March Program

“Adapt and Pivot: How the library remains relevant in digital times.”

“The Greensboro Public Library is adapting to meet the diverse needs of today’s communities, offering digital resources, educational programs, and spaces for collaboration. We’ll take a look at the future of the Library, highlighting upcoming projects that will help shape the role of Libraries going forward.”

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Brigitte H. Blanton Director, Greensboro Public Library

Brigitte H. Blanton is Director of the Greensboro Public Library, Brigitte oversees the entire system, which includes the Central Library downtown and seven branches.  Her job also incorporates overseeing the Greensboro Historical Museum.

Brigitte holds a Master’s Degree in Library Information Studies from UNC- Greensboro and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration-Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill.  She has been with the Greensboro Public Library for thirty-two years holding positions of Branch Manager, Senior Assistant Director, Information Operations/Administration and Branch Management prior to being selected Director in 2013.

Brigitte is very involved in the community, presently serving on several professional and educational Boards and Taskforce. She is a founding member of the Welfare Reform Liaison Project. She is a member of professional organizations including the American Library Association, Public Library Association, North Carolina Public Library Directors Association, and the National Forum of Black Public Administrators. She served as President of the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association in 2020 and serves as the Board Chair for iAlign Dance Company. She is an active member of the Urban Libraries Council. Brigitte also serves as a member of the State Library Commission of North Carolina.

Chandra Hackenbruch, WPF Foundation President

WPF Foundation News

A Note From Chandra Hackenbruch, WPF Foundation President

Greetings Dear Sisters!

March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women in U.S. history. In honor of this month, I invite you to reflect on the impact of WPFF-granted organizations that support women and girls in Guilford County. To explore the organizations we’ve supported, please CLICK HERE. You’ll find a list of organizations, program descriptions, and grant amounts awarded over the past two years, as well as a comprehensive list of prior grant recipients.

The Grants Committee has completed its thorough review of over 30 grant applications. The board has approved the final grant recipients, and we’re excited about the selected programs and award amounts. I extend my sincere gratitude to Grants Committee co-chairs Leslie Lloyd and Sasha Trosch, and to all committee members, for their diligent work. We will announce the final grant recipients at our May 14th meeting, where we will also highlight the impact of our 2024 grantees on women and girls in Guilford County.

Your generous donations made this vital work possible! We are thrilled to announce that last year’s contributions reached an all-time record of over $38,000. This remarkable achievement allowed us to distribute more grant funding than ever before.

You should have received a gift acknowledgment letter for your 2024 contribution. If you did not receive a letter, please contact me at raye74@gmail.com or Sherry at admin@wpforum.org.

Every donation, no matter the size, makes a meaningful difference.  If you haven’t yet contributed this year, please consider doing so.  CLICK HERE to donate.

Seeking Spring Small Group Gathering Hosts

It’s time for our Spring Small Group Gatherings!  We want to create time and space for our WPF sisters to connect during the Spring Small Group Gatherings.  To meet different needs and situations, we have expanded the opportunities.  As a host, you can choose to host breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, happy hour, etc.  The events can be at your home or at a restaurant/venue of your choosing.  We hope this allows more people to participate and takes the stress out of hosting.  So that we can ensure we have enough spots for all our sisters who would like to participate, you are invited to host a gathering between April 15 and May 15.   

To sign up to host, please reach out to Laura Burton (lburton@foxrothschild.com) or Jeanie Duncan (jduncan@jeanieduncan.com) or click the link below.  Thank you for your generosity and hospitality!

SIGN UP HERE

WPF Membership News

Marcy McHenry, Membership Chair

Only three more luncheons to bring potential new members for qualification for 2025 Membership!  Hoping we’ll have another great year of new members for our wonderful organization!

As a reminder, here are the qualifications for Sponsorship and for applicants.   More details are available on the WPF website: wpforum.org.

Sponsorship Requirements:

• A WPF member is qualified to be a primary sponsor for a new member after she has been an Active member for at least two FULL years. (The membership year for new members begins August 1st).
• Qualified members may sponsor or co-sponsor NO MORE THAN TWO applicants in a year. The year begins with the application deadline, running from June 1 to May 31.
• Supporting members, members of the Membership Committee, and the WPF President may not serve as primary or secondary sponsors.
• The primary sponsor is responsible for ensuring that an applicant appears to meet the basic membership qualifications set out in the New Member Application and can comply with attendance requirements.
• Questions regarding a potential applicant’s suitability for membership should be directed to the Membership Chair before asking the applicant to submit an application.
• Confirm, through the Membership Chair or the Administrative Assistant, that the Occupational Category of your applicant has not reached its quota.
• Email all required documents/files to the Membership Committee Chair by the June 1^st deadline.
• Sponsors agree to provide any information about the prospective member as requested by the Membership Committee.
• If an applicant is declined for membership, the primary sponsor and co-sponsors will be notified prior to notifying the applicant.

To qualify for Active membership, applicants must:

• Be employed full-time or be employed in a career where the content and professionalism of the work is the measure of eligibility rather than the number of hours worked.
• Work or reside in Guilford County.
• Be an experienced upper-management executive, licensed or degreed professional active in the profession, business owner, or official elected or appointed to public office.
• Have a minimum of five years of professional experience and a minimum of two years of experience in the same or related field of work in which she is engaged at the time of her application.
• Be cleared by their Primary Sponsor for an available slot in the appropriate Occupational Field Category (please contact Membership Chair).
• Be sponsored by a total of three sponsors. The primary sponsor must be an Active or Active Retired member.  Secondary sponsors may be Active, Active Retired or Emeritus members.
• Prospective members must attend a total of three WPF lunch meetings, one with each of her sponsors, within the twelve months prior to application filing.

Please reach out with questions: Membership Chair Marcy McHenry at marcemch@aol.com or 336-509-5660.