The Board of Trustees of the Bedford Hills Free Library has announced the appointment of Mary Esbjornson as Executive Director of the Library. Ms. Esbjornson succeeds Rhoda Gushue, who is retiring from the library after 43 years of service.
“In partnership with our staff, patrons and the community, we conducted an extensive search, and our collective efforts have brought us a very special person in Mary Esbjornson,” said Terrie Paladino, Co-President of the Library’s Board of Trustees. “Mary received the unanimous backing of our board, and she comes to us with outstanding experience and credentials. “
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Ms. Esbjornson’s career has been devoted to furthering literature and the arts, and she has held
senior positions within New York State's Media Alliance, where she was Executive Director, and at Caesar & Washburn, one of the country's leading non-profit consultancies. Ms. Esbjornson has also directed development for the renowned writer/artist retreat Yaddo and, more recently, planned an initiative for the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University.
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“Mary’s vision, intelligence and thoughtful disposition will serve our community exceptionally well, as she leads our efforts to redefine the role of the library in the Bedford Hills community,” said Board Co-President Elin Sullivan.
Ms. Esbjornson will assume her new post on February 10, 2014, and she will be working closely with Ms. Gushue to ensure a seamless transition. “ I am so pleased to be joining the Bedford Hills Free Library family,” commented Ms. Esbjornson, “building upon the important work Rhoda has done here during her remarkable tenure, and setting the course for the library’s growth and development as it enters its second century of service to this great community.”
About the Bedford Hills Free Library
The Bedford Hills Free Library was established in 1915 and is located at 26 Main Street in Bedford Hills, New York. The library is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Association Library serving 8,000 residents, with an impressive collection of over 60,000 volumes and an annual circulation of over 80,000 items. The library and its staff are overseen by an 8-member Board of Trustees and an Advisory Committee comprised of patrons and members of the community. The group’s collective goal is to ensure that the Library remains the heart of the community and the epicenter of the hamlet’s cultural and intellectual life.
