Managing editor Cheryl Drivdahl, senior production manager/managing editor Hollie Kilroy, and production trafficking director Sarah Olmanson will discuss the skills and techniques needed to manage the human aspects of scheduling, such as navigating competing priorities, guiding and motivating project team members, and finding the fine line between quality assurance and micromanagement.

Panelists

Cheryl Drivdahl is managing editor of computer technology and business technology programs at Paradigm Education Solutions, a publisher of print and digital learning solutions for the postsecondary market. She has been with Paradigm and EMC Publishing for 12 years. Before going inhouse, she ran her own editing business, working primarily with education publishers but also with trade publishers. Cheryl has a degree in secondary education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a major in social studies and a minor in fine arts. She has worked in all aspects of print and digital publishing, from editing and writing instructional materials to conceiving and managing the development of software. She has also completed courses in project management from the Project Management Institute and the Science Museum of Minnesota. She has a passion for education and a sincere desire to serve as the best possible advocate for every stakeholder in every project that lands on her desk.

Hollie Kilroy has 20+ years of graphics experience in the Twin Cities with beginnings in prepress and trade show graphics. These last 10 years have been in publishing, where she has held a variety of positions with The Quarto Group. Her current job titles, Managing Editor and Senior Production Manager have her working with a talented team of editors, another production manager, and an eclectic team of publishers. As an atypical Managing Editor, Hollie overseas most of the publishing projects for The Quarto Group’s Minneapolis office in regards to internal schedule and resource allocation, and then buys print material for half of the Minneapolis projects. Projects in Minneapolis are mainly nonfiction books, heavy in written and visual content, with many falling out of the ideal world of a “standard” production timeline. Imprints belonging to The Quarto Group’s Minneapolis office include Burgess Lea Press, Cool Springs Press, Motorbooks, and Voyageur Press.

Sarah Olmanson is the Senior Director, Production Trafficking and Workflow Strategy, working with the editors, creators, and producers at Lerner Publishing Group to get more than four hundred titles in twelve unique imprints out the door and into the hands of readers as efficiently and timely as possible. Sarah has helped the staff at Lerner produce a higher rate of titles per year than ever before—and hit more deadlines than ever before. She also implemented a set of best practices for InDesign users that has enabled Lerner to bring in part of and enlarge its digital product line. In her career, she has done page layout and digital book research and production as well as freelance copyediting. Sarah believes priorities and efficiencies help keep us sane.

Moderator

Lauren Kukla is a writer and editor by training, who specializes in middle-grade fiction, picture books, and school library nonfiction. She is currently publishing director of Mighty Media, where she handles project management, product development, and editorial direction.