Emerging Leader scholars will participate in ECPA PubU held November 16-17 in Nashville, and be matched with industry mentor for year-long mentorship
TEMPE, ARIZ., OCTOBER 10, 2022 – 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 November 16-17 at Lipscomb University in Nashville.
Nominations were made by companies in Christian publishing with a goal to invest in the emerging leaders in their organizations. Since 2016, 83 emerging leaders have gone through the program, adding now an additional 16 professionals from 10 companies.
Paloma Lee, Assistant Producer and Project Specialist at InterVarsity Press – and former Emerging Leader scholar – 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.
“This year’s superb class of Emerging Leaders abounds with a broad range of expertise—their influence spans across the Christian publishing industry through areas of operations, marketing, editorial, design, and more,” Lee said. “It’s profoundly encouraging to see the valuable perspectives and the excellence these professionals are already bringing to the Church and the world through their work. As they develop partnerships with industry mentors over the next year, I’m eager to see Emerging Leaders empowered further within their roles as they experience deeper thriving in their publishing journeys.”
Paloma has developed two special sessions for these scholars, presented by industry leaders the morning before PubU opens:
Four Keys for Flourishing in Your Christian Publishing Career with Trillia Newbell (acquisitions director at Moody Publishers, PubU editorial track leader, and bestselling author); Linda Howard (associate publisher of children & youth at Tyndale House and PubU Children’s Book Summit coordinator); and Bob Gaudet (VP of marketing at Zondervan Bibles, co-leading the PubU marketing track)
Making the Most of Your Mentor Relationship with Dr. Christina Edmondson, author, speaker, educator, and co-host of the Truth’s Table podcast
“At our recent C-Suite Symposium in Savannah, Georgia, I clearly heard from industry executives just how much they value ECPA’s contribution to leadership development and mentoring,” ECPA President Jeff Crosby said. “The Emerging Leaders program embedded within PubU is a cornerstone of that work. I’m grateful to Paloma for her coordination of this year’s program, and congratulate each of the Emerging Leader scholars.”
ECPA is pleased to present the 2022 PubU class of Emerging Leader scholars:
Andrea Calles-Tamayo is a Project Manager at Apricot Services. She was born in Queretaro, Mexico, and has lived in three different countries before moving to Grand Rapids seven years ago. Andrea graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Michigan University with a major in Marketing. She was an intern at Baker Publishing Group before starting her current job at Apricot Services. Andrea has a small YouTube channel where she enjoys posting about her trips, recipes, or anything she has time to edit.
Avrie Roberts is a writer and editor. She holds a BA in English and has worked on postgraduate studies in English literature and world religions. She has a wide range of editorial experience working with Christian publishers and ministries, cultivating a love for creating resources that both equip the church and engage the culture. She works at Moody Publishers as their copy editor, where she gets to read books and study theology for a living.
Brandon Bellanti entered the publishing world in 2021 after working in church ministry, music, and libraries. He earned a B.A. in Music from Cedarville University, then served as Minister of Music at Grace Church in White Lake, MI. After moving to Boston in 2017, Brandon completed a M.S. in Library and Information Science at Simmons University and worked as a technical librarian for Akamai Technologies. He joined The Good Book Company as a data analyst in September 2021.
Bunmi Ishola is a Nigerian American, raised in both countries. She has a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, and holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. After working for World Literature Today, The Norman Transcript, The Dallas Morning News, and CURE magazine, Bunmi taught middle school social studies and English. In 2018, she decided to pursue a career focused on one of her biggest passions: books. She now works as a children’s book editor for Penguin Random House’s Christian publishing group.
Jessica Ludeña Adams joined Tyndale in March 2021 as Associate Marketing Manager. Jessica worked with Tyndale previously as a freelance editor. Prior to joining Tyndale full-time, Jessica was an SEO specialist at a digital marketing company. Jessica is an avid reader and self-proclaimed nerd. Born in the U.S. to a family of Cuban refugees, Jessica is passionate about helping her community, living out her faith, and serving God in her giftedness. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her best friend/husband Joe.
Jonathan Higdon, an editor at the United Methodist Publishing House, is from Nashville, Tennessee. He began working with Cokesbury Kids in 2019 after several years in local church ministry in Tennessee and Texas. He received his B.A. in Communication from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and his M.Div. from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. Jonathan loves a good em dash—but not as much as he loves traveling with his wife, Sonia, and dog, Reese.
Joyce Perez joined the Bethany House marketing department as an assistant marketing manager in 2022. She graduated with a degree in Communications and Advertising in Brazil and moved to Minnesota shortly after, where she began her family and has lived for the past 15 years. With a background in customer service and freelance marketing, design, and social media consulting, she has enjoyed merging her love of creativity and books with her marketing skills as a part of the Bethany House fiction team.
Karen Savella Stallard is a multimedia copywriter at InterVarsity Press. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Before entering the publishing industry, Karen worked as an immigration lawyer for immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She lives in Chicago, IL with her husband, Zach, and her cat, Levin.
Kate Irwin-Lillard is a graphic designer at InterVarsity Press. In 2019, she graduated from Grand Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in studio arts. As a member of the design team at IVP, Kate works in collaboration with other departments to implement and uphold the visual identity and brand of IVP. Kate lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband, Jeffrey. In the wild you can find Kate sporting a snazzy groutfit. She enjoys spicy food, eating a good chocolate chip cookie, and taking pictures of her friends on her (many) disposable cameras.
Linnae Conkel is an editorial assistant for Our Daily Bread Publishing. She contributes to the production of ODBP books by proofreading projects, checking covers, and preparing manuscripts for typesetting. She also has assisted VOICES by translating Spanish content to English, managing contracts, and helping with the editing process of content written for Black and Hispanic audiences. When she’s not working, Linnae is either playing piano or drafting a fantasy novel.
Megan Teegarden, with 15 years of experience in education and ministry, is excited to be working with the Cokesbury Kids publishing team, focusing on both the history and strength of the Cokesbury brand, while also reimagining products and resources that meet the current needs of church leaders and Christian educators. Megan’s work began as a Kindergarten teacher in Birmingham, AL, with faith and ministry always playing an important role in her professional endeavors.
Olivia Eldredge has been with NavPress for four years, serving as the Operations Manager and Bible Products Specialist. Olivia has a BA in Communications with minors in Music and Theology from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. She moved to Colorado with her husband, Luke, in 2017 from Spokane, where she was a worship pastor. Olivia and Luke have been married for six years and love spending time with family; with their dog, Rainier; and in Colorado’s sunny, beautiful wilderness.
Rachel B. Hagewood is the Amplify Engagement Manager at the United Methodist Publishing House. She collaborates with partners in the United Methodist Church to provide resources and support to local congregations, specifically via UMPH’s streaming service, Amplify Media. She also edits various curriculum resources for all ages. A life-long United Methodist, Rachel has a passion for equipping leaders within the church to guide others to a deeper faith through studying scripture and theology.
Sarah Traill is an assistant marketing manager on the Baker Books and Revell nonfiction team at Baker Publishing Group. A West Michigan native, Sarah got her start in the bookselling industry in the hands-on world of retail through customer service and marketing work at the Baker Book House store in Grand Rapids, before moving over to the publishing side to join the trade books marketing team. She is now an assistant marketing manager and contributor to company DEI initiatives.
Selena Cunningham serves as a Cokesbury Kids Team Lead at The United Methodist Publishing House, working with both curriculum and vacation Bible school. For more than ten years, Selena has served the publishing house in a variety of editorial roles, including work with Cokesbury’s Celebrate Wonder, Deep Blue, and Rotation Stations curriculum lines. She has also done editorial work for Discovery on Adventure Island VBS, Food Truck Party VBS, and the upcoming Hero Hotline VBS.
Zach Savella Stallard is an Operations Coordinator with InterVarsity Press. After developing a love for IVP’s books during Wheaton College theology studies, campus ministry, and church planting, he followed his wife Karen to work with IVP in 2021. He loves solving problems and developing systems, and he works with IVP’s print production, hiring, onboarding, and this year’s Urbana conference bookstore. He is proud to work in Christian publishing and with IVP to contribute toward the equipping of the church.
ECPA PubU returns to Lipscomb University in Nashville on November 16-17, after two years of conducting the event online. This year’s program will include more than 30 sessions, 50+ speakers in several training tracks based on publishing discipline: Marketing Track, Editorial Track, Design Track, Production & Operations Track – and a post-event afternoon Children’s Book Summit.
REGISTRATION AND PROGRAM IS 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
