News From the CALIBA Office

A Note To Our Members About Upcoming Changes to the CALIBA Office

Today, the California Independent Booksellers Alliance (CALIBA) announced that Kristin Rasmussen will be stepping down from her role as Co-Executive Director of the organization in mid-December to take another position as a District Sales Manager for Scholastic Inc.

Co-Executive Director Ann Seaton had planned to step out of CALIBA at the end of the year but, in light of this new development, will continue with the organization in an advisory capacity as the CALIBA Board of Directors begins their search for a new Executive Director. 

Rasmussen will continue her work with CALIBA’s Golden Poppy Book Awards through the duration of the voting and awards period in January 2024. “It has been my great pleasure to work with the CALIBA Board, Ann Seaton, our CALIBA office, and the Golden Poppy committees over the past two-plus years. I feel strongly that we’ve made important progress in strengthening the organization through various programs and outreach. There is so much to be optimistic about moving forward in 2024. Anyone who joined us in South San Francisco this past September for our fall trade show can attest to that. The energy and enthusiasm of our booksellers and publishing partners is inspiring and will continue to inspire me in all I do moving forward,” says Rasmussen.

After working as a bookseller, buyer, and manager for over 30 years in various independent bookstores, Seaton began her work for the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) in 2015 as an admin, transitioning to the role of Operations Manager a few years later. She was hired as the Co-Executive Director of CALIBA in August 2021. She plans to expand her work with her local Friends of the Library in getting books into the hands of families in rural California, create connections between other Friends associations in the region, and tackle a couple of side projects that have been too long on the back burner.

Valentina Moberg was recently named CALIBA’s Operations Manager. Moberg joined the office in early 2020 and has worked on a number of important initiatives, as well as serving as the liaison with publishers and authors for all of CALIBA’s live and virtual programming. Emma Marie will continue her essential work on CALIBA’s marketing and promotions programs.

Melinda Powers, head buyer at Bookshop Santa Cruz and CALIBA Board President, adds that “while this is a moment of big change for CALIBA, it is also one of opportunity. The efforts that Ann and Kristin have made to bring together and solidify our statewide bookselling community provide an excellent platform from which to continue to shape and grow the organization. We wish them both well in their future endeavors and thank them for their hard work and dedication, words truly personified in Ann and Kristin. We will miss their care and enthusiasm, even as we look forward to the promise that lies ahead for the Alliance.”

CALIBA’s Board of Directors will work in conjunction with its ED Search Committee to seek an Executive Director. The new hire will join an existing office staff who have worked closely with Ann and Kristin for the past four years. CALIBA is looking for candidates who value diversity, equity, and inclusion in our book community, and who are excited to lead our bookstores into a strong, innovative, and united California future. 

The full job description can be found here. Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume to calibaboard@caliballiance.org.