The Independent Book Publishers Association’s (IBPA’s) Board Nominating Committee is pleased to announce their recommendations for the 2016 IBPA board of directors election. The eight recommended candidates, a mixture of incumbent and new applicants, were picked from a list of over twenty IBPA members to apply during the open application period (November 16, 2015 through December 31, 2015).
After careful review, the Board Nominating Committee named the following director candidates to stand for election to two-year terms (July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018) on the IBPA board of directors:
- Leslie Browning, Founder & CEO, Homebound Publications
- Robin Cutler (incumbent), Senior Manager/IngramSpark, Ingram Book Group
- Keith Garton, President & Publisher, Red Chair Press LLC
- Jim Milliot (incumbent), Editorial Director, Publishers Weekly
- Shannon Okey (incumbent), Publisher, Cooperative Press
- Robert Price (incumbent), Founder & Publisher, Price World Publishing
- Mark Suchomel (incumbent), President Client Services, Perseus Distribution
- Brooke Warner (incumbent), Publisher, She Writes Press
The names above will appear on the Board Ballot for IBPA membership vote during the April 9, 2016 Annual Membership Meeting scheduled during Publishing University in Salt Lake City, Utah. As part of their service, the director candidates will align with IBPA’s CORE VALUES. These are the implicitly understood, deeply held convictions that guide the spirit and nature of the IBPA board, staff, and volunteers. They include:
- SERVICE, which expresses IBPA’s commitment to openness and accessibility. IBPA’s desire to be authentically and truly helpful (with no other agenda) reflects an understanding that the essence of leadership is service.
- LEADERSHIP, which is expressed through IBPA’s position as the largest professional publishing association in the United States, as well as in its commitment to providing expert programs and perspectives to aid independent, hybrid, and self-publishers in the business of publishing.
- INDEPENDENCE, which reflects a deep commitment to independent points of view and the belief that enabling access to these points of view is essential to creativity and innovation.
Members of IBPA’s 2016 Board Nominating Committee included the following previous IBPA board members: Janice Butler (Ingram Content Group), W. Paul Coates (Black Classic Press & BCP Digital Printing), Tom Doherty (Blue River Press & Cardinal Publishers Group), Deltina Hay (Dalton Publising), Christopher Robbins (Familus & American West Books), and Marcella Smith (Marcella Smith Associates).
Those interested can read about the IBPA Board Nominating Committee process in this Briefing Memo from December 2015.
Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, IBPA leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,100 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the tools and knowledge needed to professionally engage in all aspects of the publishing industry. For more information, visit www.ibpa-online.org.
