Wonya Lucas, president and CEO of Hallmark Media, will step down from her current role at the end of 2023.

The executive joined the company in 2020 during a tumultuous period following the departure of longtime CEO Bill Abbott, who exited due to backlash from Hallmark Channel pulling several ads from wedding planning brand Zola that featured a same-sex couple kissing at their wedding.

During Lucas’ tenure, she worked to create more diverse and inclusive programming and storylines at Hallmark, bringing vast brand and marketing experience from prior roles at companies such as Clorox, Coca-Cola, CNN and Weather Channel.

Lucas will remain on the Hallmark Media board of directors, and Mike Perry, president and CEO of Hallmark Companies, will work closely with Lucas through the transition and assume her day-to-day operations of the media business.

“I am honored to have led this company and am tremendously proud of the progress we’ve made by creating an evolved entertainment experience that inspires meaningful, emotionally connected moments for our audiences,” Lucas said in a statement. “My passion for the Hallmark brand has grown in deeply rewarding ways and will remain paramount as I continue to help guide Hallmark Media’s future in a more strategically focused capacity.”

The former Adweek TV executive of the year successfully infused diversity into the Hallmark networks, through race, religion and sexual orientation, all while maintaining the brand’s ratings dominance.

Among her Hallmark highlights, the exec turned the brand’s three-decade-old greeting card line, Mahogany, into an entertainment brand focused on Black culture and Black women. She also helped the company explore brand extensions with other IP, including the kids brand Crayola; Tree of Life, which is centered on the Jewish faith; and Vida, a brand focused on Hispanic and Latinx culture. 

Under Lucas’ leadership, Hallmark furthered its brand presence through partnerships with Peacock, Hulu and YouTube, as well as multiple FAST and AVOD platforms. Lucas also launched programs in support of women creatives, including the Make Her Mark Women’s Directing Program.

“Wonya is a multifaceted industry veteran, passionate brand builder and consummate strategic leader,” Perry said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the important work she has done to bring the expansive foundation of the iconic Hallmark brand to life and am fortunate that her insights will continue to positively impact the future of the business.”