TEMPE, ARIZ., OCTOBER 9, 2023 – ECPA has announced the recipients of the Emerging Leader scholarship and mentorship program for ECPA PubU – the industry’s training and networking event for Christian publishing professionals, taking place as an online conference in six publishing tracks from October 27 to November 13, 2023.
Nominations were made by Christian publishing companies to invest in the emerging leaders in their organizations. Since 2016, 100 emerging leaders have gone through the program, adding now an additional 28 professionals from 16 companies – the largest class to date.
“What a joy it has been to watch the Emerging Leaders program develop over the past eight years and to encounter people who are doing remarkable work in Christian publishing, even early in their careers,” Jeff Crosby, ECPA president, said. “I extend my congratulations to each of the 28 people in this year’s class, and look forward to the sessions at PubU and to hearing how the mentoring relationships have impacted participants.”
Edwina Perkins, managing editor for Harambee Press – serves on the ECPA PubU Brain Trust as the coordinator of this year’s Emerging Leader program. She will be coordinating the matching of each mentee with an industry mentor. “Emerging leaders are the ones to impact the future direction of the Christian publishing industry,” states Edwina. “What an honor and privilege it is to assist in connecting them with mentors. I believe this class of 28 will greatly contribute to the industry and the lives they touch through their growth as leaders.”
ECPA is pleased to present the 2023 PubU class of Emerging Leader scholars:
Whitney Walker Alexander serves as the Marketing Strategist for trade books and kids books for B&H Publishing, an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources. She brings her years of experience in healthcare marketing to Christian publishing and has already been leading in the industry, most recently as the Marketing Brain Trust lead for PubU. @whitneywalexander
Nick Bannister is a sales manager for The Good Book Company utilizing his relational strengths and passion for excellent content. He holds an MA in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and previously worked in content/curriculum development at David C. Cook.
Rachael Wing Betz is a Copywriter and the Fiction Social Media Manager at Bethany House Publishers where she crafts copy for books of all varieties and strategizes, creates, and forms connections through multiple platforms. Her passion lies in helping both publishers and authors tell their stories through strong copy and engaging visual social content. @sincerely.rachael
Alberto I. Bonilla-Giovanetti is the Academic Editorial Assistant at InterVarsity Press. He loves working with books on biblical studies, history, theology, and languages and culture. He is a native Spanish speaker and has studied Greek and Hebrew, and has an MA and ThM in biblical studies from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Elysia Brewer is a proofreader and developmental editor with 1517 Publishing and sees her role as the bridge between author and reader. She looks forward to many decades of working alongside writers, helping to convey their words of wisdom to a world of eager readers. She has an MA from University of Exeter and resides in England.
Shauna Carlos is a Publicity Assistant at WaterBrook & Multnomah and Convergent Books, working on a wide range of titles including Christian Living, memoirs, general nonfiction, and fiction. She is an avid book lover and hopes to continue with a career in publishing to help continue the pursuit of diverse voices in Christian literature.
Ruth Castle serves as the managing editor of adult resources at New Growth Press where she has worked for six years. With a background in English, French, and counseling, Ruth is passionate about biblical counseling, missions, and discipleship. Ruth grew up in West Africa and graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Molly Crowson is a Publishing Assistant for Harrington Interactive Media (HIM Publications) where she enjoys editing, managing content creation, assisting in managing book production, and helping people share their stories. She has a BA in English with minors in French, Editing and Publishing.
Fanny Gonzalez is an Operations and Business Analysis Manager at Lexham Press. She is responsible for managing inventory, print production, and domestic and international distribution. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, and a good cup of coffee.
Emma Greydanus is an Assistant Marketing Manager at Baker Publishing Group, helping bring a broad range of engaging nonfiction books to market. Having previously marketed for life science companies and nonprofits, Emma is now using her years of experience to fuel her passion for publishing and leading her team into new areas of innovation and growth.
Elizabeth Groening is a Publicity & Marketing Assistant at WaterBrook & Multnomah where she has built intentional relationships with colleagues and authors, while leading multiple publicity campaigns for fiction, creative, and children’s titles. As a creative writer with an MA in Journalism, she’s covered everything from winemaking to wildfires to women’s rights.
Lauren Groves is an acquisitions editor for B&H Kids. Lauren enjoys editing and writing and has particularly loved acquiring new authors. Lauren has edited for Bible Studies for Life, The Gospel Project, and ParentLife Magazine, wrote curriculum for TeamKid, and wrote a 365-day devotional for B&H called New Year, New You.
Subaas Gurung is the Rights and Contracts Coordinator for InterVarsity Press. He was raised by missionary parents, spending much of his childhood in Nepal. After receiving a BA from Wheaton College, he worked in refugee resettlement with World Relief in Chicago. He now enjoys working with IVP’s international publishing partners.
Anthony Jones is a freelance editor for Publishing in Color and a contributor for Our Daily Bread Ministries, authoring several devotionals on modern society. Previously, he worked as an editorial intern for Urban Ministries. He is a graduate of Fisk University, and currently working toward a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern. He loves pairing his passion for editing and writing to help others in their walk with Christ.
Amanda Keesee is a Rights and Contracts Assistant at InterVarsity Press. Her work includes managing permission requests, protecting the copyright of IVP books, and assisting with contracts for sublicensing and freelancers. She derives great joy seeing IVP books in different languages. Amanda has a B.A. from Moody Bible Institute and enjoys singing, crafting, and finding good stories.
Karina Lopez is the Publishing Coordinator at XO Publishing. Her lifelong learner mindset launched her from proofreading marketing copy to being invited to join the developing publishing department, where she oversees title management, income statement reporting, and distribution. She is passionate about connecting people with fulfilling resources.
Ashley Mulder is the marketing director for Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA), responsible for promotional efforts, author interviews, reviews, and conference attendance. She also manages their social media and blog. Before that role, she worked for RFPA as a freelance copywriter. She is from Grand Rapids, Michigan and attended Dordt University in Iowa.
Natalie Nyquist works as an editor at Nelson Books, a trade imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Before that she taught the editing course sequence at UC Berkeley and did freelance editing for traditional publishers. She did her undergrad in biblical studies at Moody Bible Institute before earning the graduate editing certificate at the University of Chicago.
Muthoni Omukhango is the National Director at CLC Kenya. She has been instrumental in setting up book programs, a publishing arm, an author’s program serving over 900 authors from 13 countries in Africa, writing classes, missions programs and children’s publishing programs. She writes on marriage, parenting, and publishing in Africa at muthoniomukhango.kenyaclc.
Levi Phillips is a Marketing Associate with WaterBrook & Multnomah and is passionate about creating innovative ways to connect readers to content. His multi-cultural background gives him understanding across diverse marketing demographics. He has served at Biblica and The Navigators, and trained at the Focus Leadership Institute and the Walt Disney College Program.
Rebecca Schriner, a nonfiction publicist with Baker Publishing Group, earned her MA in Public Relations from Ball State University. Before Baker, she worked as a publicist for Light Messages and in digital marketing. She has been a guest speaker in Taylor’s Professional Writing program and her writing has been featured in Brio and The Secret Place magazines. @Rebecca_Publicist
Lindsay Schubert joined the Bethany House Publishers marketing team in 2021 and is also a writer of poetry and picture books. She is a graduate of Central Washington University’s English: Professional and Creative Writing B.A. program, volunteered as a poetry reader for Chestnut Review, and is also a nurse. Her work appears in Poetry Northwest.
Kristen Terrette is the Media Manager for Elk Lake Publishing, Inc., an author, and literary agent. With a background in education and theology, Kristen served as a children’s ministry director and women’s leader for many years before returning to her first love—writing the stories playing out in her head—and now diving into the publishing world. kristenterrette.com
Kaylee Terry is the Finance Manager for New Growth Press where she provides financial guidance to the NGP leadership team. Kaylee’s deep-rooted faith and reliance on Biblical counsel drive her decision-making, creating a harmonious blend of values and expertise. She is a graduate of Messiah University and a former emerging leader with the Piedmont Fellows.
Anna Tjernstrom is the Publicist for IVP Kids, focusing her efforts on connecting with bloggers and media outlets. She brings years of children’s ministry experience to her post and in addition to managing the publicity operations, Anna has stepped up to increase the reach of the IVP Kids line of books.
Irene Tucker is a Marketing Copywriter for David C Cook. She’s currently advancing her storytelling skills at the Los Angeles Film School, specializing in cinematic storytelling to capture stories that define the human experience through writing and film. Irene finds her purpose in supporting women and fellow mothers who’ve braved the storms of hardship and loss.
Anne Van Solkema is the Fiction Publicist for Bethany House Publishers, with previous roles at Baker Publishing as a marketing and publicity assistant. She graduated from Calvin University with a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature and has held positions at Calvin University and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Ashley Veneman serves as a Marketing Specialist for books for B&H Publishing, an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources. She holds a BA in Communications from Union University, and an MA in Communication Rhetoric from The University of Memphis. Ashley loves teaching young women in her local church, photography, and planning epic road trips.
ECPA PubU Online will include over 40 webinars, master classes, and networking sessions in several training tracks for Design, Editorial, Marketing, Production & Operations, Rights, and Children’s Literature – offered from October 27 to November 13. Registration is open at ECPAPubU.org.
About ECPA PubU: ECPA PubU has delivered training, connection, networking and inspiration to the industry’s frontline practitioners since 2004. Industry leaders develop the program to invest in the expertise of their colleagues, and train up the next generation of leaders. For more information, visit ECPAPubU.org.
About ECPA: The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org
Media Contacts:
Jeff Crosby, ECPA President & CEO, jcrosby@ecpa.org or 480-966-3998 ext. 101
Sheri Toomb, Marketing Manager, stoomb@ecpa.org or 480-966-3998 ext. 104
