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Beth Dempsey, 248.349.7810 or beth@bethdempsey.com

ULC NAMES BENTON PRESIDENT AND CEO
Seasoned nonprofit exec brings local government perspective

May 4, 2009 (CHICAGO) – The Executive Board of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has named Susan Benton President and CEO.  Ms. Benton brings more than 20 years’ experience and a proven record of success in senior management of national and international local government associations.  ULC is a membership organization of 180 premier North American metropolitan library systems and industry-related businesses and corporations.  

“A key area for ULC is in helping our members develop as effective, engaged agents of their local communities and local governments,” said Patrick Losinski, director of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and chair of the ULC Executive Board.  “Susan has an absolutely ideal mix of effective, creative leadership of membership organizations and a genuine understanding of the role public libraries can play in supporting their local communities.  Susan’s new position signals our firm belief that ULC foresees an even greater role for urban public libraries on both a local and national level.  We’re truly excited to have her aboard.”  

Ms. Benton comes to ULC from her position as Research, Development and Strategic Partners Executive at ICMA, an international professional association of more than 9,000 city and county managers.  While there, Ms. Benton reorganized the group’s corporate relations program to include a new strategic partner initiative, resulting in tenfold revenue growth.  She also reoriented the R&D team to allow launch of multiple new initiatives, including the strategic value of public libraries, as well as sustainable communities, community building and civic engagement, and public safety.  Further, she created new knowledge products for members, built effective new partnerships with key philanthropic organizations, including the Gates Foundation, and created advisory boards that engaged members in new ways. 

Before ICMA, Ms. Benton was Vice President of Local Markets for the National Information Consortium, an organization aimed at assisting the public sector use the Internet for service delivery to citizens and businesses.  She played a pivotal role in expanding the use of e-government and e-commerce in cities and counties to improve service delivery, enhance economic development and increase participation in democratic processes.  Prior to that, she was Vice President, Partnership Strategies for Public Technology, Inc., a non-profit research and development organization that brings new management techniques and technologies to local governments.  She has also consulted for a wide variety of public and private corporations, helping them create and implement strategic new programs and processes.

“I am thrilled and honored to be working with the leading urban libraries across North America,” said Ms. Benton.  “This is a critically important time for libraries as we move more fully into the 21st century in the midst of a global economic downturn.  Libraries steadfastly serve as engines for literacy and education; as a site for the employed and unemployed to access the internet and apply online for work; as anchors for community and economic development; and they continue as the visible representation of democracy -- providing access to knowledge no matter one's age, income, nationality or race.  Libraries are ever more central to the health and vitality of the communities that they serve.”

Ms. Benton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from American University.  She will be based in ULC’s Chicago headquarters.

About the Urban Libraries Council
For more than 30 years the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has worked to strengthen public libraries as an essential part of urban life.  A membership organization of North America's premier public library systems and the corporations that serve them, ULC serves as a forum for sharing best practices resulting from targeted research, education and forecasting.  ULC's programs are acclaimed for inspiring new organizational models that invigorate urban libraries and enrich the areas surrounding them.  ULC is headquartered in Chicago.  For more information, visit the group on the Web at www.urbanlibraries.org.