In the Spotlight: ABA Board Candidate Michael Tucker

As Michael Tucker approaches the end of his first term on the American Booksellers Association's Board of Directors this June, he finds the greatest sense of achievement in having contributed to the development of ABA's current educational programming. "I have derived the most satisfaction from my involvement in the educational programs that have been developed and presented to the membership through ABA," he recently told BTW. "The opportunity to participate in both the Educational and Digital Task Forces has given me a fuller understanding of many of the issues and needs of other ABA members." During a second term on the Board, he said, he would like to continue this emphasis on education.

Tucker is currently up for election to a second three-year term on the ABA Board, and he's been selected by the Board to serve a one-year term as vice president/secretary beginning this June. As ABA vice president and chair of the audit committee, Tucker said, he would work to maintain the Board's "commitment to accessibility and transparency in its service to the membership."

Tucker is president/CEO and co-owner of California's Books Inc., which has 11 locations: eight under the Books Inc. name in San Francisco, Alameda, Mountain View, Burlingame, and Palo Alto, as well as Compass Books and Bzinc at the San Francisco International Airport and Compass Books & Café at the Downtown Disney District® in Anaheim.

In the last six months, the Books Inc. San Francisco Marina store has been completely remodeled and the Palo Alto store moved from the Stanford Shopping Center, where it had been for 50-plus years, to the nearby Town & Country Village shopping center, which offers a mix of locally owned and national stores. "We are currently remodeling the Burlingame store and plan the same for Laurel Village in late summer," said Tucker, adding, "We plan to open a new store in 2009, our 12th, but have not made a firm commitment on location as yet."

In addition to ABA, Tucker is a member of both the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) and the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (he owns one Southern California store). He is also an active member of the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance (SFLOMA). This year, Tucker said, he would like to "help develop an educational component for NCIBA to aid members in economical store design and remodeling." Books Inc. stores are actively involved in their communities, and have been honored by San Francisco School Volunteers for their contributions to local schools.

Tucker's current focus as an ABA Board member is on the association's upcoming programming. "I am most excited about the new ABA program initiative to be revealed at BookExpo America in L.A.," he said. "I can say no more or risk defenestration...." --Karen Schechner

Michael Tucker's name appears on the Board ballot currently in the hands of ABA members, along with those of Ken White of SFSU Bookstore in San Francisco and Dan Chartrand of Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, New Hampshire, who are up for election as directors. Board officers on the ballot for approval by membership are Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, for president, and Tucker.

All ABA Board ballots must be returned to ABA's auditors, Marks Paneth & Shron LLP, in the postage-paid envelope provided. The envelope must be postmarked by April 30 and received by May 7.