David Cully joined Baker & Taylor, a Follett company, in 2008 and served in several leadership roles before being named President of the business in 2017. Mr. Cully retired from Baker & Taylor in August 2019. He previously held various chief executive and executive president positions at Barnes & Noble, Simon & Schuster, Putnam Berkley Publishing Group and Waldenbooks.

Mr. Cully, 68, died Sunday (Feb. 14) following a battle with cancer. Follett and Baker & Taylor remember their friend and colleague:

"Many of us at Follett and Baker & Taylor worked closely with David and knew him to be one of the most caring, humorous, pragmatic, interesting and happy people we've ever met, so this loss is felt very deeply.

David was a voracious reader and believed children thrive when they have exposure to books and reading early in their lives. He spent time visiting various schools and adored reading to young kids to get them engaged in literacy. It was this passion for reading that led to his 11-year career at Baker & Taylor with a focus on improving literacy for public library patrons of all ages.

David will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues at Follett and Baker & Taylor, and everyone who knew him."