Bay Area
WOMEN in PUBLISHING
Building an inclusive community for women-identifying and nonbinary publishing professionals
THE ROBIN SEAMAN AWARD
Who Is Involved in the Robin Seaman Award?
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This award grew out of a partnership between Robin Seaman’s family and Bay Area Women in Publishing, a professional organization co-founded by Robin Seaman and others in 2012. Robin’s family, colleagues and friends serve on the RSA Committee, along with members of BAWiP, and other representatives of the Bay Area publishing community. We’ve been developing this award since fall 2019 to honor and support women and non-binary people from all backgrounds and professional levels who are passionate about publishing.
Our Partners
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Heartfelt thanks to all of the people and organizations who are supporting the Robin Seaman Award, including:
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The Seaman Family, including Scott Seaman (Robin’s brother) and Laura Seaman (Robin’s niece)
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Bay Area Women in Publishing, a professional organization that connects and supports current and aspiring colleagues who identify as women or non-binary, helping them to advance their career goals while building community and a more equitable environment in publishing (co-founded by Robin Seaman and others in 2012)
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Benetech, a nonprofit technology company developing software for the social good, which developed the Bookshare project (where Robin Seaman worked from 2008 to 2019)
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The Social Good Fund, an organization that sponsors projects that help positively impact and develop local communities into healthier and happier places to live, work, and be
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If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact us.
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Robin Seaman Award Committee Members
Scott Seaman​
​Scott Seaman is Robin Seaman’s brother. He lives with his wife Christina in San Jose, CA, where he served in the police department until he became chief of police for Los Gatos/Monte Sereno. A few months after Robin’s passing in 2019, Scott proposed the creation of this award program to Charlotte Abbott and the BAWiP board, suggesting that it be named after Robin and funded by the Seaman family and Robin’s many friends and colleagues. Knowing how much Robin benefited from the support of her publishing mentors, and how she helped found BAWiP with Charlotte and others, Scott wanted to collaborate on an award that would open doors for applicants who want to make a positive impact in the publishing industry. The Seaman Family, including Scott and Christina’s two adult children, Brendan and Laura, are forever grateful to Robin’s friends and colleagues who have worked so hard to develop the Robin Seaman Award.
Laura Seaman​
Laura Seaman is Robin’s niece. She runs a nonprofit, lives in the Bay Area with her partner and their rescue dog, and volunteers as a youth soccer coach. Laura credits her aunt Robin with instilling in her a lifelong love of books. One of her earliest memories is of sneaking into her aunt’s study on Christmas Eve to curl up with the copy of Little Women that Robin had let her open early. Laura feels lucky to have had Robin as a mentor and role model, and is proud of Robin’s personal and professional legacies—including as a trailblazer in her industry. She hopes the Robin Seaman Award will support others as they build rewarding, impactful careers in the world of book publishing.
Katy Beehler
​​Katy Beehler (she/her) is a Senior Product Management Lead on the Software team at Spatial Informatics Group (SIG). At SIG, Katy is responsible for leading and defining the strategy for enterprise products. She has over 15 years of experience in the EdTech and book industries, previously working for Benetech (Bookshare), Independent Publishers Group, INscribe Digital, and Borders Group Inc. Katy has worked on BAWiP boards and committees since 2016; she has served as President, Vice President, and Secretary. Today, Katy serves the BAWiP community through the Robin Seaman Award Committee. In addition to BAWiP, Katy is a member of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) program committee and a commissioner of the Alameda Commission on Persons with Disabilities. She earned her BA from the University of Michigan and her MA in Jewish Art and Visual Culture from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
Audrey Cadena​​​
Audrey Cadena is a Sonoma State University graduate with a BA in English and a concentration in Creative Writing, as well as a minor in Film Studies. During her time at SSU she was Editor in Chief of Zaum Press and The Revival Zine. Post-grad, she’s built up her publishing knowledge and experience through completing the Writers House Intern Program and currently participating in the People of Color in Publishing Mentorship program. Audrey is an aspiring publishing professional who’s excited to see where her love of books takes her.
Sara Fan​
Sara Fan joined the Robin Seaman Award Committee in December 2023. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her MFA in creative nonfiction at the University of San Francisco. Her essay collection was shortlisted for the 2020 Graywolf Nonfiction Prize. She is the marketing associate for the University of California Press.
Natalie Gomez​
Natalie Gomez (she/her) joined the Robin Seaman Award Committee in November 2023 and currently serves as Co-Chair. As an Editorial Assistant at the University of California Press, she supports authors throughout the publication process. Natalie earned her BA in English and Classics from UC Santa Barbara before making the Bay Area her home.
Guillian Hetzler​
Guillian Hetzler (she/her) is a founding board member of BAWiP and member of the Robin Seaman Award Committee. Most recently she was Director of Content and Library Partnerships at Benetech, a nonprofit that runs Bookshare, a global digital library for people with print disabilities. She is a passionate advocate for accessible books and has served on related committees with organizations including the Book Industry Study Group, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, W3C, and the DAISY Consortium. Previously, Guillian worked in client services at INscribe Digital and editorial at Simon & Schuster and Entangled Publishing. She is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia Publishing Course and is always on the lookout for her next great read.
Michelle Phan​
Michelle Phan (she/her) is a publicist at North Atlantic Books, an indie non-profit publisher based in Berkeley. She is co-chair of the Robin Seaman Award Committee, which she joined in 2021, and also serves as a board member of BAWiP and on the DEI and Communications committees. Originally from SoCal, Michelle graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in English and a minor in Asian American studies before moving to the Bay Area to pursue a publishing career.