DeKalb CEO Thurmond honored as Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond was recognized onMarch 11 as the 2023 Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year.

“I am honored and humbled to be recognized as a champion for Georgia libraries,” CEO Thurmond said. “These important institutions are among the principal building blocks of our American democracy.”

“CEO Thurmond’s multifaceted support for the library, from recognizing the unique, hard work of staff; securing vital funding and resources; and advocating for employee well-being, truly sets him apart as a Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year,” said Alison Weissinger, director of DeKalb County Public Library, who nominated CEO Thurmond. “His influence is not only felt today, but will leave a lasting legacy for years to come.”

Thurmond was recognized for his continuous support of the DeKalb County Public Library throughout his tenure, which included:

• Raising wages, updating staff salary ranges, and enacting frontline pay for all library employees during the pandemic which increased retention and supported career advancement.
• Restoration of increased operating hours to the library system, including budget approval for extended night and weekend access to branches.
• Increasing funding for books and materials back to its pre-recession level of $2 million in 2018, which allowed the DeKalb Library Foundation to allocate funds to other initiatives such as expanding Wi-Fi hotspot services and literacy programs including 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and the Summer Reading Program.
• Advocating for the inclusion of the library in two of DeKalb’s SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) referendums, the most recent of which passed in 2023. This will result in $13.8 million to finance building renovations and other improvements.

Thurmond is an avid reader and author of three nonfiction books of history including “Freedom: Georgia’s Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865,” which was awarded the Georgia Historical Society’s Lilla Hawes Award. His latest book, “James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia,” was released in February 2024.

Julie Walker, state librarian and vice chancellor for libraries and archives, presents DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond with the 2023 Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year award.