EMERGING LEADERS 2024
SESSION ONE
8 Things You Can Do to Help Develop Your Publishing Path
Whether this is your first job after college or you’ve recently moved into publishing after a long career in a different industry, this panel of seasoned professionals will share their hard-earned wisdom and tips that helped them get to where they are now. With a mix of practical and encouraging, you’ll leave the session inspired and with helpful next steps for your publishing journey.
Ben McCoy
Ben McCoy is Vice President of Operations and Chief of Staff at InterVarsity Press where he has worked since 2009. His areas of involvement include print production, inventory control, project management, organizational training, and vendor partnerships; previously at IVP he was involved with editorial operations and content production. Ben enjoys watching movies and engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, and surf fishing. Ben lives in North Carolina with his wife, two teenage children, and their energetic Australian Shepherd.
Katara Patton
Katara Washington Patton is Executive Editor, VOICES Collection by Our Daily Bread Publishing, and the author of eight books, including her most recent best-selling book Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Depression Steal Your Hope (Our Daily Bread VOICES 2022). A publishing veteran, Katara has worked in the editorial and acquisitions departments at Weekly Reader Corporation, Jet Magazine, Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI), McGraw-Hill, The African American Pulpit, The Chicago Defender, Tyndale House Publishers, and Christian Century Magazine. In 2014, she was named Nonfiction Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Katara graduated summa cum laude from Dillard University (New Orleans, LA), with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and English. She then earned a Master of Journalism in magazine publishing from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL). She also received a Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL), where she received the outstanding preaching award. Katara is a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana. She and her husband, Derrick, reside on the South Side of Chicago.
Connor Sterchi
Connor Sterchi is the Editorial and Content Manager at Moody Publishers in Chicago, Illinois. He studied writing and journalism at Calvin College and received an MA in Biblical Studies from Moody Theological Seminary. He has edited dozens of books, including Winter Fire, The Visual Word, Just Show Up, The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks, Loneliness, How to Grow, Go Outside, Never Shaken, A Non-Anxious Presence (winner in the Ministry Resources category of ECPA’s 2023 Christian Book Awards), and 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible (winner in the Bible & Devotional category of Christianity Today’s 2024 Book Awards). In his free time, he enjoys music, songwriting, reading, nature, biking, basketball, and spending time with family and friends. He resides in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Nicole Weisbrich
Nicole Weisbrich is a Senior Marketing Manager at HarperCollins Christian Publishing with over a decade of experience in the industry. Currently leading email marketing initiatives within a Marketing Operations team, she strategically guides publishing and marketing teams on digital marketing efforts. She believes that empowering people with knowledge is only half the battle; the other half lies in giving them the resources to apply it effectively.
SESSION TWO
Taking Care of Your Emotional and Spiritual Health to Thrive Where You Are
It’s easy to get in rhythms that can lead to burnout, cynicism, and just plain exhaustion. But if we have the right tools and knowledge, we can work through that and then work to prevent the negative impacts. Amanda Cox brings her experience and wisdom to provide encouragement, tools, and practical pieces that you will be able to implement into your daily life and work routines.
Amanda Cox
Amanda Cox is a therapist-turned-novelist who pens stories about characters finding hope, healing, and a sense of belonging. She is the author of the 2021 Christy Book of the Year, The Edge of Belonging and the 2022 Christy Book of the Year, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, and a Carol Finalist for her 2023 ECPA bestselling novel, He Should Have Told the Bees. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She resides in Tennessee with her husband and three children.
EMERGING LEADER COORDINATOR
Jamie Lapeyrolerie
Editor for WaterBrook & Multnomah, imprints of Penguin Random House
We thank the following companies for their support of the industry and this event:
PREMIUM
GENERAL
For more information on sponsoring this event, contact [email protected]