Contact:
Kara O’Keeffe
608-261-9596
[email protected]
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Historical Society announced this week that Editor-in-Chief Kathryn “Kate” Thompson, from Middleton, WI has been named the new director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Thompson takes the helm from long-time director Kathy Borkowski, and is charged with continuing the Press’s 163 yearlong dedication to connecting people with the past by publishing the best in Wisconsin history and culture.
“We are delighted to announce that Kate Thompson has accepted our offer to lead the Society Press and help move the Press and the Society forward through this pivotal and exciting time in our organization’s history,” said Michael Edmonds, director of programs and outreach for the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Thompson will direct the ways that Press books bring the past, and unique Wisconsin stories, to general, academic, and educational audiences of all ages throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the nation. Thompson will continue the Press’s reputation for producing an award-winning list of publications with enduring historical and cultural value as part of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s mission to collect, preserve, and share our history.
She has spent the past 18 years as the Society Press’s acquisitions editor and senior editor, helping to build the Press’s trade and education publishing success. Many in the book industry know her from her participation in Heartland Fall Forum and other industry and book events. Thompson, a native of Door County, Wisconsin, worked for presses in Minnesota, Maine, and Massachusetts before returning to her home state in 1999 — and joining the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. She also served for eight years on the board of the Wisconsin Center for the Book and is a board member of the Friends of the Middleton Public Library in Middleton.
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
