New York, New York (February 2, 2010)- Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder of National Action Network (NAN) and one of the country's foremost civil rights leaders will announce during NAN's upcoming national convention in April, the appointment of Munson Steed as Director of the Madison Avenue Initiative (MAI), a program under the National Action Network that addresses fairness in advertising, Mr. Steed is the CEO of Steed Media Group, Inc., a multimedia conglomerate that includes newspapers, magazines, television programming, internet properties, custom publications, signature events and more. Over the course of more than ten years, Mr. Steed, a noted and much sought after motivational speaker and thought producer, has not only moved the company's flagship publication, rolling out, into national prominence as the largest chain of African American-owned weekly papers in the nation, he has also soundly established a consummate urban lifestyle brand. The rolling out brand denotes a lifestyle characterized by an unyielding passion for enhancing access for people of color in the media and advertising industries along with community conscious behavior. Steed's acute industry acumen is often credited with cutting edge applications for technology and best use practices. Well known for his melding of iconic relationships to benefit those impacted by a fluctuating economy, he regularly leverages his company's resources to generate greater dexterity in media relations.