Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation announces exciting leadership changes

ATLANTA – January 13, 2025 – The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation announces several exciting changes to its board of directors: Jeff Steely and Michelle Taylor Willis assume leadership positions as chair and vice-chair; Jacqueline Edwards, Jessica Gellerstedt, Beverly Rice, Blythe Keeler Robinson and Matt Westmoreland join as new members; and Kayron Bearden, Nina Radakovich and Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel join the organization’s emeritus board. 

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation is the nonprofit advocate and fundraising champion of the Fulton County Library System, providing critical funding support for all 34 branches. 

In January 2025, Jeff Steely and Michelle Taylor Willis assume leadership of the board of directors as chair and vice-chair. They follow the successful tenure of J. DeLano Ford and Tim Pakenham in these roles. Jeff Steely is the Dean of Libraries at Georgia State University and serves as president of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries and serves on the Board of Directors of the Decatur Book Festival. Michelle Taylor Willis is the host of the According to Michelle TV show and the According to Michelle radio show, and is an award-winning media executive, influencer, media personality, author and actress. She is the founder and owner of Gagnant Media and SoFu Lifestyle magazine, is the 2023 recipient of the 100 Black Men of South Metro Atlanta Impact Award and the Atlanta Business Journal named her “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Atlantans.”

“2024 was a year of reinvention and reimagining for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation,” said Jeff Steely. “We developed a strategic plan for 2025-29 that charts a course for growth and impact on one of our most valuable shared community resources – our public library system. Our existing board roster was incredibly strong, and these new members add a  range of backgrounds and skill sets that will help us realize that strategic vision together.”

Willis added, “As individuals, our board members are passionate about literacy. As a collective board of directors, we are committed to the Library Foundation’s values to advance equal access and opportunity, lifelong learning, collaboration and innovation for the entire Fulton County community.”

Five new members will join the Board of Directors in 2025, representing a broad range of experience and backgrounds:

Jacqueline Edwards is the executive director at the Center for New Data, where she leads a team of technologists committed to unlocking insights from data to build a stronger democracy for all. Edwards has 15+ years’ experience building partnerships, teams, and products that advance equity. 

Previously, Edwards served as Interim CEO and COO at Medic, where she helped guide the organization since 2014, co-authoring strategy and incubating and launching Medic’s open source project, the Community Health Toolkit. Jacqueline holds a MSc in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BAH in Contemporary Studies and International Development from the University of King’s College. Edwards is active in her community as the co-chair of the Board at Access Reproductive Care Southeast and as a member of her neighborhood book club and run club. 

Jessica Gellerstedt holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Georgia College and State University and a master’s degree in Integrated Curriculum from American College of Education. She spent eleven years as a special educator in Gwinnett County and Atlanta Public Schools and spent the last four years teaching and developing culturally responsive literacy content for DREW Charter School in East Atlanta.

Gellerstedt is deeply committed to fostering a love of literacy before children begin attending school, understanding that exposure to books, language, and literacy activities during these critical developmental years lays the foundation for lifelong success. A Kirkwood resident, Gellerstedt is currently taking a break from the classroom to stay home with her two young children while remaining active in the community. 

Beverly Rice is a retired educator with a career of over 35 years in education. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas where she attended the infamous Little Rock Central High School. She has a B.S. degree from Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, in English and Government; and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Harding University. Rice has written several professional educational journals, curriculum for churches and has written and published three books: The Man Behind the Mantle, Shhh, Somebody’s Praying, and CALLED.

She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, National Council of Negro Women, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, Georgia Association of Educators, Atlanta Federation of Teachers, and National Education Association. Rice is the director and founder of RICE Inc. Literacy, a nonprofit literacy program that teaches adults reading skills and strategies, and is a member of the Fulton County Library System’s Board of Trustees. 

Blythe Keeler Robinson is an innovative and passionate leader with over 25 years of nonprofit management experience. She is an equity advocate and a nationally recognized leader in early education and two-generation approaches to educational success and economic security. Robinson is the President and CEO of Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Prior to joining Sheltering Arms, Robinson served as the senior vice president & chief programs officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Miami‐Dade/Monroe, Florida. She was responsible for the management and implementation of early care and education programs providing services to more than 50,000 children and their families annually. Robinson is president of the International Women’s Forum – Georgia Chapter Board and Vice-Chair of the National Black Child Development Institute Board. She also serves on the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast Governing Board, the Atlanta Speech School Advisory Board, and the PAACT (Promising All Atlanta Children Thrive) Founding Advisory Board and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She was recognized as a member of the 2019 Academy of Women Achievers by the YWCA, named one of Atlanta Tribune’s 2018 Women of Excellence and received the 2017 Image Award from the 100 Black Men of North Metro (Atlanta), Inc. She has been named to the Atlanta Business League’s list of “Top 100 Black Women of Influence” for six years, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s list of “Atlanta’s 40 Under 40 Leaders” and South Florida’s “50 Most Powerful Black Professionals.” 

Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics with a certificate in African American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a juris doctor from The Georgetown University Law Center.

Matt Westmoreland holds the Post 2 At-Large seat on the Atlanta City Council. Prior to his City Council election, Matt was the District 3 Representative on the Atlanta Board of Education, serving as chair of its Budget Commission and legislative liaison to the Georgia General Assembly.

An Atlanta native and proud product of its public school system, Matt received his bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Princetonian. After graduation, Matt returned to Atlanta as a Teach for America Corps Member and taught history at Carver Early College High School in southeast Atlanta. 

Matt previously served as program director for Horizons Atlanta, an educational nonprofit serving low-income students across Metro Atlanta through summer enrichment programs. He serves on the Board of Directors for HOPE Atlanta and of the Atlanta Regional Commission. He is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2025 and is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute and LEAD Atlanta. 

In addition to these new members, the Library Foundation board of directors celebrates the vital contributions of several long-term volunteers who have been crucial contributors to the organization. The tenures of Kayron Bearden, Nina Radakovich, Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel, and Ken Zeff are ending, but several of these individuals will stay involved with the organization as members of its esteemed emeritus board. 

“Our board of directors is the cornerstone of our stability and success,” said Erin Dreiling, executive director of the Library Foundation. “For years, these volunteers have shared their time and expertise with the Library Foundation to support our library. Without their skills, focus and active governance, we could not have evolved to be the organization we are today. We thank them for their many contributions during their time with us.”

About the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation

For over 35 years, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation has advocated for, partnered with, and invested in the Fulton County Library System. Learn more at afplf.org or on social media: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Media Contact:

Erin Dreiling, 770.891.3989