News Release
For Release: Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Contact: Frank Baraff 914-469-3775

Mayor Hawkins appoints two members to library board. Says new leaders are needed to transform the troubled library.

Statement by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.
“I have appointed two new members to the Board of the Orange Public Library. Imani Banks and Troy Simmons are two exceptionally well-qualified Orange residents who will become leaders in our community-wide effort to transform the library. The two board members fill one vacancy and one expired term.

Ms. Banks and Mr. Simmons were chosen under our new Call to Service initiative. The volunteer Board positions were advertised to the public through newspaper articles, at a public Call to Service forum and through our email newsletter. Both Imani Banks and Troy Simmons have experience in raising money for important causes and in creating public/private partnerships. Mr. Simmons is also a recognized expert in historic preservation. Their skills are extremely valuable as we seek funds to restore the library.

In filling vacancies on our boards and commissions, I choose from among the most dedicated, best informed, and highly experienced Orange residents. We have opened up the appointment process so that every Orange resident, and not just the politically connected, have the opportunity for public service. We will continue to actively recruit citizens to participate in the leadership of our city.

The Library is heavily used by Orange residents of every age. The building itself is one of the treasures of our city. It is a registered national historic site built in 1901 and designed in classic Greek style by Stanford White one of America’s greatest architects at the turn of the 20th century. Preservation of the library building is central to our city’s plans for redevelopment. Now that the environmental hazards have been resolved and the library reopened, the building remains in serious need of renovation. I have met with the library board to discuss how we can move forward to restore the building and have enlisted the clergy of Orange to work with the Library Board and the Friends of the Orange Library.”

About the new Library Board members

Imani Banks: Expert in marketing, grant management and business development. Consultant to New Jersey Small business Development Center in Newark. Former director of Public Relations and Marketing for Orange YWCA.

Troy Simmons: Architectural Historian and Associate Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Newark. Instrumental in securing major gifts from the private sector. Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation, Drew University.