About the IBPA DEI Committee

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The IBPA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee is a standing committee tasked with serving as a sounding board and advisory council on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion within IBPA and the independent book publishing community. The committee reports to the IBPA CEO. This is a member-focused committee. It is open to at-large members of IBPA.

Read the committee charter.

See also: IBPA's DEI Resource Center
See also: IBPA DEI Task Force Wrap-up and Launch of IBPA DEI Committee (June 17, 2021)

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IBPA DEI Committee Objective & Charges

The objective of the IBPA DEI Committee is to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within IBPA as an association, as well as the overall book publishing industry at-large.

Specific committee charges:

• Help IBPA recruit and retain a diverse membership base.
• Develop ways to engage and support underrepresented groups in IBPA's community, education, advocacy, and tools for success.
• Identify opportunities for and threats against diversity, equity, and inclusion within IBPA as an association, as well at the overall book publishing industry at-large.
• Offer suggestions to the IBPA Board of Directors as to how IBPA programs and services can be improved to better serve diverse communities.
• Manage IBPA’s DEI Resource Center.

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IBPA DEI Committee Members

Below are the current members of the IBPA DEI Committee.

IBPA members and others are welcome to contact IBPA DEI Committee members with questions, comments, or concerns. Please contact the committee staff liaison at lee@ibpa-online.org. IBPA members and others can also fill out this form to bring DEI-related matters to IBPA’s attention anonymously.

 

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	COMMITTEE CHAIR Wiley Barnes, Chickasaw Press, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oklahoma State University. He has spent twenty-one years forging a career in publishing, writing, printing, photography, and graphic design, with the last fourteen years at the Chickasaw Nation. During that time, he has had the pleasure of working on a number of projects that promote Chickasaw culture and celebrate Chickasaw people. C is for Chickasaw, his first children’s book, received a Gold IBPA Benjamin Franklin for Best New Voice: Children’s/Young Adult, a Bronze Moonbeam for Multicultural Nonfiction Picture Book, and was an Oklahoma Book Award Finalist.

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	Ian Henzel loves challenges. After retiring from a 42-year career in technology marketing, product management, project management, and quality assurance in Asia, Europe, in 2019, Ian co-founded Rattling Good Yarns Press, LLC. The press focuses on bringing overlooked LGBTQ+ voices to light. Ian has been a lifelong LGBTQ+ activist, and giving a voice to the community extends that activism. Ian lives in Cathedral City, California, with his husband of 34 years. At 67, he enjoys the challenges of his "second life" with Rattling Good Yarns Press and its mission statement: Produce quality work and treat people right.

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	Priya Kumari is a children’s book author and the founder of an independent publishing company Eternal Tree Books, which produces mainly children's books. Her mission is to publish uplifting books created by visionary authors and artists for all ages to share stories from under-represented Indian culture—diverse stories promoting peace education, emotional hygiene, science of well-being, and cultural competence. Born and raised in the scenic foothills of the Himalayas, she inherited her love of reading and passion for the written word from her father, who owned a bookstore. Priya is also a certified public accountant and lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons..

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	Troy D. Johnson is the President of the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC) His primary platform, AALBC.com, is the oldest, largest, and most frequently visited website dedicated to books by people of African descent. Johnson has 20 years of corporate experience in roles ranging from designing wide area networks to managing international projects for major corporations, including Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. As an educator, he taught information systems and web design at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business.

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	Tamara Mayo is the founder and CEO of Taevo Publishing, a traditional publishing house geared toward promoting the works of underserved BIPOC women writers. She was raised in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, where her love of reading sprouted into a hunger to play a more active role in spreading diversity, equity, and inclusion in the publishing industry. Tamara began her writing career upon relocating to southern California - a career that now incorporates developmental editing, ghostwriting, consulting and more into her overall expertise. She possesses a diverse work history - including as a former 911 police dispatcher - but has settled into her career as a publisher and project manager.

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	Nancy Roop publishes early chapter books in a developmental format to support reading comprehension with sensory-friendly, early chapter books. Using dialog, nonfiction, and storytelling, the reader's path is wrapped around the topic which is real, relatable, and relevant!

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	Joylynn Ross, Path to Publishing, has served on almost every corner of the literary industry map as a literary agent (landing her clients book deals with Kensington, Simon & Schuster, Urban Books, to name a few), an editor (both freelance and for publishing houses), and a ghostwriter (both freelance and for publishing houses). Having been on every corner of the literary map as a developmental editor and former acquisitions editor as well, Joylynn is one of the most respected literary education experts and publishing coaches in the business.

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	Icy Smith is the founder and publisher of East West Discovery Press, specializing in multicultural and bilingual books for both children and adults, with the mission of promoting understanding among people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Smith has written many award-winning historical fiction and nonfiction titles on little-known histories and social injustices. She has received numerous prestigious accolades including the National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Author Award for her “substantial and lasting contributions to the understanding of diversity and a multicultural society.”

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	Nickcole Watkins is a Business Development Associate at Smith Publicity. She fosters relationships with publishers, experts, and authors, independent and traditionally published, developing strategic publicity plans and forecasting future marketing opportunities to generate sustained brand awareness. Nickcole specializes in Guerilla Marketing tactics and values the need for impactful publicity approaches that meet partners where they are. She's worked with hundreds of authors including several New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. For nearly two years, Nickcole has supported the expansion of Smith’s account management for DEI, BIPOC, and other authors and experts representing diverse cultures and communities.

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	Kirk Whisler has devoted his career to Latino media, publishing, entertainment, and education issues. In 1982 Kirk served as the founding president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, the oldest and largest Latino media organization in the USA; in 1997 he co-founded with Edward James Olmos the nonprofit Empowering Latino Futures that has produced 68 Latino Book & Family Festivals and the Int'l Latino Book Awards, as well as education programs.

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	IBPA DEI COMMITTEE STAFF LIASON Lee Wind (he/him) designs and hosts IBPA educational programs to be both informational and actionable, and is constantly iterating IBPA's book marketing programs to help our members' books achieve and succeed. A book blogger and author-publisher himself, Lee is passionate about empowering and amplifying independent voices. As an author, Lee writes stories to empower kids and teens to be their authentic selves and change the world – the same books that would have changed his life as a young gay, Jewish kid. His debut picture book, RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE was illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky and received five starred trade reviews, and The New York Times praised it as “Beautiful… It’s a message the world can use, throughout the year.” He is the author of the nonfiction Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? HIDDEN LIVES AND SECRET LOVES and the novel Publisher’s Weekly named a Top Five Independently Published Young Adult Book of 2018, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL. He also runs the popular blog I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? – words his teenage self only dreamed of saying. Lee lives in Los Angeles with his husband of more than 25 years, and they have a grown daughter. Visit Lee's author website at leewind.org.

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About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,600 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry. For more information, visit ibpa-online.org.