FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.— 1517 Media is pleased to announce that Ryan Hemmer has been named editor-in-chief, replacing Will Bergkamp who has left the organization after 13 years.
Hemmer has both marketing and acquisitions experience with the well-established publisher. He joined Fortress Press in January 2019 as the marketing specialist for academic and education titles. By late 2019, he was named an acquisitions editor for the academic list.
Timothy Blevins, president and CEO of 1517 Media, said, “Ryan Hemmer is a leader who can build on Fortress Press’ long history of publishing landmark titles from leading, diverse voices while evolving the program to meet the changes needs of the academy, professional clergy, and adjacent audiences.”
“To be editor-in-chief at Fortress is to be the steward of a tradition, to edit with the skill of John Hollar, to acquire with the passion of Michael West, and to manage with the wisdom of Will Bergkamp,” said Hemmer. “But it also demands risk-taking. It means trusting my own sensibilities, insights, and long-term vision, while empowering our editors and authors for the labors ahead.”
Hemmer knows the future is bright for Fortress Press: “We are committed to being on the bleeding edge of scholarship, pedagogy, public leadership, and cultural reflection. Wherever the conversation is going, we plan to be there first—with the best arguments, most interesting angles, and sharpest voices.”
Ryan Hemmer is editor-in-chief at Fortress Press. He acquires broadly in all areas of religion and culture, but has a more focused interest in theological ethics, political theology, and world religions. Ryan holds a PhD in religious studies from Marquette University. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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1517 Media creates multimedia resources and distinctive books for Christian communities, higher-education learning and scholars, and the general reader. 1517 Media’s publishing centers include the book imprints Beaming Books, Broadleaf Books, and Fortress Press, and the congregational resource imprints Augsburg Fortress and Sparkhouse.
