Former CEO Joins Publishing Company

Joseph Gies, the former CEO of The Great Passion Play who left the Eureka Springs production last summer, has joined New Leaf Publishing Group Inc. across town as its marketing director.

New Leaf — which owns the labels New Leaf Press, Master Books and Balfour Books — is a 30-year-old, Christian-oriented publishing company. Gies said it has experienced double-digit sales growth during the last two years.

Much of that growth has come from diversification and big-box distribution channels such as Barnes & Noble. New Leaf is in the middle of a national marketing campaign for the Grammy Award-winning country group, The Oak Ridge Boys, which is also celebrating its 30-year anniversary.

The publisher is promoting a book called “American Journeys Tour” for the group, which is best known for its 1981 single of the year, “Elvira.”

New Leaf, owned by Tim Dudley, annual publishes more than 40 new titles.