Tieshena Davis, publisher of Publish Your Gift®, will serve as IBPA Board Chair beginning July 1.

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA, USA, February 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — At its recent meeting, held on January 17, 2024, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Board of Directors unanimously voted to elect Tieshena Davis, founding publisher and CEO of Publish Your Gift, as the association’s board chair for the new fiscal year that will begin July 1, 2024.

She will succeed Karen Pavlicin—publisher of Elva Resa Publishing and owner of Military Family Books distribution—after Pavlicin completes her second term as IBPA’s board chair on June 30. Board chairs serve a one-year term, with the ability to be reelected by the board for a second one-year term.

Davis has been a member of IBPA since 2015, a member of the board of directors since 2020, and presently also serves on the Executive Committee under Pavlicin. She has served in other capacities as a member of IBPA’s Governance Committee, Investment Committee, Membership Committee, Editorial Advisory Committee, DEI task force, IBPA Independent magazine task force, the DEI consultant search working group, and as a judge in the Innovative Voices Program.

“Tie’s strong business leadership experience, dedication to IBPA’s mission, and passionate energy, along with her willingness to enhance her board leadership skills through a variety of service roles, has prepared her well for the chair position and earned her the confidence and full support of the board, which includes publishers from a broad spectrum of business models,” said Pavlicin.

In addition to founding Publish Your Gift, Davis is an author and executive advisor at her consultancy Ekpansa, with over 24 years’ experience in strategic management, growth leadership, and training. She has been recognized by the Mayor of Baltimore for her philanthropic work with youth writers, honored as Prince George’s County, Maryland “Top Forty Under 40,” and recognized by Examiner.com in its “2015 Best of the Best in Publishing.”

She is also the first person of color and Black woman elected to lead the IBPA Board of Directors. As board chair, her role is to guide and facilitate the board’s strategic direction and oversight of the association, and to serve as a collaborative partner to the CEO in support of IBPA’s mission “to lead and serve the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success.”

IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet said, “Since joining IBPA in November 2022, I have worked closely with our current board chair, Karen Pavlicin, to make continued progress toward our 2023–25 strategic plan, including the launch of initiatives to strengthen and diversify our membership, advocate for independent publishing, eliminate bias in our industry, and shape the future of independent publishing. Tieshena is the ideal leader to continue this critical work. Her entrepreneurial expertise, deep operational knowledge, emphasis on data-driven decision making, and commitment to making publishing a more inclusive and accessible industry will help to lead IBPA as it grows and strengthens. She is also a wonderful collaborator, and I am proud and excited to partner with her in the year ahead.”

“I am thrilled to assume the role of IBPA’s incoming board chair,” said Davis. “The association has been a beacon of inspiration and growth throughout my professional journey, and I am truly grateful to the outgoing chair, Karen, for her trailblazing leadership and unwavering dedication. I’m prepared to build upon her accomplishments and aid the organization in reaching new heights of operational excellence, innovation, and influence.”

Appointed to the board in 2018, Pavlicin served four years as a director prior to her two years as chair, leading and contributing to many strategic initiatives and task forces. After her board service, Pavlicin will continue to serve on the Governance Committee as immediate-past board chair and intends to stay involved with IBPA projects close to her heart, such as expanding executive education and support for mid-sized and established publishers, and continuing to strengthen IBPA’s DEI integration and leadership development.

IBPA also wishes to recognize two board members who will term off the board together with Pavlicin at the end of this fiscal year: Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews, and Annette Hobbs-Magier, owner of Magier Marketing & PR. IBPA is extremely grateful for the contributions of Pavlicin, Sutherland, and Hobbs-Magier in their years of service to IBPA.

Maleekah Holloway
Publish Your Gift®
+1 888-949-6228
[email protected]