Virginia Library Association's New Executive Director is Dr. Jennifer Scott Brown

RICHMOND - The Virginia Library Association (VLA) is excited to announce that Jennifer Scott Brown, PhD, has been named the Executive Director of the organization. Dr. Brown was selected by the 2025 Executive Committee from a competitive pool of candidates. She will begin her role with VLA on September 15, 2025.

Dr. Brown holds a PhD in Instructional Design & Technology from Old Dominion University and teaches graduate courses in library and information science, with a focus on user services and culturally responsive librarianship. Her research and professional service have centered on reflective practice, outreach to underserved communities, and staff development. She was the 2024–2025 President of the Virginia Public Library Directors Association and has received numerous awards, including the VLA Donna G. Cote Librarian of the Year (2019), entered the No Kid Hungry Hall of Fame (2019),  Better Together Award (2024), and was honored with a 2024 Old Dominion University Darden Fellow Award. In 2025, she was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker for her transformative work with the Virginia Library Leadership Academy (VALLA), where she led the redesign of the year-long leadership program and worked with the task force to secure funding to make it free to participants, dramatically expanding access and awareness across the Commonwealth. "Dr. Brown brings with her a wealth of professional experience, a strong record of service, and an enduring commitment to libraries and the communities they serve," says VLA president Vivian Washington.

Recognition of the Executive Committee
Special thanks to Bradbury Miller Associates, and the hiring committee: Vivian F. Washington, Chesapeake Public Library; Nancy Falciani-White, Randolph-Macon College; Kelsey Cheshire, Virginia Commonwealth University; Maryke Barber, Hollins University; Kendra Hawkins, Tidewater Community College; Kerri Copus, Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library System; and Jennifer Resor-Whicker, Radford University.

About the Virginia Library Association
The Virginia Library Association is the Commonwealth's organization for library workers and supporters, dedicated to developing, promoting, and improving library and information services, and the profession of librarianship. Since its founding in 1905, VLA has grown in number; expanded the scope of its organization; engaged legislatively at the state and federal level; provided its members with newsletters, scholarly journals, and a website; and supported library education, training, and outreach.