ALA Nominating Committee announces councilors-at-large candidates

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) announced that 68 candidates are running for 34 at-large seats on the ALA Council.

The following candidates were accepted by the Nominating Committee (listed alphabetically by last name):

Tarida Anantachai
Interim Head, Learning and Academic Engagement
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
(Academic)

Antonio Apodaca
Education & Outreach Coordinator
Ventura County Library
Ventura, CA
(Public)

Joanna M. Arteaga La Spina
Spanish Translation Coordinator
San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco, CA
(Public)

Richard E. Ashby, Jr
Director, Sto-Rox Public Library
Focus On Renewal - Sto-Rox Public Library
McKees Rocks, PA
(Public)

Glen Benedict
Access Services Librarian
University of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC
(Academic)

Erin Berman
Division Director
Alameda County Library
Fremont, CA
(Public)

Adriana Blancarte-Hayward
Manager, Outreach Services
The New York Public Library
New York, NY
(Public)

Jennifer Boettcher
Business Reference Librarian
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
(Academic)

Jennifer Brown
Executive Director
The Field Library
Peekskill, NY
(Public)

Nick Buron
Chief Librarian
Queens Public Library
New York, NY
(Public)

Camille Chesley
Reference Librarian|Subject Librarian for Journalism, Newspapers, and Reference
University at Albany
Albany, NY
(Academic)

Sarah Clark
Dean & University Librarian
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
(Academic)

John Clexton
Library Director
Gladwin County District Library
Gladwin, MI
(Public)

Kaitlin Crotty
Interim Library Director
Rogers State University
Claremore, OK
(Academic)

Amy Dye-Reeves
Education & History Librarian
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
(Academic)

Maria Estrella
Dyad Public Services Manager
Cleveland Public Library
Cleveland, OH
(Public)

Maggie Farrell
Dean of Libraries
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
(Academic)

Athanasia Fitos
Librarian 4-Branch Manager
Miami-Dade Public Library System
Miami, FL
(Public)

Tiffeni Fontno
Head Librarian, Educational Resource Center
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
(Academic)

Elizabeth Fried
Library Director
Norwood Public Library
Norwood, NJ
(Public)

Kenny Garcia
Research & Instruction Librarian
California State University - Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA
(Academic)

Calypso Gilstrap
School Librarian
Goochland High School
Goochland, VA
(School)

Eric Gomez
Community Library Manager - Tyrone Bryant Branch Library
Broward County Library
Fort Lauderdale, FL
(Public)

Africa Hands
Assistant Professor
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
(Public)

Vicky Hart
Director of Library Services
Northeast Lakeview College
Universal City, TX
(Academic)

Carrie Herrmann
Executive Director
Boone County Public Library
Burlington, KY
(Public)

Twanna Hodge
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Librarian
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
(Academic)

Jenn Hooker
Librarian II
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Santa Cruz CA
(Public)

Martha Hutzel
Library Director
Central Rappahannock Regional Library
Fredericksburg, VA
(Public)

Judy Jeng
Community Representative
Digital Public Library of America
Woodbridge, CT
(Public)

Qiana Johnson
Interim Associate University Librarian for Collections Strategies
Northwestern University Libraries
Evanston, IL
(Academic)

kalan Knudson Davis
Special Collections Metadata Librarian
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
(Academic)

Victoria Kowanetz
Assistant Community Library Manager
Queens Public Library
Rockaway Park, NY
(Public)

Jamie Kurumaji
Supervising Librarian
Fresno County Public Library
Fresno, CA
(Public)

Bradley Kuykendall
Reference and Instruction Librarian
Lincoln University
Jefferson City, MO
(Academic)

Tina Lerno
Librarian II, Digital Content Team
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles, CA
(Public)

Adriene Lim
Dean of Libraries
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
(Academic)

Rodney Lippard
Director, Gregg-Graniteville Library
University of South Carolina AIken
Aiken, SC
(Academic)

Amy Little
Librarian
Sacramento Public Library
Sacramento, CA
(Public)

Jennisen Lucas
District Librarian
Park County School District #6
Cody, WY
(School)

Andrea Malone
Coordinator of Research Services and Liaison to Languages & Ethnic Studies
University of Houston
Houston, TX
(Academic)

Martha Meacham
Project Director
National Library of Medicine
Litchfield, NH
(Government)

Chulin Meng
Director of Library Technology
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
(Academic)

Ryan Mcginnis
Library Technician II
Cook Memorial Library
La Grande, OR
(Public)

Valeria Molteni
Dean of Library Services
Bowman Library, Menlo College
Atherton, CA
(Academic)

Ophelia Morey
Associate Librarian
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
(Academic)

Marina Morgan
Metadata Librarian
Florida Southern College
Lakeland, FL
(Academic)

Ramin Naderi
Acting Senior Librarian
Venice Branch, Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles, CA
(Public)

Mandy Nasr
Library Director
Camarillo Public Library
Camarillo, CA
(Public)

Muzhgan Nazarova
Turkic Languages Librarian (Acquisitions and Cataloging)
Library of Congress  LS/ABA/ASME/MESA
Washington, DC
(Government)

James Neal
University Librarian Emeritus
Columbia University
New York, NY
(Academic)

Toni Negro
Retired
Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland
Rockville, MD
(School)

Sharaya Olmeda
Librarian at the California Men's Colony State Prison
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
San Luis Obispo, CA
(Special)

Anchalee (Joy) Panigabutra-Roberts
Head, Cataloging
The University of Tennessee Libraries
Knoxville, TN
(Academic)

Edwin Rodarte
Emerging Technologies Department Senior Librarian
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles, CA
(Public)

Suzanne Sager
Cataloger
Portland State University
Portland, OR
(Academic)

Sophia Sotilleo
Interim Library Director
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, PA
(Academic)

Wendy Stephens
Associate Professor and School Library Program Chair
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, AL
(Academic)

Eric Suess
Library Director
Marshall Public Library
Pocatello, ID
(Public)

Valerie Tagoe
Media Specialist
Dallas Independent School District
Dallas, TX
(School)

Marliese Thomas
Fine Arts Librarian
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
(Academic)

Joseph Thompson
Director of Public Services
Carroll County Public Library
New Windsor, MD
(Public)

Paul Wartenberg
Reference and Technology Librarian
Bartow Public Library
Bartow, FL
(Public)

Terry Weech
Retired
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL
(Academic)

Janice Welburn
Dean of Libraries, Raynor Memorial Libraries
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
(Academic)

Amber Williams
Strategic Project Manager
Spokane County Library District
Spokane Valley, WA
(Public)

Hong Yao
Director, Technical Services
Queens Public Library
Jamaica, NY
(Public)

Steven Yates
Assistant Director and School Library Program Coordinator
University of Alabama SLIS
Tuscaloosa, AL
(Academic)

The Nominating Committee annually nominates candidates from within the general membership for Council members-at-large.

The committee had the charge to consider applications for up to 51 potential nominations. The submissions pool yielded 68 candidates. The committee will proceed with the election for 34 seats to honor those who have chosen to stand for election during the 2022-2025 term.

Individuals who are not selected by the Nominating Committee may still run for office by petition.

Those interested in running for ALA Council by petition have until 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Dec. 1, 2021, to file an electronic petition with the ALA executive director.  The petition must have the signatures of no fewer than 25 ALA current personal members.

Candidates must electronically submit their Candidate Biographical Information Form with the petition. Instructions for filing petitions and additional election information is available on the ALA Election page.

Ballot mailing for the ALA election will begin the second Monday in March on March 14, 2022 and will run through the first Wednesday in April on April 6, 2022. Individuals must be members in good standing to vote in the 2022 ALA elections. Renew your membership online or by calling 1-800-545-2433, option 1. For more information, please visit the ALA Election page: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection

American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.