The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has narrowed its search for the next Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director. The public is invited to participate in the selection process during two meet-and-greet sessions at the Main Library and North Central Branch Library Wednesday, Oct. 10. The first 40 minutes of each session, led by June Garcia, is a structured program with the opportunity to meet and mingle with the finalists after.
| Wednesday, Oct. 10 | 12:30-2 p.m. | Meet & Greet at the Main Library – Tower Room | 800 Vine Street |
| Wednesday, Oct. 10 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Meet & Greet at the North Central Branch | 11109 Hamilton Ave. |
About the finalists
Paula Brehm-Heeger
Paula Brehm-Heeger is the interim Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. With a focus on expanding access, community and civic engagement, and innovation, Brehm-Heeger is an advocate for public libraries. She oversees Hamilton County’s 40 branches and a Main Library that serves more than 800,000 people. She is responsible for the oversight of a facilities improvement plan made possible by voter support of a successful 1 mill levy approved in May 2018.
Prior to her current appointment, Brehm-Heeger worked in a number of leadership positions with the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, most recently serving as the Chief Strategy and Technology Officer and the Chief Library Experience Officer. Brehm-Heeger received her B.A. from the University of Cincinnati, her M.L.S from Indiana University and her M.P.A from Northern Kentucky University. She has worked in public libraries for more than 25 years, including the Indianapolis Public Library, Anderson (IN) Public Library, and the Kansas City (MO) Public Library.
Jeffrey Trzeciak
Jeffrey Trzeciak is the director of the Newark Public Library (NPL), the largest municipal library in New Jersey. Under his leadership, NPL successfully launched a community-based strategic planning process with significant board, staff, and public participation in 2017. At his behest, the board commissioned a Strategic Planning Committee that included staff from all levels of the organization as well as members of the board. In 2018, Trzeciak was honored by the New Jersey Association of Library Assistants with their Director Recognition Award.
Trzeciak has spent 30 years dedicated to urban library settings. He received his degrees from the University of Dayton and Indiana University. Trzeciak was born in Cincinnati and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Prior to his appointment at the NPL, he served as University Librarian (dean equivalent) at both the McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and Washington University in St. Louis. In these roles, he managed organizations with staff levels of more than 350 and budgets of approximately $30 million.
The Library Board of Trustees is interviewing the finalists Oct. 11. For those unable to attend, a press release is being sent out the week of Oct. 22 announcing the name of the next director. For more information about the finalists or the selection process, please visit CincinnatiLibrary.org or call 513-369-6900.
