BOARD MEMBERS
KATY BEEHLER — President, Robin Seaman Award Committee Chair
Katy Beehler (she/her) is a Product Manager at the tech for social good non-profit, Benetech. She works on Bookshare, a software application for the world's largest digital library for people with print reading disabilities. Katy has over 15 years of experience in the book industry, previously working for Independent Publishers Group, INscribe Digital, and Borders Group Inc. As a native Michigander, she can often be spotted at BAWiP events talking about Michigan football, the Detroit Red Wings hockey team, and pop (not soda). She earned her BA from University of Michigan and her MA in Jewish Art and Visual Culture from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. In addition to her role as President, Katy chairs the Robin Seaman Award, Governance, and Nomination Committees.
EDEN JULIA SUGAY — Vice President, Communications Committee Co-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Leader of BIPOC and Queer Affinity Groups
Eden Sugay (she/they) is a Publishing Sales Manager at VIZ Media. Eden has previously worked for Ingram Content Group (formerly Perseus Books Group) and Chronicle Books in sales, marketing, events, and client management. Eden is also Poetry Editor for Apricity Press, a multi-genre arts press that publishes one issue per year. She earned her BA in Creative Writing from Mills College in Oakland, CA. In addition to her role as Vice President, Eden is an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Communications Committee Co-Chair, and a BAWiP Mentor.
GUILLIAN HETZLER — Treasurer and Social Events Chair
Guillian Hetzler is Director of Content Acquisitions at Benetech, a nonprofit that runs Bookshare, a global digital library for people with print disabilities. 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.
ALEX HENDERSON — Secretary, Social and Education Events Committee
Alex Henderson joined Labyrinth Learning four years ago as an Editorial Assistant and is now an Editor, overseeing the creation, release and upgrading of the company’s online courses and multimedia products, and also its internal processes. Alex graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Creative Writing, and interned at the California Film Institute and Avalon Travel. She is a member of BAWiP's Education Committee.
MAUREEN FORYS — Mentorship Task Force Co-Chair
Maureen Forys (she/her) has more than 25 years of experience working in book publishing and graphic design, specializing in long document publishing, book design, and production automation. As the director of Happenstance Type-O-Rama, an Oakland, CA book packaging and design firm, she is a respected and often called upon expert in the development and use of macros, transformation scenarios, and scripting to automate book production. Maureen holds a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing from the University of Redlands and spends her free time training in art of bookmaking at the San Francisco Center for the Book.
KRISTEN FRANTZ — Communications Co-Chair
Kristen Frantz (she/her) is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Berrett Koehler Publishers, where she has worked since 1992. She currently oversees the areas of sales to US trade bookstores, corporations, associations and authors, plus promotion through publicity and marketing. Kristen has worked in nonfiction publishing since 1989, previously working for McGraw-Hill in their textbook division, and Bull Publishing, a health, fitness, and nutrition book publisher. Kristen enjoys being the Communications Co-Chair and a BAWiP Mentor because it gives her opportunities to hang out with smart, fun women, and help educate others about the industry. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, and striking yoga poses.
RACHEL NEUMANN — Membership Chair
Rachel Neumann (she/her/they) is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and a senior literary agent at Idea Architects, a visionary book developer and literary agency. She brings 20 years of experience to leading successful independent publishing houses in both New York and California. She specializes in narrative adult nonfiction and children’s fiction, with an emphasis on reaching new and diverse audiences, expanding the base for experienced authors, and working collaboratively to develop new ideas and platforms. For ten years, Rachel served as the Publisher and Editorial Director of Parallax Press and led Parallax’s transformation from a small non-profit publisher into a multi-million-dollar trade powerhouse. Rachel is based in the Bay Area and speaks and teaches regularly around the country.
ROCHON PERRY — BIPOC Womxn in Publishing Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Co-Chair, Education Events Committee
Rochon Perry is co-founder of WRTB, LLC, which consists of Cedar Grove Publishing (book company) and Articulate Fish Media Group (digital marketing and media), along with her partners Rebecca Sims-Nichols and Gloria Davenport-Wilson. With the tagline Every Book is Somebody's Story, Cedar Grove Publishing's books celebrate diversity, and being true to yourself while overcoming adversity to achieve success. Previously, Rochon was an Art Director for a local San Francisco television station. She also worked on the White House Access to Capital for Small Business campaign, Bishop Desmond Tutu's first tour upon his release from prison, and has helped independent comic book companies and non-profits launch new marketing and publicity campaigns, curated cartoon exhibitions and been an Eisner Award judge. Rochon is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Institute for Comic Studies, CALIBA, Bay Area Independent Book Publishers Association, People of Color in Publishing, the Children's Book Council and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She is also the recipient of several awards, including an award for news content from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
KELLY PETERSON — Professional Development and Education Co-Chair
Kelly Peterson is Director of Client Services at INscribe Digital, and brings 20 years of marketing and merchandising experience to her current role, helping major trade publishers, university presses, independent publishers, agents and authors maximize their eBook sales and marketing efforts at the major retailers. Prior to INscribe, Kelly worked at Borders Group, Inc. for 14 years, initially at Waldenbooks and later running the eBook program. Kelly currently chairs BAWiP's Education Committee. She is also a board member of Independent Book Publishers' Association, and serves on the Member Benefits Committee. She sees every nominated Oscar film annually (59 last year alone!) and is always ready with a book or movie recommendation. She believes each of us have the ability to change the world.
MICHELLE PHAN — Diversity and Inclusion Committee, BIPOC and Queer Affinity Groups
Michelle Phan is an associate publicist at North Atlantic Books. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in English and a minor in Asian American studies, she moved from SoCal to the Bay Area, where she has found life to be expensive but pleasant. In addition to her role on the board, she is a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
RAYA RAHMAN — Mentorship Task Force
Raya Rahman is a children's book author and the founder and editor of a bilingual picture book company called Guba Publishing. She works in partnership with other authors, illustrators and non-profit organizations to publish diverse and multicultural children's stories and learning resources. Raya lives in Oakland, California with her husband and their two daughters.
JOHANNA VONDELING — Diversity and Inclusion Chair, Mentorship Task Force Co-Chair
Johanna Vondeling is President and Publisher at Berrett-Koehler Publishers. She previously served as Vice President for International Sales and Business Development and as Vice President for Editorial and Digital, after joining the company in 2004. Before that, she worked for Jossey-Bass (a Wiley imprint), W.W. Norton, and Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. She received her BA from Yale University and her PhD in literature from the University of Texas at Austin.
KATE WARNE — Social and Educational Events Committee
Kate Warne is Director of Editing, Design, and Production at the University of California Press. She’s also an advisory board member for the Bay Area–based Publishing Professionals Network. An editor by training, she now particularly enjoys being a manager and is interested in the ways professional relationships drive success in organizations. Outside work, Kate hikes, reads, writes, and sometimes rides her bike.