IDPF Board candidate: Rick Johnson, Ingram Content Group (INCUMBENT)

May 24, 2016
VitalSource and Ingram have long been a supporter of the IDPF and the EPUB standard.  Our role in accepting and delivering content spans the globe, and touches every channel.  VitalSource, in particular, has lead the conversation and championed the work to bring EPUB3 into the education channel.  Our support for EPUB3 has been highly public, consistent, and forward looking.
 
In my service on the board I have represented both the detailed interests within various working groups, and well as the strategic needs of the channels and markets that I represent.  The EPUB for Education (EDUPUB) profile has been a particular focus, as I have co-authored portions of the specification, and driven to deliver reference implementations to showcase its functionality, and benefits.  Our accessibility work in driving the EPUB standards has been demonstrated by our 100% results in the fundamental test suites for our reading system applications.  We have also recently released an authoring platform for EPUB3 content that drives all of the initiatives forward, by making them automatic, mainstreamed, and easily used.
 
My desire to continue to serve on the board of the IDPF is to help further the vision of interoperability within the Education marketplace, drive the mainstream implementations of accessible content, reading systems, and authoring systems, and to be an accelerant to the process, bringing velocity where it is needed to drive adoption and interoperability.
 
About Rick:
 
Rick Johnson is the Vice President of Product Strategy, and one of the founders of VitalSource Technologies, Inc.  Now a division of the Ingram Content Group, VitalSource is the maker of Bookshelf®, the most widely used platform for delivery of electronic textbooks in the world.  As VP of Product, Rick manages the strategic direction of the fast growing platform, guiding the architecture, and implementation of its clients and systems.
Rick's career has been focused on bringing together his three passions: technology, publishing, and education.  He is a frequent speaker on electronic textbooks, their integration into an institutional environment, and how the accessibility needs of individual students can best be accommodated in their delivery.  He has served on multiple committees addressing the needs around delivering accessible content to students, was a member of the working groups responsible for version 2 and version 3 of the EPUB standard, currently serves on the board of directors for IMSGlobal (http://www.imsglobal.org/boardofdirectors.html) and the IDPF (http://idpf.org/about-us/leadership), and is the co-inventor of 3 domestic and international patents dealing with electronic books and their distribution.
 
Prior to Ingram and VitalSource, Rick spent more than 12 years with Apple Computer, Inc.  As a Senior National Consulting Engineer for them he was instrumental in the implementation of complex solutions for many higher education and corporate customers, and received numerous national and international awards.
 
A graduate of the communication and business departments of Biola University in 1984, Rick has lived in the Phoenix area with his family since they moved from Southern California in 1991.  Married to his wife Susie for more than 30 years, together they have raised two children, and are very active in their church and community.  Rick also serves on the board of directors for several non-profit ministries.
 

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