People 6/7

Kent Watson has joined as executive director, taking over from interim director Cindy Myers. Watson was executive director of PubWest for 12 years until stepping down in 2020. His hiring concludes a search process that began over a year ago, after a workplace assessment concluded that SPD “[needed] a reboot of its management, workplace policies, and relationship between staff and leaders.” That evaluation came after the distributor was accused by an anonymous employee of illegal payroll practices leading to employees being underpaid, as well as anti-worker hostility and abuse — and after the board in turn acknowledged a failure “to exercise sufficient oversight of payroll processes, resulting in substantial underpayment to the former employee and smaller shortages for four others.”

Emily Mlynek has joined as director of marketing. She was previously at Putnam.

Esi Sogah has joined as executive editor. Sogah was previously at Kensington and Avon.

Julia Tyler has joined as designer. She was previously at Page Street Books.

Abigail Sokolsky has been promoted to marketing manager for the Workman Kids, Workman, Workman Calendars, and Algonquin Young Readers imprints.

Alexis Lunsford has joined as the director of sales. She was previously at Callisto Media.

Burgin Streetman has been promoted to assistant director of the press, and continues as director of marketing and sales.

Steffanie Mortis Stevens has been promoted to acquisitions and project editor.

Darcy Piedmonte joins as senior sales manager. She was previously director of client success at Above the Treeline.

Katie Verluis has been named customer success manager.