Our People

James Ernest is Executive Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Eerdmans, having joined Eerdmans in these roles in June 2015. James began his publishing career as a writer, then editor, for the H. W. Wilson Company, then gained significant experience as a freelance copyeditor and translator. He joined the staff of Hendrickson Publishers for seven years, then worked for thirteen years for Baker Academic and Brazos Press, where he served most recently as executive editor. He holds a BA from Wheaton College, an MA in classical studies from Boston University, an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a PhD in historical theology from Boston College.

Will Bergkamp is Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Finance. Prior to joining Eerdmans in June of 2024, he led Friendship Press, the publisher of the National Council of Churches, and held various leadership roles at 1517 Media. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and the University of St. Thomas. Will is an avid reader and book collector who loves every part of international travel.

Alexander (Sasha) Bukovietski is Vice President of Editorial Operations. He gets to work with super smart and creative people on a great variety of editorial, book design, and production projects. Prior to working at Eerdmans, which he joined in 2015, Alexander ran a small and altogether wonderful academic press in Cherkasy, Ukraine.

Kathleen Merz is the Editorial Director for Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She joined Eerdmans in 2009, and since then has had the chance to work on a number of award-winning titles, including books that have won the Caldecott Honor, the Batchelder Award for translation, and the Sibert Medal. Kathleen studied English and linguistics and especially enjoys working on translated books and nonfiction picture books. She’s particularly fond of stories that celebrate diversity and tackle contemporary social issues in ways that are organic, compelling, and honest. When she’s not at work editing, Kathleen can usually be found outside somewhere in Michigan biking, kayaking, camping, or just tucked in a hammock reading.

Shannon Doctor is the Controller/HR Manager for Eerdmans, and she joined the team in 2022. Shannon brings over 30 years of financial and human resources experience, primarily with small family-owned businesses. In this role, Shannon has overall responsibility for Eerdmans’ financial reporting, planning, and budgeting, systems of internal controls, and corporate accounting, as well as human resource planning and administration, talent management, compensation, employee benefits, and employer-employee relations. Shannon has the pleasure of managing the company’s financial assets, but also the most valuable assets, our employees. In her spare time, Shannon enjoys traveling, refinishing old furniture, music and reading.