Toronto, September 6, 2019 – Hazel Millar, Chair of the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG), is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura Rock Gaughan to the role of Executive Director, starting September 16, 2019. She succeeds Christen Thomas, following her departure in June 2019 after five years with the association.

“The hiring committee was most impressed with Laura's exceptional background in policy and advocacy work, governance and strategic planning. More importantly, she is an advocate for all things literary and cares deeply about Canadian publishing and getting books into the hands of readers. We are confident she will be a wonderful leader for the LPG and a strong ally for our publisher members,” Millar said.

Gaughan joins the LPG after nearly five years with Laridae, a management consulting firm that serves Canadian non-profit organizations and public-sector agencies. In her role as Senior Associate at Laridae, she helped numerous clients build capacity and increase impact through projects such as strategic planning, communications and branding, governance, operational reviews, community engagement, and training.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the LPG and supporting the member publishers. They produce incredible books and sustain Canadian literary culture, a mission they’ve been advancing for more than forty years. I look forward to working closely with LPG’s members, board of directors, and staff,” Gaughan said.