The American Booksellers Association board of directors has appointed Donya Craddock of the Dock Bookshop in Fort Worth, Tex., to the board, filling a vacant seat, Bookselling This Week reported. The board has also recommended Craddock for a three-year term (2026-2029) in the board elections that take place this spring.
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| Donya Craddock | |
In addition, the board recommended John Cavalier of Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs and Lafayette, La., for a three-year term, which would fill the vacancy created by the end of the second term of former president Tegan Tigani of Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, Wash.
Directors on the current board who are up for re-election are Diane Capriola, Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga.; Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, Greenlight Bookstores, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Lisa Swayze, Buffalo Street Books, Ithaca, N.Y.; and Holly Weinkauf, Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, Minn.
ABA members will receive ballots for the board elections via e-mail in March. Members can petition to have booksellers added to the ballot; the ballots will include space for write-in candidates. When voting ends, results will be announced in Bookselling This Week. The ABA's annual membership meeting will be held virtually on May 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern.
The board said that new board member Donya Craddock is "the co-owner of The Dock Bookshop, one of Texas' longest-running independent bookstores, alongside her business partner Donna Craddock, and is a respected leader of multiple reading and community-based initiatives. She has served as a member of the American Booksellers Association Advisory Board and is a committee member for Reading the West with the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association. Donya is also a Certified Professional Bookseller in Event Management, having completed her certification through Professional Booksellers School.
"In addition to her work in bookselling and community engagement, Donya has an extensive professional background in mortgage banking and real estate. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from Iowa State University, followed by a Master of Business Administration. Donya spent more than 30 years in the mortgage industry, where she received numerous awards and accolades and earned the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) certification from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Her career also included serving as a real estate broker, during which she incorporated real estate strategy books into her client services."
The board said that board nominee John Cavalier is "the co-owner of Cavalier House Books with his wife, Michelle. Together, they run two independent bookstores rooted in Louisiana culture and guided by a belief in books as vital community anchors. John is deeply committed to supporting regional voices, independent publishing, and Louisiana's literary culture.
"John has been a bookseller for 23 years and is also the owner of Looziana Book Co., a small regional-interest wholesaler and distributor focused on amplifying Louisiana-based authors and publishers. Through both retail and distribution, his work centers on strengthening the local literary landscape and expanding access to independent and local publishing.
"He currently serves on the American Booksellers Association's Booksellers Advisory Council and previously served as board president of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. Locally, John serves on the Denham Springs Historic Commission as well as the Denham Springs Planning and Zoning Commissions."