Minneapolis, Minn.—Fortress Press is pleased to announce that Laura Gifford has been named editor-in-chief of the academic imprint, which has been a leading publisher of books in theology, biblical studies, and ethics since the early 1960s.

Gifford holds a Ph.D. in American History from UCLA and an M.A. in Ministry from Portland Seminary. Gifford has taught college courses at several universities and served as scholar-in-residence at George Fox University. She is rostered as a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and served the ELCA churchwide organization as Candidacy and Leadership Manager for the western states prior to joining Fortress Press as an acquiring editor in 2022.

“Laura’s unique academic, church, and publishing experience make her an ideal fit for Fortress Press and the mix of customers it serves,” says Andrew DeYoung, Publisher for Fortress and its sister imprints Broadleaf Books and Beaming Books. “She also stands at the center of an uncommonly strong team of editors. With Laura at the helm, I feel confident about Fortress’s ability to continue its long history of serving scholars, people in ministry, and adjacent readers with rigorous scholarship and bold ideas.”

“I’m delighted to lead a team of such talented scholars,” Gifford says of the Fortress Press editorial team. “We represent a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, and together we’ve crafted a collaborative and collegial space for developing excellent books.”

As she steps into leadership, Gifford looks both to the past and future of Fortress Press: “I’m excited to lean into our weighty academic heritage and our capacity to provide theologically grounded books for new generations of scholars and faith leaders.”