Susan Latham Appointed E.D. of Queens Public Library Foundation

The Queens Public Library Foundation today announced that Susan Latham has joined the Foundation as its new Executive Director. Latham, a nonprofit professional with over twenty years of executive-level experience, joins the Queens Public Library Foundation after serving as Vice President of Development at Citymeals on Wheels. The Queens Public Library Foundation raises funds for the programs, services, and collections provided by Queens Public Library.

“We are delighted to welcome Susan Latham as the new Executive Director of the Queens Public Library Foundation,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “Susan joins us at a critical moment in our 125-year history, as Queens Public Library helps drive the recovery of our borough and the diverse communities we serve. Her leadership will strengthen our ability to provide free access to information, knowledge, and opportunity for all.”

“The Queens Public Library Foundation plays an essential role in ensuring we can bring the best programs and services possible to our customers,” said Michael Rodriguez, Chair of the Queens Public Library Board of Trustees. “Susan’s vast experience in the nonprofit sector with organizations that provide vital services to New Yorkers make her the perfect fit to lead the Foundation at this time.”

“We are excited to welcome Susan at a time when the Foundation’s work is more important than ever,” said Carl S. Koerner, President of the Queens Public Library Foundation. “As we seek public and private investments in our libraries, Susan’s broad network and experience will help support programs and services that benefit people of all backgrounds and circumstances so they can recover, learn, and thrive.”

“As a longtime user and supporter of Queens Public Library, I know firsthand how important the Library’s programs and services are to the people and communities of Queens,” said Queens Public Library Foundation Executive Director Susan Latham. “During the past year, the Library stepped up in so many important ways to help meet the needs of Queens residents, who were particularly hard-hit by Covid-19. I’m very excited to help support the continued growth of this dynamic institution.”

At Citymeals on Wheels, Latham was responsible for all aspects of foundation, corporate, and individual major gifts fundraising, events and partnerships, planned giving, and board relations. She brought in $14M in major gifts and closed their capital campaign. She was previously Deputy Director of Advancement at The Actors Fund, where she managed individual and institutional giving, raising $10M in annual support.

Latham has also served as Associate Director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at NYU Law School, Director of Development and Communications at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, and Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Planning at Metropolitan College of New York.

Prior to her work in the nonprofit sector, Susan worked in the performing arts as a fundraiser, producer, and company manager, touring throughout the U.S. and abroad with Meredith Monk and other artists. She has presented fundraising workshops for artists in New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Latham serves as a board member of Pentacle/Dance Works and Performing Artservices and is a member of the Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board. Born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, Susan is a longtime resident of Jackson Heights and supporter and customer of Queens Public Library. She has a BA in Communication from Hope College and an MS in Social Administration from Columbia University School of Social Work. Her mother was a children’s librarian.