Mender Leaving Atria, Ziccardi Joins Pocket

by Jim Milliot and Rachel Deahl, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 11/30/2005

Two days after Justin Loeber announced he was departing Atria Books for Regan Media comes word that Karen Mender will step down as v-p and deputy publisher at the end of the year. In a memo, Atria publisher Judith Curr said Mender was leaving to "explore new opportunities." Mender had been at S&S since January 2000 and was instrumental in launching Atria when the division was formed in 2001 after S&S adult publisher Carolyn Reidy broke up Pocket Books.

Curr said that in the wake of Mender's departure she "will take this opportunity to reevaluate the future requirement of the publishing office." That evaluation, Curr said, will examine the skill set necessary to help Atria move forward as its publishing program evolves. Curr said she's leaning toward looking for some one with a sales focus to help meet the demands of different accounts.

Curr is also looking to realign the publicity department following Loeber's departure. Noting that Atria's publishing program now involves a number of specialty areas such as Latino and African-American, Curr said she would eventually like to link a publicity person with the editor in particular categories.

For its part, Pocket is gaining a new deputy publisher with the appointment of Anthony Ziccardi who is filling the vacancy left by Liate Stehlik who moved to HC and the top spot at Avon late last month.