Bay Area
WOMEN in PUBLISHING
Building an inclusive community for women-identifying and nonbinary publishing professionals
BOARD MEMBERS
See past board members here.
EDEN JULIA SUGAY — President, Governance Committee, Communications Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
​​​​​
Eden Sugay (they/them) is Senior 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 Poetry Editor for Apricity Press, a multi-genre arts press that publishes one issue per year. They earned their B.A. in Creative Writing from Mills College in Oakland, CA and are pursuing their M.F.A. in Writing at University of San Francisco, where they are Editor-in-Chief of the M.F.A. program's online publication Invisible City. In addition to their role as President, Eden is an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Communications Committee, and has been a BAWiP Mentor.
KATE WARNE — Vice President, Social and Educational Events
Committee Co-Chair
​​​​​​
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.
ALEX HENDERSON — Secretary, Social and Educational 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.
MICHELLE PHAN — Robin Seaman Award Committee,
Diversity and Inclusion Committee, BIPOC and Queer Affinity Groups
​​
Michelle Phan is a 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 spends a lot of time camping, hiking, and shopping at Berkeley Bowl. In addition to her role on the board, she is a member of the Robin Seaman Award Committee, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and the Communications Committee.
CHLOE WONG — Communications Chair
​
Chloe Wong (she/her) is Product Marketing Manager at University of California Press. She started her career in publishing at Berrett-Koehler Publishers after graduating from UC Berkeley. She lives in San Francisco, CA where she enjoys reading a little bit of everything and running the Marina Green.
DOROTHY HEARST — Membership Committee Chair,
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
​​
Dorothy Hearst (she/her) has over twenty years of experience in the publishing industry as an acquiring editor, marketing professional, book doctor, co-writer, and proposal writer. Clients include former Vice President Kamala Harris, UN Undersecretary General for Communications Melissa Fleming, Creative Artist Agency, Flatiron books, and Roaring Brook Press. She specializes in finding, crafting, and sharing ideas and stories that can change the way people live, work, and see the world. She was Senior Editor at Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons, and acquiring-editor-at-large for Sounds True. She is the author of The Wolf Chronicles trilogy (Simon & Schuster) and co-author with Pam Berkman of the At the Heels of History chapter book series (Margaret K. McElderry Books). She would like to pet your dog.
KELLY PETERSON
​​
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 Publisher’ 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.
JOHANNA VONDELING — Diversity and Inclusion Chair,
Mentorship Task Force Co-Chair
​​​
Johanna Vondeling is founder of Vondeling Ventures, a consultancy supporting nonfiction publishers and authors. She was President and Publisher at Berrett-Koehler Publishers through December, 2022. She previously served as BK's 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. In addition to serving on BAWiP’s board, she is on the advisory board of the Publishing Professionals Network and is the proud recipient of PPN’s 2020 Distinguished Service Award.
CHERYL CECHVALA — Diversity and Inclusion Committee,
Mentorship Committee
​
Cheryl Cechvala is a longtime acquisition, development and sponsoring editor who has worked for publishers large and small, primarily in nonfiction and educational publishing, since 1997. Her favorite part has always been working with authors to execute a vision, whether for an illustration-driven science title or an interactive ebook. When she’s not reading manuscripts or strategizing with authors and colleagues, you’ll find her hiking, baking, traveling, or watching her favorite history or cooking shows with her husband and two daughters.
NATALIE GOMEZ
​
Natalie Gomez (she/her) is an Editorial Assistant at the University of California Press, where she helps guide authors through the publishing process. Before joining UC Press, she supported the executive team at Chronicle Books and spent time as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble. Natalie earned her BA in English and Classics from UC Santa Barbara and now calls the Bay Area home. Outside of her work, she is active in the literary community, serving on the BAWiP board and as Co-Chair of the Robin Seaman Committee.
BRIANNA JAMES
​
Briana James is currently an Assistant Editor at Clarkson Potter, acquiring for the Cookbook list, as well as the Design, Entertainment, and Culture list. She started her publishing career in children’s publishing where she was a writer and illustrator at Bravery Magazine and then the Children's Editorial Fellow at Chronicle Books. With a personal writing project always in the mix, Bri has been featured in The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Edible East Bay, and Eater, among others. She is especially proud of her debut children’s project Young Historians Club: Black American History (2025, Union Square Kids). Bri received her bachelor's degree from Emory University and her doctorate from Duke University, School of Law. She sometimes hangs out online at brijames.com.