Brooks serves as President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, an outcomes-driven research and innovations network of more than 175 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.

Since 2018, Paula Brehm-Heeger has served as the Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. She oversees, 40 public library branches, a Downtown Main Library, and a Distribution Center, and approximately 850 staff members serving a community of more than 800,000 people. She is responsible for the oversight of CHPL’s ambitious Facility Master Plan. Paula has worked in public libraries for nearly 35 years. Prior to returning to her hometown of Cincinnati, she worked for the Indianapolis Public Library, Anderson (IN) Public Library and the Kansas City (MO) Public Library. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, she also holds an M.L.S. from Indiana University and an M.P.A. from Northern Kentucky University, where she was named the Distinguished MPA graduate for the 2016 program and the Outstanding student by the Association for Public Administrators - Greater Cincinnati Area Chapter. In 2023, Paula was named the Distinguished MPA Alumna by NKU. She is a past recipient of the Urban Library Council's Joey Rodger Leadership Award and in 2023, was named by Government Technology as one of their national Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers.

Mitch Landrieu is a public servant, lawyer, author, and nonprofit leader. Landrieu most recently served as a senior advisor to President Biden and the Infrastructure Coordinator at the White House, responsible for the implementation of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In that role, he oversaw the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations that led to over 40,000 new projects in two years encompassing roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports, transit, clean water, clean energy and high-speed internet. A former two-term mayor of New Orleans, Landrieu led the recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. He also led the removal of four Confederate monuments, for which he received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Prior to his terms as mayor, Landrieu served two terms as lieutenant governor of Louisiana and 16 years as a state legislator.

Landrieu is also the founder of E Pluribus Unum, which collaborates with leaders and communities across the American South, providing tools and support to bridge divides and foster connections across differences. Landrieu penned a New York Times bestseller, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History, in which he recounts his personal journey confronting the issue of race and institutional racism that still plagues America. A past president of the US Conference of Mayors, he was named the 2015 Governing Magazine Public Official of the Year. He currently serves as co-chair of American Bridge 21st Century. He and his wife Cheryl live in New Orleans, where they raised their five children.