Jennifer Levesque will join Disney Book Group as editorial director starting May 7. She is charged with “driving the audience expansion strategy in the adult, collector, and lifestyle categories” and looking at opportunities around Disney properties. She was previously vp, editorial director of Rodale Books.
Jhanteigh Kupihea will join Quirk Books as editorial director, starting May 21. She was most recently senior editor at Atria Books. Kupihea, who will split her time between New York and Quirk’s Philadelphia offices, says “It’s so rare to find a publisher that treats each book on their list like a beloved passion project while maintaining a strong commercial sensibility.” Quirk president and publisher Brett Cohen says: “Jhanteigh’s ability to conceptualize and create books across multiple genres and audiences is incredibly exciting. The breadth of her work, passion, creativity, and success at Atria makes her a natural fit for Quirk’s unique publishing program.”
Laura Mamelok will join Little, Brown as subsidiary rights director starting April 30. She will handle all translation rights along with senior sub rights associate Nel Malikova, as well as nonfiction titles in the UK. She has been at Susanna Lea Associates.
At Chronicle Books, Rachel Hiles has been promoted to editor, food & lifestyle; Daria Harper has been promoted to assistant editor, children’s; Mike Conway has been promoted to executive director of IT; and Sarah Van Cleave, formerly an intern with Yale University Press, has joined as executive assistant.
The Senate has confirmed Jon Parrish Peede as the new chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.