National Recognition for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation

Karen Beach, Deputy Director of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation, was awarded the 2015 Joey Rodger Leadership Award by the Urban Libraries Council. This national award recognizes transformative leadership that advances the impact and strategic role of public libraries. Throughout her 20 years with the Library, Beach has secured critical donor support, developed productive partnerships, and raised awareness of the library’s value among stakeholders at the local, regional, and state levels. Her initiatives have helped educate state legislators on the critical role of libraries in education, digital inclusion, workforce development and more. Beach’s advocacy work led to the formation of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation in 2012.

This award provides an opportunity for recipients to strengthen their executive skills, and Beach will participate in a Brookings Institution leadership course. She plans to apply what she learns as she directs a community-based service model for the Library’s long-term strategic planning initiative.

About the Urban Libraries Council

As a membership organization made up of America’s premier public library systems and the organizations that serve them, the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has spent more than 40 years enriching urban communities by strengthening their public libraries. While ULC members primarily represent urban and suburban libraries, lessons from their work are widely used by all libraries. ULC serves as a forum for thought leaders sharing best and next practices resulting from targeted research, education, and emerging trends. Its programs are recognized for creating new frameworks that invigorate public libraries and their communities. For more, visit urbanlibraries.org.

Tags: