Deseret Book Co. will have its first woman at the helm next month.
Sheri L. Dew, 48, has been named the new president and CEO of Deseret Book, effective March 13.
Dew replaces Ronald A. Millett, 54, president and CEO since 1983, who was called last month as a mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, effective this July.
Millett confirmed this will be the first time a woman has led Deseret Book. However, he said, female leadership in the book-publishing industry isn't all that uncommon.
A native of Ulysses, Kan., Dew entered the publishing business in 1978 as an assistant editor at Bookcraft. After three years there and another six years as editor/associate publisher of This People Magazine, she joined Deseret Book in 1988 as an associate editor. She was named director of publishing in 1989 and vice president of publishing in 1993. She was appointed an executive vice president of Deseret Book in 2000.
Dew has also written biographies of two LDS Church presidents, Ezra Taft Benson and Gordon B. Hinckley. The latter book is titled, "Go Forward with Faith, The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley."
She was also called as second counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency in April 1997, a position she still holds.
Dew received a bachelor of arts degree from Brigham Young University, attended graduate school at BYU and is also a former Relief Society general board member.
"We look forward to working with Sheri and are confident that she will take Deseret Book to the next level in a very difficult and challenging industry," said Robert H. Garff, president and chairman of the board of directors for Deseret Book. "Sheri's expertise and foresight will be invaluable as she directs Deseret Book's future growth and development."
Millett also had a lot of confidence in Dew's abilities.
"She has proven herself as a leader in the General Relief Society and she has been very successful here too," he said.
Under Millett's direction, Deseret Book has more than quadrupled its revenues and tripled its number of retail stores.
He joined Deseret Book in 1972 and became the first manager of the Deseret Book University Mall store in 1973. He subsequently held positions in retail administration and marketing before becoming director of retail in 1977 and later vice president of retail.
An Orem native, Millett received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Souther Utah State College.
"Ron has devoted his entire career to Deseret Book," Garff said. "Under his leadership, Deseret Book has become the premier distributor of LDS and other values-oriented books and materials. We will all miss his hard work and dedicated service and wish him well on his new assignment as mission president."
Deseret Book is a for-profit book vendor owned by Deseret Management Corp., a holding company for businesses affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has 35 stores and about 775 employees.
E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com