BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meet the CIPA Board!
It is all-volunteer and comprised of authors, publishers, and publishing professionals.
President
MIKE DANIELS
Mike Daniels is The Publisher’s Coach, providing strategic and creative guidance to publish books and reach client goals. He co-founded the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (CIPA ELF) and was presented the CIPA Leadership Award and the Ric Simmons Memorial Life Vest Award. Mike serves as the Executive Director of CIPA ELF.
Vice-President
AUDREY ZURCHER
Audrey Zurcher launched Spring Cedars to provide writers a better publishing alternative, one that is integrated, affordable, personable, and fun. She works with award-winning authors and creatives across the globe in a variety of genres. Audrey is also the Book Publishing Director of the Women's National Book Association.
Secretary
DIANE WINDSOR
Diane Windsor founded Motina Books Publishing with the idea of helping women and moms get their stories into the world. She hosts the Ink and Impact monthly sessions, a virtual forum to brainstorm creative ways to promote and sell books. Diane also an active member and volunteer with the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Treasurer
MELANIE HICKS
Dr. Melanie Sue Hicks is the founder and editor-in-chief of Inked Elephant Publishing House, a nonprofit independent press dedicated to publishing social impact nonfiction and poetry by first-time and emerging authors. She is also the author of Incongruent: Travel, Trauma, Transformation and the curator of Shaking Off the Ashes.
Director-At-Large
PENELOPE LOVE
Penelope Love launched her career at Barnes & Noble and Chicken Soup for the Soul, then founded Citrine Publishing. She is the author of Wake Up in Love. Penelope was recognized as Outstanding Master’s Graduate by the University of Florida, where her research pioneered innovative strategies for unleashing the printed word into the digital landscape.
Director-At-Large
BOB SCHRAM
Bob Schram was the production manager of Pruett Publishing, art director of In Joy Birth & Parenting Education, and vice president of the Rocky Mountain Publishing Professionals Guild. He founded Bookends Design, specializing in book design and production, art direction, printing, and consulting. Bob enjoys helping authors navigate the self-publishing process.
Director-At-Large
SARA FRANCES
Sara Frances is an award-winning photojournalist-poet, a diplomat of the American Society of Photographers, and a Master Photographic Craftman. She facilitates workshops for libraries and arts centers, moderates museum panels, and teaches for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Denver, with class topics spanning memoir, poetry, and travel photojournalism.
Director-At-Large
PETER TRIMARCO
Peter Trimarco is co-founder and publisher of Beyond Cinema Magazine and Notable Kids Publishing. As an author-illustrator, he has created original content for augmented-reality mobile apps for children. In the music industry, Peter was the creative director and executive producer on over forty titles with two receiving Grammy nominations.
Executive Administrator
CHERYL CALLIGHAN
Cheryl Callighan is a Master Virtual Assistant and Professional Author’s Assistant with over thirty-one years of executive administrative, managerial, and secretarial experience. After pioneering the Virtual Assistant industry, Cheryl founded The Author’s Assistants to empower self-published authors to produce and market their books.