NEWS For Immediate Release May 3, 2013

Contact: JoAnne Kempf

CHICAGO – Mario M. Gonzalez, executive director of the Passaic (N.J.) Public Library has been elected treasurer of the American Library Association (ALA) for 2013-16, defeating Clara Nalli Bohrer, director of the West Bloomfield Township Public Library in West Bloomfield, Mich.

Gonzalez received 5,096 votes. Bohrer received 4,751 votes.

Gonzalez will become ALA treasurer at the close of the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago and will serve in this capacity through the 2016 Annual Conference.

It is an honor and a privilege to have been elected by the membership to serve as their new Treasurer,” he said. “I look forward to working with Staff, Member Leaders as well as all members of the American Library Association to continue to financially support the goals of our Association. I am truly humbled and I thank you for your confidence.

An ALA member since 1985, Gonzalez has served on the Executive Board (2006-09), chair (2010-11) and member (2006-12) of the Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC), a member of the Finance Audit Committee (2010-11) and has been a councilor-at-large since 1996. 

Among his many responsibilities in ALA, he has been involved with the Planning and Budget Assembly (1997-99, 2006-12), the President’s Steering Committee (2009-11), the ALA President’s Task Force on Elections (2008-11), the ALA Campaign for America’s Libraries (2009-present), the ALA International Relations Committee (2004-06), the ALA Nominating Committee (2003-04), the ALA Committee on Committees (2002-03), the ALA Chapter Relations Committee (2001-03) and the ALA Literacy Assembly (1998-99).

 Gonzalez has been on the Public Library Association Board of Directors (2004-07) and the PLA’s Leadership Committee (2007-present) and its Nominating Committee (2006).  In addition, he has been on the Executive Board of RUSA (1992-95) and the Board of ASCLA (2000-03). He served as president of EMIERT Executive Board.

He has also been involved and held offices in affiliates, state and regional associations including the New Jersey Library Association, New York Library Association, the Chinese-American Library Association, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the Asian Pacific Library Association and REFORMA, for which he served on the executive board 1990-1997 and as president in 1991-92. He also helped found REFORMA’s Puerto Rico Chapter.

He worked with two Boards of Trustees on monitoring and appropriating funds from the $37 million Peterson Foundation, one of the largest public library foundations in the country.  As a current member of the Orangeburg (N.Y.) Public Library Board of Trustees, Mr. Gonzalez has been elected to serves as Treasurer for the past 7 years. 

Gonzalez has also served as the Treasurer for the Passaic Club of Rotary International and is currently the President.

His honors include: two Librarian of the Year Awards for Outstanding Service to the Spanish Speaking in the Nation as well as the Northeastern U.S., Outstanding Service for Treasurer from REFORMA Northeast and the Eleanor Roosevelt Community Service Award for Service to the Homeless,

Gonzalez received a BA in Spanish Psychology from the City College of New York. He holds an MLIS from the Graduate School of Library Information Science at the Pratt Institute. He also completed the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School.   

For complete election results, please visit:  http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/governance/alaelection/index.cfm

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