the Grand Ole Opry's 50th, 60th and 65th Anniversaries, the 25th Anniversary of the Country Music Hall of Fame, many Johnny Cash Specials and Lucille Ball's Nashville TV show. Cable TV shows were the Dove Awards, Music City New Awards/TNN Awards, The Statler Brother series for TNN, the Stellar Awards and others.