The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) has announced a major staff reorganization including several new hires and a promotion.

“The staff is now organized around our core competencies of standards, research, and education, and supported by our first real coordinated marketing effort in recent memory,” said Len Vlahos, BISG’s Executive Director.  “I’m very excited to be working with my new colleagues.”

The reorganization includes:

Thomson Guster: Coordinator of Education and Events
Thomson most recently worked in the art department at Nelson Line, a greeting card and gift items wholesaler in Moorestown, New Jersey. Before that, he was Assistant to the Director of Creative Ventures, an incubator for innovative interdisciplinary collaborations at the Kelly Writers House on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Thomson has also worked as the principal organizer of the Bug Time Working Group, a series of writing workshops, also in Philadelphia. He holds a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania.

Julie Morris: Project Manager, Standards and Best Practices
Julie was most recently Project Manager for the web production team at Columbia University's Center for Digital Research and Scholarship. She has also worked at D&M Publishers in Vancouver as Digital Projects Coordinator, and as Communications Coordinator for BookRiff.com. She holds a Master's Degree in publishing from Simon Fraser University and a degree in photojournalism from the University

Nadine Vassallo: Project Manager, Research and Information
Nadine was promoted to her current post from her position as Project Coordinator for The Book Industry Study Group. She has also held positions as Program Coordinator at Columbia University's Institute for Research on Women & Gender and as a Publicity and Marketing Assistant at the Penguin Group USA in their Speakers Bureau. In her spare time, she writes stories and screenplays and DJs once a month in Brooklyn.

Jeanette Zwart: Marketing Strategy
Jeanette has extensive experience in publishing, most recently as Vice President, Sales, at HarperCollins responsible for the field, library jobbers, and regional chains. She has an appreciation for the full spectrum of publishing, having held similar positions in most Big 5 publishers and with earlier experience at independent literary presses and in educational publishing.

All staff members report to Executive Director Len Vlahos.

 

About the Book Industry Study Group, Inc.

The Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG) is the book industry’s leading trade association for policy, standards, and research. The mission of BISG is to create a more informed, empowered, and efficient book industry. Membership consists of publishers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, librarians, and others engaged in the business of print and electronic media. For over 35 years, BISG has provided a forum for all industry professionals to come together and efficiently address issues and concerns to advance the book community. Learn more about BISG at www.bisg.org