EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kerry Townsend is a lover of information, media and stories. She is an adjunct professor, former K-12 district administrator, and middle school librarian. Kerry helped develop the Authors in Schools program, connecting students in Columbia Public Schools with authors such as Alan Gratz, Ruta Sepetys, and Jacqueline Woodson. Kerry lives in Columbia with her husband, David, and two teens, Blair and Charlie.

director@unboundbookfestival.com

PRESIDENT

Katie Doherty is a reader, a recovering journalist, a full-time editor, and a marketing Swiss army knife. Originally from Jefferson City, she holds a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where her studies emphasized newspaper editing and design, linguistics, and Russian language. After stints in newspapers and content marketing, she now leads the learning and development department at EquipmentShare. In her downtime, she bakes oversized cookies, cooks up vegetarian delicacies, and devours nonfiction. She believes cookbooks are the best comfort reading. She lives in Columbia with her husband, daughter, and blue Great Danes.

TREASURER
Keri serves as the Associate Vice President of Financial Aid Analytics and Compliance at Stephens College. She started her career in financial aid at the University of Missouri-Columbia and rapidly discovered her passion for helping students navigate the complex world of paying for college. She has a deep love for advocacy and has visited with legislators in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. to fight for program funding and initiatives to simplify the financial aid process. In addition to her work with Stephens and Unbound, Keri serves on the Executive Board of the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel, the Executive Board of the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and the City of Columbia New Century Fund, Inc. Board of Directors.

SECRETARY
Originally from Louisiana (the state, not the town), Sadie Thibodeaux relocated to Columbia in 2004 and has been growing roots ever since. Raised within her family’s photography business, it was clear to her at an early age that she wanted some sort of creative career. While attending SCAD to earn her BA in Photography, Sadie discovered a love for design that has grown throughout her career. She is currently a graphic designer at Columbia College for the Admissions and Marketing team. A bonafide cat person, Sadie lives in a very full house with her boyfriend, Alex, their five cats (Morrie, Maggie, Sammie, Jules, and Turk) and their dog, Charley (whom Sadie has come to view as just another cat.) 

If you couldn’t tell by the red-dyed hair, Kelsey Winkeljohn is a lover of all things colorful and out-of-the-box (pun intended). She graduated from Columbia College in 2023 with a BA in English, where she studied creative writing and minored in communication studies. She now serves as managing editor of COMO Magazine and COMO Business Times, with a particular taste for gourmet features and anything arts-related. In her free moments, she enjoys reading for her two unnamed book clubs, writing mediocre horror screenplays, and snuggling up with her cattle dog, Jerry.

Lauren Miers is a writer and marketing specialist based in the Midwest. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Portuguese, which came in handy when she briefly lived in Brazil. For over six years, she has been strategizing for nonprofits and writing about a variety of topics, including food, business, productivity and religion. Avid reader, lover of the library and lifelong learner: She is a red-headed communicator who appreciates a well-constructed sentence and has a passion for reaching others in fresh and innovative ways.

Joe Marshall is a long time Columbia resident, but originally hails from Ireland. He is a craftsman by trade, designing and building award winning custom furniture which can be found in homes and boardrooms across the United States. He has always loved story and holds a particular fondness for Irish writing: everything from classical work by James Joyce, Sean B Keene, and Flan O’Brien to more modern work by Claire Keegan, Kevin Barry, and Billy O’Callaghan. Writing has been a hobby for years, but upon being introduced to members of Columbia’s literary community, became a more important part of his life. Their encouragement helped him complete his first novel, which he hopes to publish soon, and begin work on two more and several short stories.

PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE

Alex George is the author of six novels, including A GOOD AMERICAN and SETTING FREE THE KITES, both of which were chosen as Indie Next picks by America’s independent booksellers. His next novel is due to be published by Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan, next summer. A native of England, Alex read law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris. He has lived in the Midwest for the last fifteen years. In addition to writing books and running the Unbound Book Festival, he also runs his own law firm and recently opened Skylark Bookshop, an independent bookstore in downtown Columbia, Missouri.