ComicsPRO.org

ComicsPRO is the only trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers.

Sunday, November 07, 2010

ComicsPRO Announces Executive Director

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amanda Emmert
Joe Field

ComicsPRO Promotes Amanda Emmert to Executive Director

ComicsPRO President Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics) has announced the promotion of Amanda Emmert (Muse Comics) to the new position of Executive Director of the organization. Emmert resigns her position on the organization's board of directors to accept this role. The move is made in conjunction with an ongoing effort to operate the not-for-profit trade association more efficiently and will coincide with a reduction in its number of board members to seven.

Remaining ComicsPRO board members are President Joe Field, Vice-President Gary Dills (Laughing Ogre Comics), Recording Secretary Carr D'Angelo (Earth-2 Comics), and Directors Brian Hibbs (Comix Experience), Calum Johnston (Strange Adventures), Eric Kirsammer (Chicago Comics) and Rick Lowell (Casablanca Comics).

As ComicsPRO’s former Secretary/Treasurer, Emmert has been overseeing the organization's corporate operations and finances for several years and will continue those duties in her new role. In addition, her expanded role as Executive Director will give her responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the not-for-profit organization. She will work in concert with the Board of Directors on membership outreach and fundraising. The Executive Director will also serve as the official spokesperson for ComicsPRO.

“This is a great move forward for ComicsPRO,” said Joe Field. “In many ways, ComicsPRO would not have happened without Amanda Emmert’s vision and determination to develop a sustainable trade organization for comic book specialty retailers.”

Emmert's involvement in ComicsPRO goes back to its beginnings with her helping to incorporate the not-for-profit organization in 2004. She has served on its board of directors since then. The organization’s founding members were officially invited to join at the beginning of 2005. She was hired as the organization's part-time Communications Coordinator in late 2007, and the position was increased to full-time in 2008 as ComicsPRO continued to increase its growth and involvement in the industry.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to help ComicsPRO continue to be a successful and lasting trade association for comic book retailers,” Emmert said. “I'm proud of the work comic book retailers are willing to do to improve our industry, and to help each other improve our profession,” Emmert added. “I appreciate being a part of this progress and for the opportunity to improve the efficiency of our operations.”

ComicsPRO remains mostly a volunteer-run group, utilizing the participation of many of its retailer members all over North America. The organization provides many member benefits to help make running comic book stores more profitable. ComicsPRO also helps promote comic books and comic book stores in the mainstream media via 24 Hour Comics Day and Free Comic Book Day, as well as at many comic book conventions across the U.S.

For more information and retailer membership applications, please go to http://ComicsPRO.org.

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