Mailing address:
Association of College and Research Libraries
American Library Association
225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601-7616
Telephone: (312) 280-2523
Toll Free: 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 2523
(between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CDT)
Fax: (312) 280-2520
E-mail: acrl@ala.org
Web: www.ala.org/acrl
ACRL Staff
Click a photo to read more.

Lauren Carlton (she/her/hers)
Program Officer, Member Services
lcarlton@ala.org | 312-280-5285
Lauren Carlton is the Program Officer of Member Services. She serves as staff liaison to ACRL sections, chapters, discussion and interest groups, and manages the colleagues donation program. She also assists with the annual election, virtual and onsite meeting processes, and provides additional support for member services projects.
Prior to joining ACRL, Lauren worked as the communications intern in ALA’s Public Programs Office (PPO). Lauren earned her B.A. in Communications with a minor in Theatre and Advertising from Columbia College Chicago. While at Columbia, she worked as Chief Copy Editor and Social Media/Brand Manager for The Columbia Chronicle.
In her free time, Lauren teaches dance and fitness classes and ejoys writing poetry.

Margot Conahan
Manager of Professional Development mconahan@ala.org | 312-280-2522
Margot Conahan is ACRL’s Manager of Professional Development and oversees all aspects of ACRL’s professional development offerings, including the ACRL Conference, Immersion Program, preconferences, licensed workshops, and institutes. Margot also manages ACRL’s e-Learning program.
Prior to joining ACRL, Margot worked at Sears’ corporate headquarters as a meeting planner. She earned her B.A. in British Literature with a minor in German from Truman State University, escaping Missouri to study abroad in Ireland for one year.
Outside of work, Margot enjoys running, sampling IPAs, volunteering at her kids’ school, cooking, and going to book club. Her newest hobby is obedience training for her family’s 100-pound “puppy."

David Connolly
Recruitment Ad Sales Manager/Editorial Assistant, dconnolly@ala.org | 312-280-2513
David Connolly is Recruitment Ad Sales Manager and Editorial Assistant at ACRL where he manages ALA JobLIST, the online career site ACRL operates jointly with American Libraries and ALA’s Office of Human Resources Development and Recruitment. He also tracks manuscript submissions and supports the Editor-in-Chief with other administrative tasks for C&RL News, as well as producing an annual ACRL Briefing Book for the Board of Directors, Budget & Finance Committee, and staff.
Before returning to college to study political science and economics at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, David spent one holiday season too many in the ‘90s as manager of a music store in the Kansas City area, where he frequently demonstrated reference interview and listener advisory skills without realizing that’s what they were.
Born and raised in the great Rocky Mountain States, David loves taking drives and day hikes in the mountains whenever he gets out of the Midwest. He always jumps at an opportunity to travel, but at home he can be found tending to his plot in his neighborhood community garden and colorful porch garden, seeing some of Chicago’s best (and worst) plays, playing video games with friends, and debating the finer points of Star Trek with anyone willing.

David Free (he/him/his)
Editor-in-Chief of C&RL News/Senior Communications Strategist
dfree@ala.org | 312-280-2517
David Free is Editor-in-Chief of College and Research Libraries News and ACRL’s Senior Communications Strategist. He is responsible for content and production of C&RL News in print and online; develops marketing and communications strategy for ACRL programs, publications, and services; coordinates press releases and promotional activities; and coordinates ACRL’s Standards, Guidelines, and Frameworks.
Prior to joining ACRL in 2007, David worked for years in a variety of positions in academic libraries, beginning as a student assistant at the University of Georgia and concluding as Public Services Coordinator at Georgia Perimeter College’s Decatur Campus. He earned his M.L.I.S. from Clark Atlanta University in 1997, and also holds an M.A. in English from Georgia State University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Georgia with an English minor.

Rachel Hendrick
CHOICE Interim Editor and Publisher
rhendrick@ala-choice.org | 860-347-6933 x120
Rachel joined ALA in 2014 as the operations manager at Choice and in 2016 became the director of operations. During her tenure she has worked on a number of projects at Choice such as the Choice rebranding effort, the relaunch of Choice Reviews, the Authority File podcast, the Towards Inclusive Excellence content stream, and the redesign of Choice360.org as a showcase for all the great content Choice produces. Rachel was initially attracted to Choice because of its mission to provide reviews to academic libraries but she has found there a community of innovative content creators.
Before coming to Choice Rachel worked in both print and digital publishing, most recently at Sotheby’s auction house. In 2012 Rachel received a Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Long Island University and worked briefly as a private librarian to a collection of rare books about natural history. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (BFA) from Pratt Institute and is currently working on a Master’s in History at the University of Connecticut. When not at Choice she loves nothing more than to sift through the newspaper collections at the American Antiquarian Society looking for eighteenth-century watermarks.

Kara Malenfant (she/her/hers)
Senior Strategist for Special Initiatives
kmalenfant@ala.org | 312-280-2510
Kara Malenfant is Senior Strategist for Special Initiatives at ACRL where she coordinates government relations advocacy, scholarly communication activities, and ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries initiative. She also provides consulting services on organization change and occasionally has time for research.
Prior to coming to ACRL in 2005, Kara was an academic librarian, worked in humanitarian aid and served as a Peace Corps volunteer. She earned a Ph.D. in leadership and change from Antioch University, a M.S. in library and information science from the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign, and a B.A. in English from Allegheny College.
Kara grew up in Minnesota and lives on Chicago’s far north side with her husband, son, and a dog who loves to lick chins. When she's not working or with her family, you'll find her gardening on her garage rooftop, biking or practicing yoga. Learn more about Kara in her Meet the Staff profile on the ACRL Insider blog.

Robert Jay Malone
ACRL Executive Director
rmalone@ala.org | 312-280-3248
Robert (Jay) Malone is ACRL’s Executive Director. He represents the association to the higher education community, working closely with the ACRL Board of Directors on strategic planning and governance and with the Budget & Finance Committee.
Prior to joining ACRL in September 2021, Jay served for 23 years at the History of Science Society (HSS). As the HSS’s first executive director, he furthered the organization’s advocacy agenda; promoted equity, diversity, and inclusion; oversaw and implemented strategic planning; created a fundraising infrastructure; served on a 22-member board; and worked with hundreds of volunteers.
Jay is married to the smart and beautiful Rebecca Malone and has 3 amazing children who help him remember that life is good.

Bill Mickey
Editorial Director of CHOICE
bmickey@ala-choice.org | 860-347-6933
Bill Mickey is Editorial Director at Choice. He oversees editorial operations and all print and online content produced by a team of subject editors, a copy chief, and student interns. He also helps develop new content products and initiatives.
Prior to joining Choice, Bill served as Editorial Director of Folio: magazine at Red 7 Media, a division of Access Intelligence. Bill joined Red 7 Media in 2004 and held a variety of positions within its publishing group, including Senior Editor for Folio: and Executive Editor of Expo magazine. Prior to joining Red 7, Bill was editor of EContent, where he was instrumental in relaunching the 30-year-old magazine covering the digital content market. Before that, he served as editor of Online magazine, a trade publication serving information professionals and corporate and academic librarians who use online database and digital information products.
After work, Bill sometimes retreats to the local climbing gym or very reluctantly trains for a half-marathon. In the warmer months, you’ll find him obsessing over his barbecue.

Dawn Mueller
Senior Production Editor
dmueller@ala.org | 312-280-2516
Dawn Mueller is Senior Production Editor at ACRL. She is responsible for the production of C&RL, RBM, and all non-serial publications; develops and maintains the ACRL website and microsites; designs and produces all ACRL marketing brochures and flyers; coordinates and prepares proceedings and program books for ACRL conferences.
Prior to joining ACRL, Dawn worked as a desktop publisher for a securities firm and two print shops (not at the same time). She honed her computer and design skills at a marketing consultant service for beauty supply warehouses. She earned her B.A. in English and Women’s Studies from Northern Illinois University.
Most people are surprised to learn that she likes hip-hop. Away from work she spends time running, biking, and contorting her body every which way, invariably resulting in chronic injuries.

Erin Nevius
Content Strategist
enevius@ala.org | 312-280-2516
Erin Nevius is ACRL’s Content Strategist. Erin identifies and acquires content—in a variety of formats, including but not limited to books, e-learning, podcasts, webinars, and blog posts—that will inform academic and research librarians. Her focus is on finding and delivering compelling, timely, and practical content in the format that works best for the audience.
Erin has nearly twenty years of professional publishing experience, acquiring and editing books and working with periodicals and online content for both commercial and not-for-profit publishers. Prior to coming to ACRL, she was an executive editor and then associate director of book publishing at the American Bar Association, and has worked as an editor for both F+W Media and Sourcebooks, Inc. Originally from Ohio, Erin holds a B.A. in English and Communications from Xavier University in Cincinnati.
When not indiscriminately reading all kinds of fiction and nonfiction books, Erin is a swimmer and runner, avid TV binger, print magazine enthusiast, and enjoys watching old movies, good and mostly bad, with her husband. Learn more about Erin in her Meet the Staff profile on the ACRL Insider blog.

Tory Ondrla (she/her/hers)
Conference Manager
tondrla@ala.org | 312-280-2515
Tory Ondrla is ACRL’s Conference Manager and manages logistics for the ACRL Conference and other professional development events. She facilitates site selection, negotiates hotel, convention center and supplier contracts, executes audio-visual and catering as well as working with various member committees to help them achieve their goals and objectives for ACRL events.
Tory earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) in 2006 from the Convention Industry Council and is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association. She has also served on the Travel Portland Customer Advisory Board and Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau Client Advisory Council. Prior to coming to ACRL, Tory worked at SmithBucklin for 5 years where she planned meetings for technology professionals, glass manufacturers, and gynecologic oncologists.
Tory enjoys reading thrillers and popular fiction and playing mahjong with friends. Learn more about Tory in her Meet the Staff profile on the ACRL Insider blog.

Gena Parsons-Diamond (she/her/hers)
Program Officer
gparsonsdiamond@ala.org | 312-280-2512
Gena Parsons-Diamond is ACRL’s Program Coordinator for Member Services. She provides support for many ACRL programs including the ACRL Diversity Alliance, fundraising, professional development, book publishing, as well as member promotion, recruitment, and retention programs.
Prior to joining ACRL, Gena worked as a Senior Associate at SmithBucklin Corporation, managing membership and awards programs for several small trade associations. She holds a Master of Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago and a B.A. in English from Lawrence University.
Gena grew up in Wisconsin and loves living in Chicago. In her free time, Gena likes to explore the city, read nonfiction, play cribbage, and attempt to successfully bake bread.

Allison Payne (she/her/hers)
Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives
apayne@ala.org | 312-280-2519
Allison Payne is ACRL’s Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives. She coordinates activities of the association’s Board of Directors and Budget & Finance Committee; prepares and maintains the ACRL budget; manages initiatives for equity, diversity and inclusion; and manages division-level appointments.
Prior to joining ACRL, Allison has been a library assistant at Kraft Foods Global Research & Development, worked at the University of Iowa Libraries’ Preservation Department, and tutored incarcerated youth in Chicago. She holds an M.L.I.S from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a B.A. in English with a minor in Psychology from the University of Iowa.
Allison enjoys traveling, gardening, and playing tennis. Learn more about Allison in her Meet the Staff profile on the ACRL Insider blog.
Aleah Price (she/her/hers)
Program Coordinator
aprice@ala.org | 312-280-2521
Photo and Bio Coming Soon!
Bio coming soon!

Elois Sharpe
Program Officer
esharpe@ala.org | 312-280-5277
Elois Sharpe is ACRL’s Program Officer for Governance. She coordinates ACRL meeting scheduling for ALA conferences and is the contact for ACRL’s virtual meetings. She assists with division-level appointments and annual timeline. In addition she coordinates ACRL’s donation processing and the fulfillment of Frameworks and Standards orders.