New Rochelle Public Library Foundation Names Nina Robertson as Executive Director
The Board of Directors of the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation (NRPLF) is pleased to announce that it has hired Nina Robertson as the Foundation’s first Executive Director, effective November 1, 2024. The appointment was made following an extensive nationwide search.
As Executive Director, Ms. Robertson will work closely with the Board of Directors to advance the mission of the NRPL Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises resources and provides advocacy to keep the library vibrant, up-to-date, and able to serve the diverse needs of the New Rochelle community.
“We were looking for somebody with a passion for libraries and a belief that libraries can change lives, and we think Nina Robertson is that person,” says Stephanie Tomei, Co-President of the NRPL Foundation.
Co-President Rod Rolett agrees: “We think Nina is a “roll-up-your-sleeves” leader with the experience to help us grow.”
A graduate of the University of Minnesota with an MBA from St. Thomas College, Robertson has experience in organizational and community development, program management, and strategic planning. In 2021, she was chosen one of the “40 Under 40” – representing the next generation of business and community leaders in the Twin Cities — by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for her work as Director of the Step Up Youth Employment Program for the City of Minneapolis. More recently she worked as Director of Systems Change for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota before her husband’s career brought the family to New York.
“I’m an avid supporter of public library systems for so many reasons, so the New Rochelle Public Library was one of the first places my family visited after moving to New Rochelle,” says Nina. “We signed up for library cards and began exploring all that the Library had to offer, especially the children’s programs. It quickly became a place of community for us, providing enrichment and a deep sense of connection to our new home.”
As the first Executive Director of the NRPL Foundation she says “my vision is to build on its extraordinary legacy. The Foundation has a strong history of successfully supporting the Library to ensure it thrives, and I aim to continue this work while inviting our entire community to join us. I want every person in New Rochelle to feel that the Library is for them and to see themselves as part of the Foundation’s efforts, helping us elevate the Library so that it can be everything our community needs and more.”
Established in 1993, the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation has raised more than $3 million for the New Rochelle Public Library; in addition, stepping in as a matching funder, the Foundation has been able to leverage its support to bring in an additional $694,000 dollars in New York State grants. These funds have been used for significant capital investments, including the purchase of computers for public access to the Internet; renovation of the reference and information service area; refurbishing of the lobby; creation of a teen area; development of a local history room; creation of a Business Opportunity Center, Quiet Reading Room and Community Conference Room; plus renovations to the Ossie Davis Theater and other areas, including a new circulation desk.
The Foundation also supports discounted passes for area museums, teen summer programs, childhood language-learning materials and other initiatives that enrich the lives of New Rochelle residents. To learn more about the NRPL visit the website at www.nrplfoundation.org.