ComicsPRO has named Moni Barrette as its new Executive Director to replace Marco Davanzo, who announced his departure after 12 years in the post at San Diego Comic-Con last summer (see “Executive Director Stepping Down“).
Barrette comes from the library world, where she was Director of Collection Development and Publisher Relations at Joyful Reading, which runs digital graphic novel library service Comics Plus, since 2020. In that role she oversaw title metadata, a focus of ComicsPRO, along with publisher relations, distribution agreements, and collection development. Also since 2020, she has served as Co-Founder of Creators Assemble, a non-profit to help comic creators build their careers. Earlier in her career, Barrette had 15 years in public library roles. She served as President of the American Library Association’s Graphic Novel and Comic Roundtable, which has played important roles in expanding the presence of graphic novels in libraries.
For more on Barrette and her plans, see “ICv2 Interview: Moni Barrette.”
Shannon Live, who led the organization’s Search Committee, described the process that led to the hire. “There were over a dozen well-qualified candidates and our Search Committee team members spent a lot of time evaluating their options, interviewing, and really ensuring they chose the candidate that best suited the organization’s needs, not just for today but for years to come,” she said.
“Moni is a unicorn get for ComicsPRO,” ComicsPRO President Joe Murray said of the hire. “A career promoting comics to the public; amazing professional credentials and the organizational super powers of a librarian, plus non-profit expertise.”
Search Committee member Steve Unvenferth added to the chorus of praise. “Moni Barrette brings genuine passion and enthusiasm for the comics industry, along with a fresh perspective, a strong background in nonprofit leadership, and an ability to build relationships throughout the industry.”
During his 12-year tenure as Executive Director, Davanzo led the organization’s creation of a successful annual event, along with convention programming, online seminars, and the development of Local Comic Shop Day. As he left the stage at San Diego Comic-Con after announcing that he would be leaving his post, he received a lengthy standing ovation from the assembled retailers, thankful for his leadership during an important period for ComicsPRO.
Source: ICV2
