Thomas Nelson Publishers Appoints Tamara L. Heim Executive Vice President and Chief Publishing Officer

Business Wire, Nov 2, 2004

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thomas Nelson, Inc. (NYSE:TNM) today announced it has named Tamara L. Heim to the newly created position of executive vice president and chief publishing officer, effective January 2005. Heim will report directly to Michael Hyatt, president and chief operating officer of Thomas Nelson. In her new post, she will directly supervise all publishing units, which include Nelson Books, W Publishing Group, WestBow Press, the Specialty Publishing Group (Tommy Nelson and J. Countryman), the General Trade Book Group (Rutledge Hill Press, Cool Springs Press, and Nelson Current), as well as Nelson Reference, Electronic and Nelson Bibles.

Heim brings three decades of retail experience to her new role, including top leadership and management roles within the department store and specialty retail segments. Most recently, she served as president of Borders Inc., a leading retailer of books, music, and movies with more than 450 stores throughout the U.S. As president, Heim oversaw total store operations for the chain and also spearheaded the company's online operations, which included in-store and out-of-store customer service technologies. Heim began her career with Borders in 1996 serving as territorial vice president for the western U.S. and also as senior vice president of sales and marketing before being named president in 2000.

"The addition of Tami fits well with our company's plans for expansion," said Hyatt. "We are committed to growth, which starts with recruiting and developing world-class talent. Tami is extremely qualified and brings a passion for books and a dedication to faith to our company. She also brings enthusiasm and excitement for the direction of Thomas Nelson. We are privileged to have her on our team," he added.

"I am thrilled to join a dedicated group of professionals," said Heim. "I've always believed bookselling to be retail with a higher calling. It's wonderful to be working with an incredible team of publishers and authors who develop content that truly inspires and transforms lives."

With Heim at the helm of publishing and Mary Graham leading conferencing, both core product segments of Thomas Nelson are headed by women, a customer-centric strategy, according to Hyatt. "Almost 80% of the consumers who buy our products are women. Therefore, it is fitting to have two highly accomplished women in key leadership positions with our company," said Hyatt.

Heim's addition to the Thomas Nelson executive staff follows the July hire of Mark Schoenwald as chief sales officer. In other changes, Jerry Park, previously executive vice president and group publisher of the Christian Book Group, has been appointed executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Reporting directly to Hyatt alongside Heim and Schoenwald, Park will reorganize the entire marketing structure including integration of the Bibles, Reference, and Electronic product marketing staff into one complete marketing team across all publishing product divisions for the first time in Nelson's history.

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements (all statements other than those made solely with respect to historical fact) and the actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Any one or more of several risks and uncertainties could account for differences between the forward-looking statements that are made today and the actual results, including with respect to our sales, profits, liquidity and capital position. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks relating to our ability to satisfy regulatory requirements with respect to our internal controls over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which requires us to perform an evaluation of our internal controls over financial reporting and have our auditor attest to such evaluation; softness in the general retail environment or in the markets for our products; the timing and acceptance of products being introduced to the market; the level of product returns experienced; the level of margins achievable in the marketplace; the collectibility of accounts receivable; the recoupment of royalty advances; the effects of acquisitions or dispositions, the financial condition of our customers and suppliers; the realization of inventory values at carrying amounts; our access to capital; the outcome of any future Internal Revenue Service audits; and the realization of income tax and intangible assets. These conditions cannot be predicted reliably and the Company may adjust its strategy in light of changed conditions or new information. Thomas Nelson disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading publisher and distributor of products emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes and believes it is the largest publisher of Bibles and inspirational products. For more information, visit our website www.thomasnelson.com.