News & Events

The Library Foundation has welcomed five new members to the board of directors.  They are Ryan Adcock, Lee Ann Bissmeyer, Stephanie Crockett, Christie Bryant Kuhns, and Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire.

The Library Foundation of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has welcomed five new members to its board of directors, a dedicated group of volunteers who share a love for the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Libraryand those it serves. The new Library Foundation directors, all serving three-year terms, are Ryan Adcock, Lee Ann Bissmeyer, Stephanie Crockett, Christie Bryant Kuhns, and Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire.

“The Foundation is pleased to welcome such a group of talented individuals,” said Staci Dennison, the Thomas W. Jones Executive Director of The Library Foundation. “I’m confident their skills can help us identify opportunities and continue to promote the mission of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library.”

Ryan Adcock is the founding executive director of Cradle Cincinnati Connections. Cradle Cincinnati was formed in 2013 as a collaboration between health and civic leaders working to reduce infant mortality in Hamilton County. Since launching, Cradle Cincinnati’s partners have reduced infant deaths by 27 percent. Prior to this role, Adcock spent seven years as the director of legislative affairs for Mayor Mark Mallory where he served as the city's chief liaison to the federal government and the state of Ohio. He has a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Kentucky University.

Lee Ann Bissmeyer began her career working overseas with the U.S. Department of Defense. Upon returning home, she was an investment advisor with both UBS and Fifth Third Securities. She now is focused on serving the Cincinnati community. She is an elected member of the city of Montgomery Council and serves as the chair of the Law and Safety Committee as well as a member of the Planning and Finance Committees. Bissmeyer is president of the Board of Trustees of the Montgomery Community Improvement Corporation. She is a member of the Hamilton County Municipal League and the Sycamore Schools Advisory Board.

Stephanie Crockett holds a degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is a certified LEED professional. She works as a designer with Elevar Design Group and also maintains licenses in real estate. She commits her time advocating for equitable design and sustainability by serving on numerous boards and committees within many organizations, such as the Cincinnati Architecture Mentorship Program, Architecture Foundation of Cincinnati’s Design Lab, and the Cincinnati chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Christie Bryant Kuhns developed a passion for policy advocacy while earning her degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She practiced law at both a major law firm and a Fortune 500 company, and continued her commitment to community service on the Avondale Community Council for a decade, and was a founding member of the Avondale Development Corporation. She was president of the Board of the African American Chamber of Commerce and appointed to City of Cincinnati Planning Commission. She is currently a member of the Diversity Advisory Board for the Cincinnati Reds and Board member of the Ohio Poverty Law Center, OLBC Foundation, and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. Also, Kuhns served in the 131st Ohio General Assembly of the Ohio House of Representatives. She is the vice president of community relations at UC Health.

Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire is the community and citizenship manager at Turner Construction, where she oversees community outreach and economic inclusion efforts. She also co-founded and co-leads Turner’s Ohio Inclusion Action Team, the first regional model at Turner to enact an anti-racism strategy. She earned a dual bachelor’s degree in Spanish and international studies from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Science in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University. Smitherman-Voltaire is a certified project manager, and graduate of the YWCA Rising Stars Leadership Program.

See the official press release.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, spending time outdoors has become more vital to our wellbeing. And thanks to work based on the Library's Facility Master Plan and a generous donation from the FC Cincinnati Foundation, the West End Branch received an upgrade to its courtyard so community members can use the revived space and access the Library's WiFi and computers.

In 2019, the Library held listening sessions for the West End community as part of the systemwide planning process
for its Facility Master Plan. “We heard loud and clear the need for increased access to technology and dynamic,
engaging, and flexible spaces,” said Paula Brehm-Heeger, the Library’s Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director.
“We’ve seen firsthand how the pandemic has exacerbated the need for greater access to computers and WiFi for job
development, filing federal and local government forms, telehealth, voter registration, faxing, scanning, email, filing
unemployment, and more.”

Concrete has already been poured and the renovations begun in the walled-in outdoor area just off the adult space in
the branch. The courtyard is open and accessible with shade and space for individuals and families to enjoy. Funding
from the FC Cincinnati Foundation has underwritten new technology solutions for customer use in the courtyard and
throughout the branch. A new laptop cart enables customers to check-out a laptop for a 60-minute computer session.

“Support from community partners like the FC Cincinnati Foundation to the Library’s Foundation helps to leverage
and enhance the public dollars that the Library receives,” said Staci Dennison the Thomas W. Jones Executive
Director of the Library Foundation. “Every dollar we receive to support our branches and the work they do to
support our community is critical and expands what can be accomplished during this very challenging time.”

“Operating with reduced occupancy limits and limits on the duration of customer visits during the pandemic has
forced us to get creative and we’re thrilled that FC Cincinnati Foundation is onboard to help us expand our reach for
the West End Community,” said Branch Manager Keloni Parks. “The laptops allow us to increase access without
exceeding our building occupancy limits. That means our kids are able to enjoy the computers without competing for
computer time with adults.”

The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library has had to pivot several services during the pandemic. This new
courtyard, along with access to laptops, allows customers more space at the Library to physically distance
themselves while using the Library’s resources.

See the official press release.

For more about what's happening at the Library, call 513-369-6900 or visit www.CincinnatiLibrary.org/.