James Saunders

Background

About James Saunders

As the CEO for Direct Sales and Co-Owner of Saunders Book Company I am responsible for all aspects of Direct Sales. I get to work with a great team of people, fantastic educators and passionate publishers and content creators everyday. While there is always a "what's next" in the areas of children's publishing and libraries, it keeps the industry changing and evolving for the future. As the Publisher for Beech Street Books I am able to utilize the knowledge, expertise and talent of our team and put that to work in the creative process by conceptualizing and creating resources for students to read. Continually updating our process and listening to librarians and educators allows us to react to their needs in a timely manner with culturally appropriate content often matched to curriculum. Through several projects I have been involved in I have learned how to work with partners both in my professional and volunteer life. I continue to work on groups involving non-profit agencies, government ministries, trade associations and municipalities. By bringing together and strengthening partnerships many large projects can be accomplished. I have a passion for utilizing under used space in the pursuit of a community purpose and have accomplished this goal through Saunders Book Company, Common Roof/Rotary Hub, Rotary Collingwood Affordable Housing Task Force and various projects through Trinity United Church and Elephant Thoughts Educational Charity. Specialties: New business development, library, K-12 education, space planning and implementation, organizational management, operational management, publishing and strategic management.