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| Janis Segress | |
Janis Segress is leaving Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, Wash., to become national vendor manager at Thrift Books, effective July 2. In 2013, Segress, Judy de Jonge and de Jonge's husband, Krijn de Jonge, opened the bookstore as a successor to Queen Anne Books, which had been closed for half a year. Earlier, Segress had been head buyer at Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island for seven years.
In a letter to book friends, Segress, who has been manager as well as co-owner of Queen Anne Book Company, said the catalyst for the move was "a very good offer," leading to a "decision [that] was not made easily.
"You all know that my heart and soul is in QABC, with my family here, my customers, and my community. It is also with each you, book friends whom I have worked with and come to know over the years. You all know that we indie booksellers are here because of our passion for books and core belief of their intrinsic value to the world at large, not the money.
"The past year was a good time to reflect on life realities and I realized it was time for me to provide for myself in a different way. The stability that financial peace will bring is a necessity at this point in my life; not getting any younger!...
"I am honored to have been able to actualize my life goal of building my own bookstore ground up and managing it daily. I have relished and taken joy in every minute, the easy and hard ones, of the past eight years. QABC is what it is because of my amazing business partners Judy and Krijn and our incredibly talented team. I am leaving my dream in extremely capable and compassionate hands."
She noted that staff at Queen Anne Book Company, as of July, are:
Owners Judy de Jonge and Krijn de Jonge;
Wendee Wieking, manager and sidelines buyer;
Tegan Tigani, children's buyer and interim adult buyerl
Ellen McLaren, who is in training to take over as adult buyer;
booksellers James Davidson, Erin Malone, Rachel Pearson (the store is in the process of hiring two part-time booksellers).