Cast Your Vote!
The ballot for the 2024-2025 Board of Directors election is now available. This year, we are also asking the community to vote on a proposed bylaws change and requesting feedback on suggested organizational membership criteria.
Members must log in to access the ballot and vote. Voting is open through Friday, April 12; results will be announced in early May. Candidates appear below in alphabetical order.
Election Overview
| President-Elect: | Meredith Adinolfi | Tim Lloyd | Rebecca McLeod |
| At-Large Members: |
Michael Casp | Judy Hum-Delaney | Julia Kostova |
| Mia Ricci | Simone Taylor |
Candidates for President-Elect
Meredith Adinolfi, Vice President, Publishing Operations, Cell Press
Bio: Meredith Adinolfi began her career in publishing as a copyeditor and has built on that foundation for the past 20 years. Currently, she oversees production, editorial operations, and art for a growing journal portfolio. This involves broad oversight of the submission, pre-acceptance, production, and print and online publishing processes. She also contributes to the strategic vision of Cell Press and, with a Six Sigma green belt, focuses on workflow optimization and evolution. Meredith enjoys the small publisher feel of Cell Press but also benefits from being part of Elsevier, which rounds out the perspective she can offer as a member and volunteer within the SSP community.
SSP has significantly impacted both Meredith’s personal development and pursuit of her professional passions. One of those passions is developing people, and she loved serving for 2 years as co-chair of the Career Development Committee and helping to launch and grow the thriving Mentorship Program. She is also the co-host of SSP’s Early Career Development podcast, which has been a fascinating challenge and has allowed her to connect with the community in a whole different way. But her most rewarding and humbling SSP role thus far has been as a mentor to others in their community.
Vision Statement: It’s an honor to be considered for the role of SSP President, especially as I think about all the incredible presidents who have inspired me over the years.
It’s been heartening to see SSP members across sectors embrace and embed our core values of community, inclusivity, adaptability, and integrity. The integration of these values has clearly been a key foundational step to enable other critical work, such as the Mental Health Taskforce. I love seeing how current and past presidents work together to build on each other’s ideas and realize their own visions. This has created a cohesive and clear identity for SSP, and I would welcome the opportunity to continue that positive trend.
One of SSP’s greatest strengths is how we support those at all career levels and put a strong focus on developing the next generation of publishing professionals. This is also a personal passion of mine, and I feel a strong connection to SSP’s objective to give young professionals a safe space to learn, discuss, and build networks. As President, I would love to even further engage our early-career colleagues to shape our strategy, programming, and offerings. Via the podcast, I’ve learned just how hungry early-career professionals are for foundational information about the ever-changing concepts and developments that affect our industry. I see it as our leadership responsibility to help these critical members of our community to build strong and diverse foundations that will allow them to create their own viewpoints and ideas and then use their voices to carry forward our fast-paced industry in new and modern directions. I find it exciting and powerful to think about bringing together new and experienced voices to shape this special community!
Tim Lloyd, CEO, LibLynx
Bio: Tim Lloyd has been an active and involved member of SSP for almost a decade. He is currently serving his third year as co-chair of SSP’s Annual Meeting Program Committee, having served as a committee member for five years. He actively supports a variety of SSP initiatives, including the mentorship program, educational webinars, and regional events.
Tim has 20 years of experience in scholarly publishing. Initially a publisher of classical music, he spent a decade developing innovative multimedia databases at Alexander Street Press and is currently CEO of LibLynx – a business he founded in 2014 to develop more effective publishing solutions for complex processes like identity, access, and usage analytics. He regularly presents at industry conferences and webinars, serves on a variety of related industry committees and working groups, and actively fosters exposure to differing industry points of view and access to the latest trends and technology.
Vision Statement: What makes SSP unique and valuable is its community—and the diverse perspectives, innovations, and commitment to career development that this community collectively brings.
This community has made my life richer – through the friends I’ve made and the personal growth and career opportunities it has presented. My goal is to ensure I now deliver that experience for all our members – and grow our community so that we have access to even more resources and opportunities in the future.
I will actively work to expand the range of opportunities available and increase access to them so that more of us can benefit from what we all value so much—community, career, professional development, and the personal enrichment that comes from collaborating to help others. I will continue the work I began as co-chair to lower barriers to participation, increase diversity of perspectives, and increase access to opportunities. Most importantly, I am committed to listening and delivering the services and experiences for SSP that you, our members, are asking for. I look forward to serving you.
Rebecca McLeod, Managing Director, Harvard Data Science Review
Bio: Rebecca McLeod has an extensive range of experience in scholarly communications that includes editorial, marketing, operations, and relationship management roles with publishers and vendors, as well as nonprofit and commercial organizations. Currently, she holds the position of Managing Director of the Harvard Data Science Review, the Harvard Data Science Initiative’s open access platform. In this role, she oversees all business, publishing, and program operations of HDSR. Rebecca’s long affiliation with the Society of Scholarly Publishing has been richly rewarding. She has had the honor of serving on SSP’s Board of Directors, the Annual Meeting, Nominating and Awards, and Marketing committees, as well as the 40th Anniversary Task Force. Rebecca has represented SSP on the C4DISC Steering Group and was one of the leaders of the D&I Task Force that eventually became the DEI Committee (today’s DEIA Committee), one of SSP’s most impactful committees. She has faithfully served as a Mentor for SSP’s Mentorship and Fellowship programs. Rebecca was honored to receive SSP’s annual Appreciation Award in both 2013 and 2019.
Vision Statement: SSP is a uniquely nonpartisan and trusted organization in the scholarly publishing ecosystem. Representing all facets of scholarly communications—publishers, librarians, service providers, researchers, consultants, funders, nonprofits, and commercial organizations—the society is a hub where stakeholders with multiple perspectives come together to share ideas, discuss shared challenges, and solve critical issues. All voices are welcome no matter where you reside in the publishing ecosystem.
Our industry is facing major challenges that are disrupting all aspects of the traditional publishing business, from market consolidations and pressures on peer review to the complexities of open access publishing and the rise of new technologies. My goal as President will be to ensure that SSP continues to leverage its unique position in the world of scholarly publishing to tackle these issues by strengthening the robust programming and strategic networking opportunities that will arm all our members with the skills, contacts, and support they need to navigate disruptive change in the workplace and embrace new ideas and technologies.
Candidates for Member-at-Large
Michael Casp, Director, Business Development, J&J Editorial, Wiley Partner Solutions
Bio: Prior to his career in publishing, Michael worked in a neuroscience lab at Duke University Medical Center. While creating figures, drafting methods sections, and participating in journal clubs, Michael discovered an interest in publishing. He began working on journals when he joined J&J Editorial in 2011. Since then, Michael has supported publishers across a variety of peer review workflows, production systems, and business models. When Wiley acquired J&J in 2021, Michael began collaborating with his new colleagues to augment J&J’s publishing services with Wiley’s technology and capabilities, helping publishers build out efficient, high-quality journal workflows.
Michael joined SSP in 2018 and attended his first Annual Meeting that same year. He has since volunteered on the Marketing & Communications Committee (MarCom), the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIA), and as a mentor in SSP’s Mentorship Program. Michael currently co-chairs SSP’s MarCom Committee, where he leads the Website Working Group, which is currently collaborating with members of the DEIA Committee to improve accessibility on sspnet.org.
Vision Statement: I see tremendous value in active collaboration with researchers and institutions to improve our ability to support the scholarly ecosystem. Though we are all linked together on the same publishing chain, we don’t always communicate as well or as directly as we need to. By actively engaging with upstream stakeholders, especially those in underrepresented regions or communities, we can more effectively deliver on our industry’s core value proposition: the communication of new knowledge to the world.
SSP has been a foundational part of my career. This community has helped me understand our industry and often helps me see where it (and, to some extent, the scholarly endeavor in general) is going in the future. The scholarly ecosystem is facing enormous challenges: funder policy changes, shifting revenue
models, and unprecedented integrity threats, all while we’re expected to speed up workflows, reduce costs, and engage the scholarly community through new digital channels. And I haven’t even mentioned AI.
SSP sits at the intersection of so many of these trends, and it is an ideal venue for us to parse the issues and discuss the standards, strategies, and best practices that will define how we collectively solve these challenges and the next ones.
Judy Hum-Delaney, Director, Publishing Technologies, Canadian Science Publishing
Bio: Judy Hum-Delaney has more than 20 years of experience in scholarly publishing. Judy is currently the Director of Publishing Technologies at Canadian Science Publishing (CSP), where she oversees all publishing technology configurations, implementations, and support services. She monitors publishing technology trends and standards and ensures that CSP’s metadata and content are discoverable. Previously, she was the Manager of Production and Vendor Management at CSP. In this role, she oversaw the production of CSP’s suite of journals, the development of CSP’s publishing platform, and the management of vendor relationships. In her free time, Judy is passionate about giving back to her community through volunteerism and fundraising. She is the founder of a community group that has raised much-needed funds for local charities through foodie events, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Wish Foundation (Ottawa Chapter) for many years.
Vision Statement: For over a decade, SSP has been a fundamental part of my publishing career. SSP has provided me with industry expertise and opportunities to develop my professional network through meaningful interactions and lasting friendships. In return, I have chosen to reciprocate by volunteering on the education and annual meeting committees and serving as a mentor in the SSP mentorship program.
SSP exemplifies the essence of community by fostering collaboration among industry professionals, including publishers, librarians, and vendors. The vitality of our community lies in the willingness of members to share ideas openly, the respect for diverse perspectives, and the creation of safe spaces that allow ideas to flourish.
If elected to the SSP Board, I will strive to enhance member engagement by leveraging SSP’s strengths and contributing to the creation of meaningful connections between members. I am keen to contribute to the progress being made toward a more inclusive and diverse industry, and I have a particular interest in supporting early career development. Focusing on initiatives like the SSP Generations Fund, which aims to enhance fellowship and mentorship and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) would be essential for me.
I am truly honored to be considered for the position of member-at-large and would embrace the opportunity to not only actively support SSP’s current efforts but also contribute to new initiatives that will positively impact SSP members globally.
Julia Kostova, Director of Publishing Development, US, Frontiers
Bio: Julia Kostova, PhD, is Director of Publishing and head of the US division at Frontiers. She leads Frontiers’ strategy and operations in the US with the mission of making science open, accessible, and trustworthy. She is also actively engaged in science and technology policy, advocating for support and investment in open science.
A 20-year veteran in scholarly communications, Kostova has worked at publishers like Wiley and Oxford University Press. She regularly speaks at leading forums and events like the Frankfurt Buchmesse, South by Southwest, the SSP Annual Meeting, and the Charleston Conference. Her interests focus on strategies for creating and disseminating scholarship digitally and, currently, on how AI will transform the knowledge landscape.
Kostova chairs the Generations Fund Committee, SSP’s endowment fund, for its fellowship, mentorship, and DEI programs. She has also served on the Finance Committee.
Kostova is a strong advocate for cultivating women executives and leaders, having held a fellowship at Women in Power at 92Y. Her PhD is in French literature from Rutgers.
Vision Statement: I am honored to be nominated to the Board of SSP. SSP has played a crucial role in my career; more than that, it has been a welcoming community where I’ve made not only professional connections but also good friends. I am eager to pay this forward, and to contribute to its future.
Three areas of vision where I see opportunity are the following:
- Evolving and expanding programming to support scholarly communications professionals at all levels. SSP’s unique focus is on developing our industry professionals. As our industry undergoes massive transformation, it is more critical than ever to have skilled, collaborative, and diverse leaders.
- Bolstering the visibility, recognition, and impact of SSP, not just among individual professional members but also among the various organizations in the industry.
- Ensuring the sustainability of the organization. As the co-chair of the Generations Fund Committee and a member of the Finance Committee, I pledge to continue to ensure the financial sustainability of the organization.
I remain committed to helping SSP flourish. I am grateful for the nomination, and I look forward to the opportunity to bring my considerable experience to contribute to SSP.
Mia Ricci, Director of Publications Operations, American Geophysical Union
Bio: Mia Ricci is the Director of Publications Operations at the American Geophysical Union (AGU), where she oversees the strategic management, editorial offices, and publishing operations of AGU’s 24 scientific journals and the ESS Open Archive. Mia has over 15 years of experience in scholarly publishing, managing journal editorial operations and publishing partnerships. She also leads the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts for AGU’s publications and currently serves on committees for C4DISC, SSP, CSE, and the Joint Commitment for Action on Inclusion and Diversity in Publishing. She is a member of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences (AAPIiG) and was the co-founder of Wiley’s Asian and Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group. She has been part of the SSP community for many years, attending SSP Annual Meetings and serving in various volunteer roles: as Co-Chair of C4DISC’s Communications and Outreach Committee, as Founder and Co-Lead of the C4DISC Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication, as organizer and moderator for SSP Leadership Forums, and is on her 2nd term as a member of the SSP Education Committee.
Vision Statement: When I stumbled into the world of scholarly publishing nearly sixteen years ago, I knew very little about this industry nor did I know people working in similar professions. I fell in love with the mission quickly, as helping scientists publish their work to make the world better is, in the words of my seven-year-old child, “pretty cool.” Today I know quite a bit more about our industry and have grown my networks significantly. I attribute a lot of that growth to the learning and networking I’ve received from SSP, as a regular conference participant, as a mentee and a mentor, and as a volunteer for C4DISC and for the Education Committee. I’ve also been energized by the space and support SSP has created to help make scholarly publishing and its workforce a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable place, a mission that resonates deeply with me. Founding and co-leading the C4DISC Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication will always be a highlight of my career. I’m humbled and honored to be nominated for a seat on the Board. Whether elected or not, I am committed to supporting SSP through my volunteer work, towards a vision of an organization that enables accessible learning and community-building for everyone in our beloved industry. Particularly welcoming those who might be feeling like they know very little, don’t know many people yet, and those who have not yet felt fully included.
Simone Taylor, Chief of Publishing Operations, American Psychiatric Association
Bio: From a background in scientific research, Simone started her publishing career at Elsevier. Via the National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom), Wiley, and AIP Publishing, she has developed considerable international experience in leading adaptive and transformational change.
Simone is passionate about helping authors maintain records of their work in the scientific literature and is a keen advocate for improving global accessibility to the published body of knowledge. She has served on cross-industry teams that implemented data citation principles and standardized data policy. She also works to deliver more equitable outcomes in compensation and career advancement for marginalized groups in the workforce.
Simone currently serves as Publisher and Chief of Publishing Operations at the American Psychiatric Association, providing strategic direction and leadership for APA’s publishing program.
Vision Statement: My first interaction with SSP was as a panelist at the Annual Meeting in 2018, where I felt the welcome energy of an organization focused on providing opportunities for collaboration and networking, across the full spectrum of colleagues working in the publishing and allied industries, from early career professionals to senior and executive leaders.
Since then, I have served on the Education Committee and the Kitchen Cabinet, where I am honored to volunteer with an incredible group of colleagues from whom I always learn something new. Wherever I find myself in the organization, my aim is to contribute to SSP’s ongoing efforts to create an environment where minoritized voices are not drowned out by the majority view. My vision is to build a future where we can each use our privilege to support and empower others, to ultimately create a safer, fairer society in which our unique characteristics allow us all to thrive.
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