Director, Rightsholder Relations, Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)
Board Member-at-Large
Please introduce yourself and share your journey in scholarly publishing. What path led you to your current position? What keeps you passionate about your role in scholarly publishing?
Hi! I’m Erin, a serial volunteer and lover of all things scholarly publishing!
Like so many of us, I came into scholarly publishing in a roundabout way. In 2012, I was a year out of undergrad and working as a receptionist for a wire company in Roxbury, MA, which was a heavy commute through the notorious Boston traffic back when we worked in-office full time (remember those days??). I was feeling unfulfilled in my role and wanted to do something different and closer to home. I was talking to a family friend about it, and she recommended that I consider a Customer Service job at her company, CCC, a fantastic company with a much better commute. I spent a wonderful few months in Customer Service, which really grounded me in our business, before being tapped by Sue Kesner to cover a colleague’s maternity leave in her department. I’ve evolved with that team, now called Rightsholder Relations, ever since, and have been leading the team since 2023.
My passion is really people and relationships. Having the great good fortune to be able to engage directly with our community and our amazing internal teams on the challenges we are facing as an industry, and being able to work collaboratively on solutions keeps me engaged.
What motivated you to join SSP’s Board of Directors, and what unique skills or perspective do you bring with your service?
I want to contribute to the organizational strategy of, and give back to, an organization which I greatly value and whose work I fully support. Like SSP, CCC has a very diverse community of stakeholders, and we are constantly balancing needs across our many constituents and within our own business. I hope I bring that balanced perspective to our Board along with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for helping to advance our mission and goals.
Can you share a memorable project, achievement, or pivotal moment in your career development? Was there a defining moment or influential person who shaped your career?
I have been extremely fortunate to have had the most incredible support system and mentors that anyone could have asked for both within my organization and within the broader industry. Among many others, the two most transformative mentors I have had are Sue Kesner and Emilie Delquié. I always credit Sue for taking an initial chance on me and not only welcoming me into her team but really taking me under her wing. She taught me the foundational skills I still use every day, and I was introduced very early in my career to a large network of interesting and influential colleagues because of her incredible generosity. As a peer, I learned a great deal from Emilie about her approach to community engagement and relationship management. As a manager, Emilie challenged me to become the best individual contributor I could be and started me on my path to leadership. Importantly, she was also the first one to encourage me to actually get involved directly with SSP by recommending that I take over her seat on what was then the Early Career Taskforce, where I discovered my deep love of volunteering. Little did I know back in 2015 that I would still be in love with volunteering 10+ years later, but here we are, and I’m hoping for 20 more years of learning and contributing!
In your experience, what skills or qualities are essential for success in scholarly communications?
Empathy, Flexibility, and Adaptability.
What future trends do you foresee in the field of scholarly publishing?
Seismic shifts in what role scholarly publishing plays in the global knowledge industry and associated changes in how our workforce functions. Accelerating M&A. Increasing need for human oversight of AI-enabled technologies.
How do you balance your professional and personal life? Any fun facts or hobbies outside of scholarly communications?
I feel quite strongly about work/life balance and try to maintain it for myself and my team members. I set (and try to maintain!) boundaries on time and availability and take time off when I can, encouraging my team to do the same. There’s no magic solution to this- I find that understanding and flexing to accommodate the needs of the organization and our clients, and being clear in communications about capacity, boundaries, challenges, etc., works for me.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, hiking (badly), baking, and spending time with my friends and family.
Fun facts are that I am a twin and I really love sharks!
What advice would you give someone considering nonprofit board service?
I’m quite new to the Board, so I am sure others are better positioned than I am to give advice! Being invited to Board service is an incredible honor, but I do recommend evaluating whether you actually have enough time to devote to the Board, understanding what skills and experience you are bringing to the table that drove the nomination, and asking about the general expectations around serving on the Board before you accept. That will make sure you are a good fit for the Board AND that it’s a good fit for you. Both are important! Some organizations also have rules for Board involvement, so if you’re not sure whether yours does, it’s best to speak with your manager before accepting.
