Emerging Leaders Announce Wi5 Scholarship Winners

The Emerging Leaders Council has announced the winners of its scholarships for ABA's Fifth Annual Winter Institute. The scholarships, sponsored by Ingram, will cover the cost of lodging, transportation, and the Wi5 meal fee for a bookseller from each of the regional trade associations (except the host region, Northern California) to attend the Winter Institute.

"There were many qualified applicants for the scholarships this year, and we easily could have awarded three times as many as we did," said EL spokesperson Stephanie Anderson of Word Bookstore in Brooklyn. "There is an incredible wealth of talent, drive, and innovation among new and young booksellers in this country."

The Emerging Leaders Scholarship winners are:

• Shelly Koteskey, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, Michigan (Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association)
• Taylor Ricks, Next Chapter Bookshop, Mequon, Wisconsin (Midwest Booksellers Association)
• Laura Kuechenmeister, Bookworks, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association)
• Nathan Halter, The Doylestown Bookshop, Doylestown, Pennsylvania (New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association)
• Katherine Fergason, Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts (New England Independent Booksellers Association)
• Casey Stryer, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Washington (Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association)
• Patrick Nelson, Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop, Pomona, California (Southern California Independent Booksellers Association)
• Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop, Athens, Georgia (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance)