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Ave Maria Press Welcomes New Editorial Director, Director of Finance and Operations

NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Ave Maria Press is pleased to announce the hiring of two executives for its core management team. Daniel Marrs will become vice president and editorial director on August 19. Kyle Marscola is joining Ave as vice president and director of finance and operations on July 30. Marrs is leaving his position as publisher of the Thomas Nelson Bible Group, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, in Nashville, Tennessee. "It's such a delight and privilege to join this publishing team,” Marrs said. “I resonate deeply with Ave’s mission to help people grow in their knowledge and love of God. I see my new role as an opportunity to contribute to Ave’s legacy of sharing the gospel of Jesus through the written word." Marrs worked as a freelance editor for a variety of publishers between 2005 and 2015. He earned a doctorate in religious studies from Baylor University, where he also taught biblical theology, church history, philosophy, theological ethics, bioethics, and historical theology. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from Shepherd University and a master’s degree in theology from the Talbot School of Theology. Marrs replaces Robert Hamma, who retired in 2016. Publisher Thomas Grady has been filling the editorial director role since Hamma’s retirement. Marscola, the director of finance at Gibson Insurance in South Bend, is replacing the retiring Mark Witbeck. "I am very honored, excited, and blessed to join Ave Maria Press and to help serve the mission put in place by Fr. Sorin in 1865," Marscola said. "Everyone can find ways to serve and do more in this world, but to have the opportunity to be part of an organization that lives and breathes this mission daily is amazing!" Marscola has a bachelor’s degree from Texas A& M University at Commerce and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He worked in various positions in finance and accounting in the Indiana-Michigan area and in Texas, where he was raised. Marrs and Marscola will join Karey Circosta, associate publisher and director of sales & marketing, and Kristen Hornyak Bonelli, vice president and creative director, on Ave’s executive management team. "I’m thrilled to welcome Daniel and Kyle to Ave," Grady said. "Both are enormously talented and immensely likable, and they bring a clear commitment to and passion for the mission of the Press and the Congregation of Holy Cross."   Ave Maria Press was founded by Fr. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., in 1865 and is recognized as a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality. Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.

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Witbeck Retires After 30 Years at Ave Maria Press

Mark Witbeck, vice president and director of finance and operations, is retiring after 30 years at Ave Maria Press. Publisher Thomas Grady acknowledged that it was “impossible to summarize adequately the many contributions that Mark has made during his 30-year tenure at Ave Maria Press. He and his seasoned team of colleagues are responsible for developing, maintaining, and improving the infrastructure that allows the rest of the rest of us to do our jobs.” Grady credited Witbeck with creating and refining the tools and metrics that Ave uses to help measure its performance and its success as a business; transitioning the accounting department from adding machines and early spreadsheets to the sophisticated computer systems we use now; spearheading the effort to acquire the Thomas More, Christian Classics, and Forest of Peace imprints for Ave in 2003; leading the effort to professionalize the company’s shipping and warehousing operation while maintaining a near-perfect efficiency rate; and overseeing the closing of Ave’s printing business in 2012. Grady noted that Witbeck has ensured a strong, professional, and productive relationship with the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priest and Brothers, of which Ave is an apostolate. “Ave Maria Press has truly been a great place to work with a supportive board of directors, a great management team, and a dedicated, long-term staff,” Witbeck said. “We have seen tremendous change and disruption in the publishing industry in the past 30 years, but always came out stronger in the end.” Outside of his work at Ave Maria Press, Witbeck opened the first Sports Clips franchise in South Bend in 2009 and a second in 2012. He sold his stores in 2017 in preparation for retirement. He has served on the board of directors for First Tee of Indiana-Michigan since 2013. Prior to becoming controller at Ave in 1989, Witbeck worked in community newspapers in Houston, Texas, and Big Rapids, Michigan, and managed a video rental business for Family Video. He was also elected the youngest-ever member of the Big Rapids City Commission at age 26. Witbeck and his wife Lana have a daughter Analise. He plans to christen his retirement in September by spending a year cruising the Great Loop. Ave Maria Press was founded by Fr. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., in 1865 and is recognized as a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality. Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers. 

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Ave Explores Takes In-Depth Look at Important Topics in the Church

Following a successful pilot project last fall, Ave Maria Press is pleased to announce the next edition of Ave Explores—an initiative aimed at helping everyday Catholics better live their faith. Catholic author and speaker Katie Prejean McGrady is the project manager for Ave Explores. The next month-long installment launching this fall will focus on the role of the Virgin Mary in the life of the Catholic Church. Prejean McGrady, award-winning author of Follow and Room 24, spearheaded a similar project surrounding the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment in 2018 that was geared toward youth ministry leaders. Ave Explores: Mary will include articles, videos, podcasts, social media exclusives, surprising facts, and resources for classrooms and parishes. Signup is free at avemariapress.com. “So many people feel  faith is something you do only on Sunday when you attend Mass. Ave Explores will help you see your faith as something you can live every day,” Prejean McGrady said. Experts will provide insight, ideas, and practical resources to help Catholics better understand the continued importance of Christ’s mother not only in the Church but also in their own lives. “We’re going to look at how Mary is a model of discipleship and an example of how to be in intimate relationship with the Lord. We will examine how Mary is our companion, our supporter, and a guide for families in how to live a faithful life,” Prejean McGrady said. Other issues include: how Mary can influence our prayer practice; Mary as a model for our families; celebrating Marian feast days; and ways to teach non-Catholics about why Mary is important for all of us. Karey Circosta, associate publisher and vice president of sales and marketing at Ave Maria Press, emphasized that Ave Explores is free to anyone who wants to receive the material via email and on Ave Maria Press’s website and social media. “Ave’s commitment to the Church goes beyond publishing high school textbooks, ministry resources, and books on prayer and spirituality,” she said. “We also want to provide online content on important issues in the Church that offers spiritual enrichment and practical resources to help all Catholics grow in their faith.” Circosta said that Mary is a perfect topic for the new Ave Explores because Our Lady of Sorrows is the patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross, of which Ave Maria Press is an apostolate. “We are pleased to be working with Katie Prejean McGrady on this initiative. She brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and contacts within the Church that will make this project beneficial to all,” Circosta said.   Sign Up Here for Ave Explores   Ave Maria Press was founded by Fr. Edward Sorin, CSC, in 1865 and is recognized as a leader in publishing Catholic high school religion textbooks, parish resources, and books on prayer and spirituality. Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.

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