Southern Territory Associates has been representing publishers in the South for over thirty years. Founded in 1976, STA now employs six sales reps and a full-time office staff, covering the twelve states in the southeast and southwest. Accounts include independent retail bookstores, regional chains, book trade and library distributors and wholesalers, university bookstores, museum shops, children's bookstores and specialty retailers and wholesalers.

In 2002, four employees of STA purchased the company from founding partners Ed Springer and James Shepherd, in order to continue providing excellent service for publishers and booksellers in the territory.

Jan Fairchild is president of STA, and is responsible for sales to Ingram and American Wholesale Book Company/Books-a-Million. Based near Nashville, she also covers accounts in Tennessee, Northern Alabama and Northern Mississippi. Jan has been with Southern Territory Associates since 1994. She began her career in the publishing industry in 1978 as a field rep in the Southwest for Franklin Watts/Orchard, later becoming their assistant sales manager. In 1988, Jan moved to Nashville to become sales manager for Ideals Publishing Company. While at Ideals she served on the board of Publishers Association of the South and was in charge of their annual vendor show for several years.

Judy Stevenson is Secretary/Treasurer of STA, and has been business manager since 1987. Based in Lubbock, Texas, she handles Hastings and Anderson Merchandisers, as well as accounts in West Texas and Oklahoma. Judy also manages the STA office with part time clerical help.

Geoff Rizzo joined Southern Territory Associates in 1993. Geoff's bookselling career began in 1988 when he went to work as an independent book rep with his father's company, Frank Rizzo & Associates in the Mid-Atlantic region. Geoff covers Florida and the Georgia coast, including Scholastic Book Fairs, Book Warehouse dba Southern Book Service. As Vice President of STA, he serves as Sales Manager for the field sales force.

Angie Smits joined STA in 1998. Based in North Carolina, she covers the Carolinas and Virginia, as well as Anderson News Corporate Headquarters. She worked with both Viking Penguin and Farrar, Straus and Giroux in New York from 1987-1997, in children's books, special sales and subsidiary rights. Angie is STA's Vice President of Operations.

Rayner Krause joined STA in 2001. Based near Dallas, he covers Texas (except for West Texas), Louisiana and Arkansas. Rayner was formerly a field sales rep for Ballantine and an independent bookstore owner as well as a buyer.

Teresa Rolfe Kravtin joined STA in 2002. She is a veteran sales rep of over twenty years. She served twelve years as a Southeastern sales representative for Penguin USA, and was Regional Rep of the Year in 1993. In 1995, she was Sales Representative of the Year with the Southeast Booksellers Association. She served as a board member of SEBA from 1993-1996 as President of the Southern Book Travelers Association. For six years she was an independent representative in Georgia. Teresa's territory is Southern Mississippi, Southern Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle, as well as Chattanooga, TN. In addition, Teresa manages database development for the Southern Territory Associates ordering software.

Meighan Bell Larbi works with Southern Territory Associates from her home in Texas as Systems Manager, maintaining and updating the STA database, preparing spreadsheets for key accounts and fielding customer service questions. Prior to joining STA, Meighan was Field Sales Manager for Harry N. Abrams. She has also been a bookstore manager for both the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and for Barnes & Noble.