City-County Council members urge library board to appoint Hayes as CEO

Almost a month after a divided Indianapolis Public Library board made the controversial decision to bypass interim library CEO Nichelle Hayes as its new CEO, City-County Councilors have issued a public letter urging them to "heed the calls of our community" and appoint her as CEO.

Signatories included council President Vop Osili and council Vice President Zach Adamson. Sixteen of the council's 25 members signed the letter. All but one, independent councilor Ethan Evans, are Democrats.

"As Councillors with a responsibility to provide oversight of our city’s municipal corporations, we’ve watched with concern the growing and repeated discord between members of the library's board, its union, and the public," the letter, sent Thursday afternoon, read. "Unless there are issues of which we have not been made aware, we ask the Indianapolis Public Library board of directors to heed the calls of our community and appoint Ms. Nichelle Hayes as the Indianapolis Public Library CEO."

Indianapolis Public Library:Board will name new interim CEO in 2023; community outcry continues

A divided seven-person library board voted on Dec. 8 to offer the job to Gabriel Morley, who is a white man from Louisiana and whose past work history had raised questions, rather than Hayes, who is a Black woman from Indianapolis.

The decision quickly received backlash from the library union and in particular, the Black community. Amid the outrage, Morley quickly declined the offer.

The library board had been explicitly tasked with a commitment to racial equity in its search for CEO, but community members told IndyStar the decision showed the board was not taking systemic reform seriously and was part of a trend of overlooking qualified Black women for positions of leadership across the city.

The controversy over the CEO search is the latest development in a public scandal surrounding the library that began when workers called for the resignation of then-CEO Jackie Nytes in 2021, accusing her of contributing to racism, discrimination, and a toxic work environment during her tenure. Nytes has denied those claims.

For subscribers:Inside the Indianapolis library board's CEO decision, which left them without a CEO

In response to the City-County Councilors' letter, library board president Hope Tribble wrote in an emailed statement, "As president of the Indianapolis Public Library board of trustees, I appreciate the feedback from members of our City-County Council regarding the search for a new CEO to lead the library, and I understand their focus is the best interest of their constituents and the stakeholders the library board is called to serve. The issues that the Councilors and others have raised will be addressed when all internal legal and governance reviews are complete.”

Tribble became board president when former board president, Jose Salinas', term ended with the close of 2022. Salinas had also supported Morley.

Hayes not offered job after Morley's withdrawal

Instead of offering the position to Hayes following Morley's decision not to accept the CEO job, the board announced it would begin a new CEO search in 2023. The board also said Interim Chief Public Services Officer Gregory Hill would serve as the acting CEO in the meantime, replacing Hayes.

In sending the letter, the council appears to be exercising its influence over its two library board appointees, both of whom voted for Morley instead of Hayes as the new CEO. The two members are Tribble, who led the CEO search committee and was appointed in 2021, and Dr. TD Robinson, who was appointed in 2016.

"In spite of their hard work, however, the Indianapolis Public Library board’s search for a new CEO has to date resulted in more instability and turmoil for the institution rather than less," the Councilors' letter read. "Given the ongoing public outcry about the board’s choices in regard to selecting a permanent CEO, we feel it necessary to make our position clear." 

The library board is appointed, not elected, and community members have staged protests and penned a petition criticizing their decision as being ignorant of the community's wishes to see Hayes as the next library leader.

Hayes served 8 months as interim CEO

Community members argued Hayes is most qualified for the position, having led the healing process for the library system for eight months as interim CEO after it was rocked by racism allegations last summer, and said she has deep roots in Indianapolis.

"As a third-generation resident of Indianapolis and an alumna of Indianapolis Public Schools, (Hayes) is keenly aware of and deeply invested in the strengths and needs of the city the library serves," the letter from City-County Councilors stated.

"The search for the library’s next CEO has been expensive, both in terms of dollars and in terms of the library’s relationship with its community," the City-County Councilors wrote.

The library spent about $28,000 paying Ohio-based search firm Bradbury Miller Associates to conduct the CEO search.

The other signatories on the letter were councilors Monroe Gray, Ali Brown, Crista Carlino, Keith Graves, La Keisha Jackson, Kristin Jones, Jason Larrison, Frank Mascari, Jessica McCormick, Keith Potts, David Ray, Leroy Robinson and Duke Oliver.

IndyStar has reached out to the library board members and Hayes for comment.

Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Public Library CEO: City-County Councilors support Hayes