Barb Burg

Burg, Barb

Barb Burg, a leading book publishing Publicity executive for nearly a quarter-century, and most recently Vice President and Global Head of Communications-Reuters at Thomson Reuters Corporation, died on April 29, 2014. She was 50. During her book publishing career, in which she began as an assistant in the Publicity Department of Bantam Books in 1986, rising to become Senior Vice President, Director of Publicity and Public Relations for the Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group division of Random House, Inc., Barb Burg was responsible for directing, creating, and executing hundreds of publicity campaigns. Many of them were for some of the most popular authors of our time, among them Dean Koontz, Louis L'Amour, Lee Child, Sophie Kinsella, Tom Robbins, and Rita Mae Brown. She also was instrumental in developing the marketing strategies for major New York Times bestselling titles by Stephen Hawking and Sting, and landmark works like Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman; Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause by Dr. Christiane Northrup; and Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley. Upon leaving Random House, Inc. in 2009, Ms. Burg formed her own successful media firm, barb burg ink, consulting for numerous book publishers, literary agencies, authors, and entrepreneurs. In late 2011, Barb Burg was named Vice President, Director of Global Communications, Reuters News, for the Thomson Reuters Communications and Editorial groups. Quickly she became an invaluable and trusted member of the leadership team, and with her staff brought about a dramatic rise in the media profile of both the news organization and its journalists including the start of a new website called Reutersbest.com.

Ms. Burg is survived by her husband of 24 years, Steven Schieffelin and their children Celia, 18 and Drew 17. She was predeceased by her father Dr. Norman Burg and survived by her mother Sandra Burg of Woodstock NY, brother Marc and Ann Burg of Rhinebeck, NY, brother Eric and Terri Burg of Winston-Salem NC, brother Steven and Erica Burg of Shippensburg PA, brother Harry and Jill Burg of Mt. Kisco, NY, two nephews and seven nieces.

A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, May 1, 2014 at Temple Beth Abraham, 25 Leroy Avenue, Tarrytown, NY, with interment to follow in Woodstock, NY. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in memory of Barbara Burg Schieffelin to Camp Ta-KumTa, a summer camp for children afflicted with cancer. The address is: Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, PO Box 459, South Hero, VT 05486.