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| David Cully | |
David Cully, former president of Baker & Taylor, died on February 16 at age 68 following a battle with cancer.
Cully joined B&T in 2008, heading retail and merchandising before being appointed president in 2017, a year after Follett bought the company. He retired in 2019. Earlier he worked at Barnes & Noble, where he was president of B&N Distribution, Simon & Schuster, Putnam Berkley Publishing Group and Waldenbooks.
Follett commented: "Many of us at Follett and Baker & Taylor worked closely with David and knew him to be one of the most caring, humorous, pragmatic, interesting and happy people we've ever met, so this loss is felt very deeply.
"David was a voracious reader and believed children thrive when they have exposure to books and reading early in their lives. He spent time visiting various schools and adored reading to young kids to get them engaged in literacy. It was this passion for reading that led to his 11-year career at Baker & Taylor with a focus on improving literacy for public library patrons of all ages.
"David will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues at Follett and Baker & Taylor, and everyone who knew him."
Last year, the Book Industry Study Group awarded him the Sally Dedecker Award for Lifetime Service, and he was honored by Goddard Riverside in 2017.
His wife is Lynn Cully, v-p, publisher, at Kensington Publishing. Our deepest condolences to her and the rest of the family.