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The Kepler's 2020 Project Team
Patrick Corman is a strategic communications and marketing consultant to international high tech firms. He formerly held senior management positions with Regis McKenna, Inc., and with Edelman Worldwide Public Relations. Patrick also is active in public affairs in the local community and most recently led the successful marketing and communications campaign for the Menlo Gateway project in Menlo Park. His favorite books are "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain and "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C. Gwynne.
Jean Forstner is Director of Community Relations at Kepler’s. In this role she manages the store’s events program, membership program, and community partners program. Previously, she served as California State Director to U.S. Senator Alan Cranston. Her favorite books are "My Antonia" by Willa Cather, "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, and "No Ordinary Time" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Clark Kepler is the outgoing CEO of Kepler’s Books. Clark grew up in and around his father’s bookstore in the '60s and '70s and joined the staff in 1979. In 1983, he assumed responsibility for bookstore management. When Clark was force to close Kepler’s unexpectedly in August 2005 it triggered a community uproar and new investment of $1 million that at the time was unprecedented in the bookselling business. Clark will continue on as chairman of the board of directors of Kepler's as well as a key Kepler's 2020 team member. His favorite book is "Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abbey.
Praveen Madan was a principal at management consulting firm A.T. Kearney and then VP of Marketing at Trilogy Software. In 2007 he became a literary entrepreneur and, in partnership with his wife Christin Evans, acquired and transformed the Booksmith bookstore in San Francisco. In 2009 he teamed up with industry veteran Melissa Mytinger to launch Berkeley Arts & Letters. Books that have had a lasting impact on Praveen include "Dune" by Frank Herbert, "Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand, "Deep Economy" by Bill McKibben, "The Road Less Travelled" by M. Scott Peck, "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam, "Political Fictions" by Joan Didion, "Manufacturing Consent" by Noam Chomsky, "Capitalism and Freedom" by Milton Friedman, "Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein, and "You are Not a Gadget" by Jaron Lanier. Occasionally he also enjoys good literary fiction.
Beth Morgan is a long‐term resident of Palo Alto, and a Stanford MBA and direct marketing guru. She started and ran the search practice of digital agency Red Bricks Media and was also an early employee at email marketing firm Digital Impact. Her most recent position is with healthcare start up Simplee. Over the course of her career in marketing Beth has sold everything from makeup to extra-long twin sheets. Her favorite books are "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Galapagos" by Kurt Vonnegut, and "Barrel Fever" by David Sedaris.
Steven Piersanti is president and publisher of Berrett‐Koehler Publishers, a leading, San Francisco-‐based independent publisher of print and digital books on business, leadership, personal development, current affairs, and other topics. Its mission is "Creating a World That Works for All." Before founding Berrett‐Koehler in 1992, Piersanti was president and CEO of Jossey-Bass Publishers in San Francisco. His favorite book is "Stewardship" by Peter Block.
A native of Palo Alto who grew up coming to Kepler's, Gail Slocum is a highly influential and respected political name in Silicon Valley, and a longtime effective organizer in the mid-Peninsula. She is the former Menlo Park Mayor who currently serves as a senior energy policy attorney for PG&E and Chairman of the San Mateo County Planning Commission. Gail helped rally the community to save Kepler’s bookstore in 2005. Her favorite book is "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankl.
Mitch Slomiak serves on the board of Kepler’s. He brings more than 25 years of senior financial experience to the Kepler's team, with a unique blend of business planning, strategy and senior financial operations expertise. Over the last decade, Mitch has served as a CFO and advisor to numerous small and medium-sized companies. Mitch is a long-time Menlo Park resident and serves as Chairman of the City's Environmental Quality Commission. His favorite book is "Island" by Aldous Huxley.
