Mary Mackay to become new ALA Associate Executive Director for Publishing

For Immediate Release
Wed, 04/19/2017

Contact:

Communications and Marketing Office

ALA Media Relations

CMO

cmo@ala.org

CHICAGO -  After a nationwide search for the American Library Association’s new Associate Executive Director for Publishing, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Mary Mackay to the role. Mary will start her new position on June 5th.
 
Mary has been with ALA since 2005 and from 2005 to 2011, served as the Director of Marketing and Marketing Strategy for ALA Publishing. Since 2011, Mary has served as ALA’s Marketing Director, where she has helped coordinate association-wide email marketing, conference innovation, membership marketing and engagement, web management, social media, eLearning, and new business development. Working with the International Relations Office, Mary has helped build the annual Sharjah/ALA Library conference into a regional flagship event. Mary has also co-led strategy development and implementation for the ALA Strategic Direction in Professional and Leadership Development.
 
As AED for Publishing, Mary will lead ALA publishing and its Editions/Neal-Schuman, Booklist, American Libraries, eLearning Solutions, Digital Resources (including RDA: Resource Description and Access) and Graphics imprints as they successfully navigate the challenges of the digital revolution and develop new generations of products and services that support the needs of our changing libraries and profession.
 
Sandy Hirsh, Chair of the ALA Publishing Committee and search committee member notes that “Mary’s publishing expertise, creative ideas for increasing publishing revenue, deep knowledge of ALA, and ability to build strong connections will help position the American Library Association for success for many years to come.”
Prior to coming to ALA, Mary worked for New Readers Press, ProLiteracy Worldwide, where she served as Associate Executive Director; Marketing Director; Editorial Director; and Project Editor and Managing Editor.
 
Mary has a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and a Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of York, England, and a degree in French and Philosophy with Honors from Oxford University, England.
 
Our thanks for a successful search also go to members of the Search Committee: Sandy Hirsh, Chairperson, of the ALA Publishing Committee (San Jose State University); Karen Downing, Member ALA Executive Board (University of Michigan); Scott Walter, University Librarian, Adjunct Faculty, DePaul University School of Public Service; Mary Ellen Davis, Executive Director, Association of College and Research Libraries; Mark Leon, ALA Chief Financial Officer; Bill Ott, Editor and Publisher, Booklist and Acting AED, Publishing; Dan Hoppe, ALA Director, Human Resources; and Keith Michael Fiels, ALA Executive Director.