The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is pleased to announce the following new members of the 2011-13 Board of Directors:
Tom Doherty has worked in publishing for more than 28 years. Sixteen of those years involved in distribution with Time-Warner, The Hearst Corporation and for the past eight years as president of Cardinal Publishers Group; a full service national book distributor serving independent publishers of adult non-fiction books. Tom is also the publisher of Blue River Press, which publishes New York Times bestselling authors James Alexander Thom and Jack D. Hunter as well as category non-fiction and regional series books.
Stone Bridge Press president and publisher Peter Goodman is a graduate of Cornell University and lived in Tokyo, Japan for ten years, where he worked as an editor for English-language publishers Charles E. Tuttle and Kodansha International before returning to the United States in 1985. He has served as in-house editor, ghostwriter, translator, and project manager on nearly 200 Japan- and Asia-related titles. Peter established Stone Bridge in 1989. He is past president of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (formerly MSPA). Stone Bridge Press specializes in books about Japan in English and, along with its children's and crafts imprint Heian, has over 150 titles in print. Distributed by Consortium Book Sales of St. Paul, Minnesota, Stone Bridge exemplifies the small and independent press with access to a national market.
MaryAnn F. Kohl, president of Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. (1985) has written and/or published more than 20 award-winning books about art for children (all ages), and their parents and teachers, including Scribble Art, Mudworks, Preschool Art, Discovering Great Artists and Storybook Art. She enjoys speaking internationally about creativity. MaryAnn was an elementary classroom teacher and later began writing and publishing books as a way to stay involved in education while being a stay-at-home mom. MaryAnn writes for magazines like Family Fun and Parenting, and consults for such companies as Fisher-Price, Jim Henson, and Nickelodeon. She has plans to expand her publishing to young adult fiction and inspirational education topics. MaryAnn recently became an agent for authors seeking publishers in the education genre. MaryAnn and her husband live in Bellingham, Washington where she is an avid snow-skier and kayak enthusiast. Both of MaryAnn's daughters have careers in the arts and have books in the works.
Christopher Robbins is a husband and father of nine children. He is real and is not, contrary to those who meet him for the first time, a storybook character. He holds a BA in English and an MBA with an emphasis on Marketing from Brigham Young University—a perennial top 20 football program. He has been in the magazine and book publishing fields for 20 years. He currently chooses which 80 hours he works each week as CEO of Gibbs Smith, which just celebrated its 42nd year as an illustrated lifestyle publisher. Christopher enjoys dates with his wife, playing with his children, cooking, fly-fishing, playing his cello, and backpacking the backcountry of the western United States. His favorite movie is What’s Up, Doc! and his favorite book is Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather.
Janice Schnell is a Content Acquisition Account Executive for Ingram Content Group. Janice joined Ingram in January 2007, and has extensive knowledge of book publishing and offset and print-on-demand book manufacturing and distribution. In addition to Janice’s traditional book experience, Janice is well versed in digital content solutions for publishers. Ms. Schnell currently sits on the board of the Independent Book Publishers Association. Janice received her bachelor’s degree from Furman University and earned her master’s degree from Belmont University.
Founded in 1983, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is the largest not-for-profit trade organization for publishers in the United States, serving more than 3000 book publishers of all sizes. IBPA's mission is to help independent publishers market their titles, to provide education on all aspects of publishing, and to act as an advocate for publishers' rights.