Brooks Rainwater (he, him, his)
President and CEO
Brooks serves as President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, an outcomes-driven research and innovations network of more than 180 leading North American public libraries. Under his leadership, ULC champions the future of public libraries by engaging and uplifting members, focusing intently on equity and inclusion and leading on core policy issues that drive our communities forward. Throughout his career, Brooks has worked to advance urban policies that expand local democracy and provide funding for local programs related to economic opportunity, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and sustainability. Prior to joining ULC in July 2022, Brooks served as Senior Executive & Director, Center for City Solutions at the National League of Cities where he drove the organization’s research agenda and oversaw technical assistance efforts and leadership education. Brooks holds a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Femi Adelakun (he, him, his)
Director of Research and Data
Femi comes to ULC with extensive experience in weaving together leading-edge spatial science and policy design for the purpose of helping places and locations serve their residents and users better. Femi has a demonstrated history of developing and managing Location Intelligence systems in the private sector, and in government administration and city management.
Elise Calanni (she, her, hers)
Communications Manager
Elise brings a background of resource development, messaging strategies and audience-based communications to ULC. Prior to joining ULC, Elise sat on the Communications team at Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools and led resource and communication development for inclusion-driven work. Her combination of skills and passion for community programming will drive her work at ULC. Elise holds a Bachelor of Arts in media arts and design from James Madison University.
Angela Goodrich (she, her, hers)
Chief Operating Officer
Angela connects mission and vision with operational strategy to strengthen ULC’s planning, resources, and impact. Angela has dedicated her career to advancing urban libraries across the United States and Canada. She leads and manages finance, development and grants, advocacy, board administration, people and teams, and contracts and compliance. At ULC since 1999, she has advised and led creation of multiple North American partnerships and initiatives. Angela has a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University-Chicago.
Shamichael Hallman (he, him, his)
Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity
Shamichael is a social, civic and tech innovator. As a '23 Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, he explored how urban design and planning can make for socially inclusive cities. He has served as the Senior Library Manager with Memphis Public Libraries where he guided the reimagining of the historic Cossitt Library. His 2020 TEDx talk "Reimagining the Public Library to Reconnect the Community" garnered international acclaim. In 2021 he co-founded Libraries as Bridges which focuses on evaluating how libraries build social cohesion, promote civic renewal and advance the ideals of a healthy democracy.
Michelle Hamiel (she, her, hers)
Chief of Programs
Michelle strengthens the urban library role in local ecosystems and advances partnerships and programs resulting in systemic change. She is known and respected throughout public libraries for her leadership to diversify the profession, to serve marginalized communities and to increase racial and social equity. Prior to joining ULC, Michelle served as Prince George's County Memorial Library System's chief operating officer and led the mission, vision, innovation and operations of the library's 19 branches and the county detention center.
Kelsey Hughes
Program Manager
Kelsey Hughes is a Program Manager with the Urban Libraries Council. Prior to joining ULC, Kelsey worked in public libraries in Maryland, most recently serving as a branch manager for Howard County Library System, with previous roles in branch leadership and overseeing systemwide Adult & Teen Services for Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. She was a 2022 ALA Emerging Leader and member of the 2020 YALSA Volunteer Group of the Year for her work on the Outstanding Books for the College Bound List. In addition to teen service, she specializes in creating equitable and inclusive cultures in libraries, empathetic leadership, and makerspaces in libraries. A proud two-time Maryland Terrapin, Kelsey received her MLIS from the University of Maryland in 2018. She lives in Baltimore, MD.
Christine Merzazada (she, her, hers)
Finance Manager
Christine comes to ULC from Educational Research Service where she was the office manager. She has over 15 years of experience working for a nonprofit handling most of the accounting and financial activities for the organization. Prior to her last position, she was responsible for the publication fulfillment process as well as membership invoicing.
Colleen Morsli (she, her, hers)
Chief of Staff
Colleen develops a highly functioning, high-performing team with a culture dedicated to member excellence. Colleen has been with the organization for over ten years and leads ULC’s member engagement, conferences, and programs for public libraries across North America. Colleen has extensive marketing, PR, business development and conference planning experience. Prior to ULC, Colleen worked with several consumer and healthcare companies on brand recognition, market research and image consulting.
Evan Ottenfeld (he, him, his)
Director of Strategic Communications
Evan has a broad background in nonprofit communications at a variety of mission-driven organizations. Mostly recently, he was a press secretary and communications manager at the Center for Global Development, a trans-Atlantic economics research think tank focused on poverty and donor-country policy, where he managed the organization’s migration, gender equality, U.S. policy, and Latin America Initiative communications. He also worked for many years on U.S. democracy and money in politics issues, as well as fair trade policy.
Katie Sullivan (she, her, hers)
Senior Program Manager
Katie Sullivan joined the Urban Libraries Council in 2022, where she manages a number of programs and initiatives for public libraries focused on food justice, education, entrepreneurship, and race and social equity. She came to ULC with experience in project management, event planning and content development from several Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Katie served as a program manager for the National Association of Counties, providing local government leaders with programming related to economic mobility, arts and culture and equitable economic recovery. Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and Hispanic studies from the College of William & Mary and is working on her Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Amy Weist (she, her, hers)
Director of Events and Assistant to the President and CEO
Amy directs planning across ULC’s meeting, events, and conferences and supports the President and CEO. She manages and supports operations across a high-performing team and ensures a dedicated culture of board and member engagement. Previously, Amy served as the director of administration for the executive search firm Vetted Solutions, which she helped launch. She also served as the business manager for the Hydrocephalus Association for three years and worked for 10 years at the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). At GBTA, she worked closely with the boards, committees, chapters, members and staff of the 5,000+ hospitality association. Prior to GBTA, Amy served as a coordinator and assistant with Communities in Schools and worked for six years in The White House’s Office of Presidential Personnel.
Matthew Wims (he, him, his)
Membership Manager
Matt supports, guides and bolsters membership by engaging and working closely with members throughout their tenure with ULC as well as maintaining and overseeing ULC’s member experience at events, retaining members, and implementing membership initiatives. Serving as the voice of membership and member engagement, working cross-organizationally to increase the value for members and clout/organizational commitment across all programs. Prior to joining ULC, Matthew graduated from YearUp in 2017 with a certificate in business operations.