Digital pioneer and digital publishing strategist Aaron Linne will be joining the Logos Bible Software leadership team as director of church products. In his new role, Linne will lead the ongoing development of Logos’ online community platform, Faithlife.com, and its church presentation software, Proclaim.

“Linne is a digital native with a passion for helping the church use technology to advance its mission,” said Bob Pritchett, president and CEO of Logos. “We are excited to add his skills as a futurist and innovator to our awesome team.”

Lee Hough, literary agent and vice president at Alive Communications, died Sept. 10 after a two-year battle with brain cancer. He was 58.

Hough’s influence was widely felt in the industry.  He was the recipient of the first-ever Christy Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Christian Retail Show in June.

The Parable Group announced that Bryan Fletcher has joined its marketing firm as sales and consumer marketing manager. Fletcher joins Parable with 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, most recently from Bank of America where he served as assistant vice president of small business banking.

“Bryan’s extensive experience complements our distinctive approach to implementing accountable marketing solutions, providing an important opportunity to meet and exceed our clients’ diverse needs,” said Steve Potratz, CEO of Parable. “We are delighted to welcome this talented new member to our management team.”

Abingdon Press has appointed marketing and publicity veteran Julie Gwinn as the Christian living marketing manager, effective Sept. 16.

"We are delighted to have Julie Gwinn as a part of the Abingdon Press publishing family," said Abingdon's Executive Director of Marketing Tamara Crabtree. "She has earned a strong reputation in the industry, and comes to us with a wealth of experience in marketing and author management that will contribute well to strengthening the Abingdon Press Christian Living title initiatives."

Gwinn will oversee titles, including The Dave Test by Fredrick W. Schmidt and Know When to Hold 'Em by John Blase.

Active in the public relations and advertising industry for more than 25 years, Gwinn was most recently the trade book marketing manager and then fiction publisher for B&H Publishing Group, where she co-launched the "Pure Enjoyment" fiction line, while managing the area and acquiring new authors.

Abingdon Press is the publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House.

B&H Publishing Group President Selma Wilson has appointed Jim Baird oversight of three of the company's key consumer brands.

"Jim's background and experience in the academic, software, publishing, ministry and business arenas make him uniquely gifted for this role," Wilson said. "His leadership both internally and externally has helped build B&H Academic as a recognized leader amongst authors and scholars."

In his new role, Baird will manage B&H Academic, WORDSearch and CrossBooks. Baird, who has led B&H Academic since 2008, will work with Paul Mikos and Chris Cowan, who set strategies for CrossBooks and B&H Academic, respectively.

LifeWay Christian Resources, B&H's parent company, acquired Bible reference software companies WORDsearch Corp. and QuickVerse in 2011 to strengthen its digital focus. B&H Academic provides resources for undergraduate and graduate theological education. Launched in 2009, CrossBooks is the self-publishing division of LifeWay.

Baird sees a natural alignment between B&H Academic and WORDsearch.

"As a WORDsearch consumer for many years, I know from experience that we serve well those who teach and preach," he said. "We are able to reach the masses through all forms of technology, including desktop, iOS app, cloud and, coming soon, the Android app."

Justin Taylor has been appointed to the position of senior vice president and publisher for books for Crossway. Allan Fisher, who held the position for the past eight years, retired in July.

“It is my delight to welcome Justin in his new role as Crossway’s Publisher for Books,” said Crossway President Dr. Lane Dennis. “Justin has already made a tremendous contribution to our publishing program, and he is highly qualified both theologically and personally to carry forward the Crossway mission and ministry in this new position.”

Christian music industry veteran Bob Thompson has been named executive director of the Christian Festival Association (CFA). Thompson, who will lead the association's organizational and advocacy efforts, will report to the CFA executive board.

"We are absolutely delighted to welcome Bob Thompson back to the CFA in this new role," said CFA President Kevin Newton, who also serves as festival director for two annual CFA events in Michigan. "Bob is an accomplished leader who has unparalleled experience in both business and ministry operations. Having been a festival director himself, Bob is thoroughly familiar with the skills and resources necessary to run an effective Christian music festival. 

“CFA events continue to be one of the most effective forums for new artists to both build their fan base and make a genuine connection with the Christian music market,” Newton added.

Thompson retired from Sprint in 2001 as president of the company's long distance division, and he began a second career in the Christian music industry. He and his wife, Nancy, founded Micah Music Ministries in 2001, a small company dedicated to using the arts to translate the gospel to young people in a way that is relevant to them. Thompson was a co-owner and festival director of AtlantaFest, a long-running Christian music festival held annually at Stone Mountain Park.

"I am looking forward to helping the association continue to capitalize on its incredible opportunity to make a positive impact on young lives in America," Thompson said. "But we also know that to whom much has been given, much is expected."

Williamsburg, Va.-based CFA, which was formed in 2006, is comprised of 24 of the nation's largest Christian music festivals. Thompson is the group's first full-time executive director.