State Library of Louisiana Consultant Chosen for Leadership Institute

BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – The State Library of Louisiana is proud to announce the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) has chosen Public Library Consultant Jessica Styons to be a part of its 2020-2021 Regional Leadership Program class. Styons is the first public librarian ever to be selected for this honor. NORLI is the premiere leadership development program in the Greater New Orleans Region. The purpose of the program is to encourage business and community collaborations that will improve the lives of Louisianans, and the 2020-2021 class represents some of the most effective and enthusiastic leaders in Southwest Louisiana.

“I have had the privilege of working with Jessica in many capacities over the years,” said State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. “She became an invaluable addition to our team earlier this year, and her selection to participate in this leadership program not only speaks to her value as a strategic thinker and a capable communicator, but it also represents the very reason we wanted her on the State Library team.”

After conducting a nationwide search in 2019, the State Library of Louisiana selected Styons to join their team as a Senior Public Library Consultant, a position that provides executive level advice and training to public library directors, library boards, and parish governments on all topics related to public library service. Prior to joining the State Library, Styons served as Interim Executive Director of the New Orleans Public Library System. In her 20 years as a librarian, she has trained public library staff across the state, presented multiple times at both the American Library Association and the Louisiana Library Association, and, most recently, contributed to the content of WebJunction, which is a tool used by library staff and their stakeholders worldwide.

The New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) is a nonprofit organization providing community leaders the opportunity to identify, collaborate, and address key issues for the betterment of the Greater New Orleans Region. NORLI draws upon a diverse group of stakeholders from around the ten parish region to engage in thought-provoking personal and professional development programs covering topics such as public policy, healthcare, education, diversity and equity, environment and sustainability, economic development, and criminal justice.