About

The Urban Renaissance Book series is the most widly distributed of Cityink’s published products. Available in both online and hardcopy versions, the series is about cities that are getting sustainability right. You can access the books within this site and we invite you to buy a print copy.

CityInk is both a publisher and a publishing services company—regularly adding new volumes to its own book divisions, as well as providing consultation, production, and marketing assistance to groups and individuals seeking to publish their own work.

CityInk publishes under the imprints Urban Renaissance Books and under the company’s cookbook publishing arm Books à la Carte.

The company is a diversified supplier of publishing products and services. Its principals have more than a hundred years of combined publishing experience with national and international companies. They understand how to merge the art and science of printing with a unique understanding of storytelling and are steeped in the business of marketing published products.

During a publishing career spanning more than four decades, J. Robert Towery has set a high standard for quality across a spectrum of publishing, printing, and information technologies. The range of products he has published and delivered include soft-cover and hardcover books, business directories, magazines, maps, prepress services, printing, and Internet publishing that have reached an international audience. All of Towery’s efforts are marked by a careful, innovative design philosophy that has become a hallmark of his reputation for quality and service. He has established himself among the country’s leading publishers of books and periodicals showcasing communities, including works for metropolitan chambers of commerce, development organizations, and government entities, as well as independently published products.

After obtaining a BS degree from Cornell University, Jacques Verhaak spent more than a decade of his professional career climbing the corporate ladder in the Food Service Industry. His last position, before going on his own as a true entrepreneur, was as Vice President of Operations for a major Airline Catering Company. After successfully meeting the challenges of the corporate environment, Jacques bought a printing company that he grew into a larger enterprise, which he then sold. He was recruited by a major print merchant as President and significantly improved the results of the business during the number of years he served in that capacity. During a brief retirement, he met Bob Towery and together decided to form one more publishing venture. A decade later that venture is now known as CityInk Company, continuing the high standards for quality set by Bob in his many successful years as the leading publisher of books showcasing communities.

For the past 15 years, her involvement has been with every aspect of the development and production of award-winning community cookbooks. She has guided publishers from the initial concept phase of their cookbook projects, through recipe collection, testing and selection, and consulted with them regarding decisions about the design and editorial content of their books. This concentration in creating and publishing cookbooks paralleled her development as a gourmet cook and professional caterer, which pursuits informed her growth as a publishing executive.

James B. Tomlinson has spent most of his professional career in publishing, during which time he has worked in over 100 different cities, concentrating on the marketing and promotion of books about communities.

Jim worked for over a decade as a sales and project manager for the much admired Urban Tapestry Series, coordinating civic and commercial entities in projects aimed at the betterment of their communities. He has also developed and published a number of books honoring the leaders of various professional societies.
A Hoosier-born native of Indianapolis, Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Miller School of Business at Ball State University. He serves on the boards of the Huntington Communities organization and All Saints Episcopal Church.
As an anodyne to his hectic travel schedule, Jim enjoys gardening and is an avid fan and collector of vintage American cars and trucks—a fascination which led him to win recognition for his restoration work on pickup trucks of the 60s and 70s. This hobby fits well in a lifestyle that includes a love of country music, line dancing, and entertaining friends.

Niki Sepsas is the profile writer for Urban Renaissance Books. He has worked as a writer of travel, adventure and outdoor articles for both specific and general-interest magazines, as well as creating company and personality profiles for many national and regional newsletters published by corporations and associations. Sepsas was a contributing author to the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series and his work has been featured in the National Anthology of Poetry. He serves as a tour guide and lecturer for trips and adventures around the globe.

Writer, painter, and graphic designer Noah Towery has a skillset that uniquely qualifies him for the publishing business. Having spent several years honing his sales abilities, he assumed a role as Associate Publisher with cityink.com focusing on the editing, design, and layout of publications. Additionally, he has been responsible for designing and maintaining the website.