The Savannah Book Festival (SBF) announces new members of the Board of Directors (BoD). Betsy Lancaster, Bradd Siegel, Cecilia Arango, Mandy Parsons, and Robert Griffith have joined the SBF Board of Directors. The new board members join Bob Zerbe, Board President; Carri Stoltz, Secretary; Kristin Prentiss Ott Vice- President; Matt Smith, Treasurer, and Rachel Young Fields, past-President, for the 2024-2026 year.

Betsy Lancaster is a current SBF Development Committee member and resident of The Ford Field and River Club. Betsy and her husband became “snowbirds” traveling between Chagrin Falls, OH to Savannah and Richmond Hill back in 1999. In 2019 they became full-time Georgia residents. For 30 years Betsy was an active member of a book club in Chagrin Falls, and for the last 10 years she has chaired the Ford Book Club.

Bradd Siegel and his wife Kathi moved to Savannah in 2013 after living in Columbus, Ohio for 30 years where Bradd was a partner in a large Columbus-based law firm. While in Columbus, Bradd served on the Board of BalletMet, Columbus’s professional ballet company, and was a Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He also taught Labor and Employment Law at Capital University Law School. Bradd has always loved reading and was a member of the History Book Club for many years. Bradd served three years on The Landings Club Golf and Green Committee, The Landings Association’s Appeals Committee, and on the Board of The Landings Men’s Golf Association, becoming its President. Bradd is a graduate of Cornell University, The National Law Center, George Washington University, and Georgetown University Law Center.

Cecilia Arango is Cecilia Arango is a Principal and Certified Professional Services Marketer at Thomas & Hutton. With over 23 years of experience, she oversees marketing, communications, and community relations for Thomas & Hutton’s 10 regions in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Cecilia is passionate about service to the community and serves on various professional and non-profit boards and committees, including Savannah Sports Council, TEDxSavannah, Society of Marketing Professional Services, Leadership Southeast Georgia, United Way of the Coastal Empire, and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. Named

to the list of Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40 and Engineering Georgia’s List of 100 Influential Women in Georgia, Cecilia is an alumnus of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Southeast Georgia, and Leadership Savannah. She is an avid runner and founder of Read, Run & Rant, an active running book as featured in Shape and Savannah Magazines.

Mandy Parsons is the President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry in Bluffton. She is the former CFO of United Way of the Coastal Empire. Mandy is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. She is skilled in nonprofit organizations, budgeting, event planning, customer service, and strategic planning. Mandy received a B.S. in Business Administration from Alice Lloyd College.

Robert Griffith is a Professor of Writing at SCAD, he was previously with the University of Evansville, IN and University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Rob is the author of several books of poetry including The Moon from Every Window which was nominated for the 2013 Poets’ Prize. He is a founding Publisher of Measure Press. His fantasy novel, Engines of Night, is forthcoming from Hydra Publications. Rob received his B.A. from the University of Tennessee and his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas, and in 2005, was awarded the University of Evansville's Outstanding Professor Award.

“Our new members and their combined skillsets, insights and enthusiasm will be instrumental in the advance of our mission to celebrate the written word and promote literacy throughout the region,” said Bob Zerbe, BOD President. “We are thrilled to have these accomplished leaders in our community join the Savannah Book Festival Board of Directors.”

The new board members will join returning members Caroline “Caro” Powell, Dan Suwyn, Deb Werner, Ivy Council, Jaqueline Mason, Lisa Yount, Matt Graham, Matt Smith, and Chairperson Emeritus, Jack Romanos.

The Savannah Book Festival will celebrate its 18th year as one of the finest invitation-only literary festivals in the country, February 6-9, 2025.

SBF presents best-selling and emerging authors at a four-day weekend event featuring dozens of authors. Festival Saturday, February 8, which is free and open to the public, showcases world-renowned and debut authors in locations in and around downtown Savannah.

The Savannah Book Festival is an independent, non-profit corporation committed to encouraging literacy and the love of books. For more information, please contact Assistant Director Mickie McNamara at (912)-598-4040, email [email protected] or visit www.savannahbookfestival.org.