MBA Executive Director Job Posting (PDF)
MBA Executive Director Job Description (PDF)
Letter to MBA members (PDF)
July 11, 2010
Dear Midwest Booksellers Association members,
I’m writing today to let you know that I will be leaving my position as MBA’s Executive Director in January 2011. My family obligations and responsibilities have increased greatly since the beginning of this year, and I have decided that I need to move to North Carolina to live close to and assist my parents on a daily basis. I plan to move by the end of January 2011.
The MBA Board of Directors and I are already working on a smooth and well-organized transition for the coming months. Our shared commitment to the mission and continuing success of Midwest Booksellers Association and especially to you, our members, is our focus in this process.
Here is what will happen:
- The MBA Executive Director job opening is being posted now on the MBA website and circulated throughout the book industry. The job will be advertised in Bookselling This Week and Publishers Lunch as well. This is a link to the job ad for your reference. Please do distribute this ad to others, and please apply for the job if you are interested.
- The MBA Board of Directors are responsible for hiring the next Executive Director, which they plan to do by mid-Fall. My successor and I will have plenty of time to carry out a detailed, organized process of training and information exchange, and your new Executive Director will be in place by January 2011.
And we want to assure all of you that MBA is here for you!
- It is business as usual at MBA over the coming months. I am always available to you by phone and email, and I’m very happy to answer any questions and discuss any recommendations and concerns you may have. MBA’s Assistant Director Kati Gallagher, who is continuing in her position, is also available to you as always.
- The 2010 MBA Trade Show, October 1-2 in St. Paul, is already in the works. As always, we will have the excellent programming and author events and the strong bookseller and vendor participation that you expect from our show.
- The 2010 MBA Catalog is also well underway and promises to be a good edition. Publisher support is up from last year, and you MBA booksellers will benefit from a lower cost and higher circulation MBA Catalog program this year.
- Our successful MBA marketing initiatives – including our Midwest Connections regional marketing program and our Midwest Booksellers’ Choice Awards – will continue. We already have some great Fall 2010 titles for Midwest Connections Picks, and the soon-to-be-announced book award winners are excellent ones.
After 23 years as the longest-serving regional booksellers association executive director, I know I’ll find it hard to depart from my position, from all of you in the MBA region, and from the Midwest as well. However, I definitely will continue to work in the book industry, and I look forward to new opportunities to connect with many of you to sell more books!
Best wishes – and many, many thanks to all of you who are part of Midwest Booksellers Association!
Susan
Susan E. Walker
Executive Director
susan@midwestbooksellers.org
www.midwestbooksellers.org
Midwest Booksellers Association
3407 West 44th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55410
Phone 612-926-5868
Fax 612-926-6657
The MBA office is moving!
NEW ADDRESS & PHONE BEGINNING JULY 15:
2355 Louisiana Avenue North, Suite A
Golden Valley, MN 55427
Phone 763-544-2993
Fax 763-544-2266
