According to a memo from Tina Constable, executive v-p and publisher of Penguin Random House imprints Convergent, Forum Books, Image, Ink & Willow, Multnomah, and WaterBrook, three staff members at Convergent have received promotions.
Derek Reed, who joined the Crown Publishing Group in 2011 as an intern before being named an editor, has been promoted to editorial director. He will now be reporting to Constable. “Derek’s books have made Convergent a destination for the best in religious nonfiction, and he will continue to build its roster with leading thinkers, changemakers, and community builders who help readers imagine new ways of being—for themselves and for the world,” Constable said.
Next, Mathew Burdette, formerly associate editor, has been promoted to editor at Convergent. “He will continue to acquire books that attest to the legacy, challenges, contradictions, and promise of faith in contemporary life—including memoirs, books on the spiritual and emotional life, self-help, social history, social commentary, and comedy," Constable wrote, Burdette reports to Derek Reed.
Leita Williams, who joined Convergent as an editorial assistant in 2021, has been promoted to associate editor. In her new role, Williams will focus on “memoir, essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry for Convergent—focusing on candid, redemptive storytelling that highlights human connection, inspires and champions creativity, and celebrates the diverse intersection of faith and culture,” according to Constable. Williams reports to Reed.
PRH expanded the staff of its faith-based publishing imprints in 2019 with four news hires: Keren Baltzer, Becky Nesbitt, Paul Pastor, and Porscha Burke. Baltzer was named associate publisher of Zondervan Books on Sept. 18, and Nesbitt moved to Forefront Books in August.
