Effective July 1, Jeff Deutsch is the new director of the Seminary Co-op Bookstore, Chicago, Ill. He has been director of stores for the Stanford Bookstore Group since 2012 and earlier led the Cal Student Store at the University of California, Berkeley.
Deutsch succeeds Jack Cella, who retired in October 2013, after serving as general manager of the Co-op for 43 years. Cella oversaw the Co-op's move from its original home at 5757 S. University Ave. to a new, larger space at McGiffert House, 5751 S. Woodlawn. The Co-op also owns 57th Street Books.
"There are very few stores in the world that do what we do," Deutsch said of the Co-op. "The pull of being at a store that sells primarily serious books is really strong." He added that he hopes "the membership will give me ideas and feedback, and be a part of making the store a success."
Harry Davis, chair of the Co-op's board of directors and professor of creative management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said, "Jeff has a genuine love for books, and I think that will further the mission of the bookstore. He loved this bookstore before he had any idea he would be able to lead it. For him, this is one of the truly great academic bookstores in the country, and he's coming here with a real sense of appreciation of its history, but also with ideas for how it can become a more important part of this community."
