Len Vlahos, executive director at the Book Industry Study Group, will step down from his position, effective June 12, to join the senior management team of the Tattered Cover bookstores in Denver, Colo. Vlahos will eventually acquire a controlling interest in the business from longtime owner Joyce Meskis.
Vlahos is extremely familiar with bookselling; prior to joining BISG in 2011 he was COO of the American Booksellers Association. Under his agreement with Meskis, Vlahos and his wife, Kristen Gilligan (another former ABA employee), will take over controlling interest in the store on July 1, 2017. The Tattered Cover has four locations in the Denver area and three locations at the Denver airport. "Len and Kristen are exceptionally well-qualified and well-suited to guide the Tattered Cover through the opportunities and challenges of the future," Meskis said in a statement.
"Len has been a tremendous asset to BISG during what has been an exciting yet tumultuous time in the book industry," said Tara Catogge of Quarto Publishing Group USA and chair of the BISG board. "His hard work and insight over the last few years have positioned us well as we continue to provide the industry access to best practices, standards, research and education."
"I have great fondness for BISG and its mission and have valued my time here immensely," said Vlahos. "I’ve learned a lot from not just the members of the Board, but from the many industry stakeholders who volunteer on BISG committees, and, of course, from my colleagues on the staff. It’s a great organization and I’m happy to have played some small part in positioning it for what I believe is a very bright future."
A search for the new executive director of BISG is underway.
