MPIBA Names New Executive Director

Laura Ayrey

The Board of Directors of the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association [1] has named Laura Ayrey to succeed Lisa Knudsen as executive director. Ayrey has an extensive background in marketing and communications and was most recently director of marketing and trade sales for Gibbs Smith.

MPIBA Board President Meghan Goel, of BookPeople in Austin, Texas, told the association’s membership: “We were unanimous in our decision and are incredibly excited about the combination of industry knowledge and hands-on technical skills that Laura brings to this position. Laura’s energy and enthusiasm are infectious. We are all truly looking forward to working with her as she takes on this important role as our greatest advocate.”

In a letter to MPIBA members, Ayrey said, “It is not only my new responsibility but my personal goal to properly represent the face of the independent bookseller and assist in the challenges that face us, be that dealing with the loss of revenue due to e-readers, chains, and online sales, as well as a decline in sales representatives and community support. I am well aware of the current struggles that we face, but I also see great opportunity in them as well. I plan to focus my energy into increasing social media campaigns, developing stronger relationships with our publishing partners, creating merchandising programs using industry data to increase sales and strengthening brand awareness for MPIBA. And that’s just the beginning!”

Ayrey will be working with Knudsen, who announced her plans to retire earlier this year, to ensure a smooth transition. She will start her new job on December 20.