Members of the Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) recently elected five board members, including two current officers, President Bret Thomas and Vice President Mary Beth Oria, who were re-elected.

Members elected Nancy Bird, Donna Crilly, John J. Limb, Thomas and Oria to three-year terms beginning in February. Bird and Crilly bring the total of women directors to four, or one-third of the board, the second-highest total of women on the ACP board in recent years.

In a statement, the ACP commented on the election results: “As ACP continues to grow in its services to the Catholic publishing industry, the church, and its members, we are fortunate to have the continuity of vision that these three current directors bring plus the fresh perspective of two new members.”

Bird, the newly appointed director of training and development for RCL Benziger, began her 27-year career in religion publishing as a consultant with Silver Burdett Ginn Religion Division. In 1997, she joined RCL as a sales representative for New York State. Bird has been a lead, senior and regional manager at RCL Benziger, as well as longtime catechetical leader at the parish level.

Crilly is managing editor at Paulist Press. A graduate of Douglass College (Rutgers University) and Weston Jesuit School of Theology, she has been active in Catholic book publishing since the 1980s and has worked at St. Bede’s Publications, Paulist Press, Pearson Education and Liturgy Training Publications. Her broad experience extends to editorial, production and marketing.

Now in his second term, Limb has been publisher and CEO of Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) since 1992. Previously, he was an editor at OCP starting in 1986, then assistant director of the office of worship for the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, and music director in various Catholic parishes in the Louisville area from 1977 till 1985.

Oria is business operations director at RENEW International, a Catholic not-for-profit publisher, parish consultant and training services provider. She has over 20 years of experience in senior executive finance and operations positions.

Now Loyola Press’ director of sales, Thomas previously served as president and CEO of Bayard Inc. and Peter Li Education Group. He formerly taught high school biology and religion in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Thomas earned graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and University of Dayton. He has served on the board of trustees for the Bergamo Center of Lifelong Learning and the advisory council for the University of Dayton’s School of Education and Allied Professions.

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