Who will lead FPL into the next decade?

The search for the new Executive Director

• Monday, May 18: Louise Schaper announces she will retire Oct. 30 after 12 years as Executive Director of the Fayetteville Public Library.
  • Board forms a selection committee with Dan Ferritor, Marla Hunt and Mike Malone.
  • Board sets special meeting for Tuesday, June 2 when it will discuss ED job description and ED job advertisement.
• May 26 - 28: Selection committee meets with FPL staff members and management to hear the qualities they want in a new director.
• Week of June 1: Members of the Board of Trustees are meeting with stakeholders, e.g. Friends of FPL, FPL Foundation, City officials, donors, to gather input.
• June 2: Board of Trustees hosts a special meeting to discuss ED job description and ED job advertisement.
• June 2: Library staff will demonstrate ED search website to Board
• June 2: The Board of Trustees met to discuss the draft job ad, approve a change to the job description and review the webpage about the ED search.  They agreed to publish the applicant names on a weekly basis, post more information about the library for applicants, and submit job ads to local papers, the library website and library trade publications and websites.
• June 5: Executive Director position posted on the ALA job seeker website
• June 8: Executive Director position posted on the Arkansas State Library website
• June 15: 1/4 page ad posted in the Library Journal print magazine.
• July 15: Review of applications begins and continues until position is filled. 
• July 27: Executive Director search committee will meet at 3 p.m. in the library’s Ann Henry Board Room. The committee will discuss the process of reviewing applications before moving into executive session to review applications. The committee has received 13 applications.
• August 18: Executive Director search committee announces finalist for the ED position: Shawna Thorup (Fayetteville, AR), Clyde Scoles (Toledo, OH) and Mike Van Campen (Houston, TX).
• Week of Sept. 7 : Interviews by the Board of Trustees, library staff, and community leaders of all three candidates were completed.
• September 21: Board of Trustees unanimously voted to select Shawna Thorup as the next Executive Director effective October 31. 

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