Alexandra Rivera Statement

Alexandra Rivera
Nominee for REFORMA Vice-President/President-Elect

Hello. I am Alexandra Rivera and I ask for your consideration of my nomination to be your next Vice President/President-Elect of REFORMA. REFORMA became my professional home when I attended the 2nd National Conference in Tucson in 2000. There, I saw excellent work being done by people similar to myself who were developing literacy skills, information access, and library services for our communities. So moved by what I witnessed, I applied for and began  pursuing a master’s degree in library science a year later. To my surprise that same year I was elected to the REFORMA Executive Committee as a member at large. Throughout the last 20+ years I have had the honor of representing REFORMA in various capacities, primarily serving as a REFORMA representative to the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. I first served as a member of the Awards and Scholarships Committee for the 2006 conference, then as the REFORMA representative for the 2012 Conference Steering Committee and since 2016 I have served as the REFORMA representative on the Board of Directors for the Joint Council of Librarians of Color.

I have considered running for REFORMA president over the years but wanted to ensure that I had the time, energy, knowledge base, and institutional support to be an effective candidate. 
I believe now is the right time. 

Currently I am the Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Organizational Development at Michigan State University Libraries leading a division that includes Communications, User Experience, Accessibility, Organizational Development, and Outreach and Engagement. 
I am on the ALA Executive Board (2020-2023) and Vice President for the Joint Council of Librarians of Color, Inc. Board of Directors. These experiences have provided me with a deep working knowledge of non-profit association management and organizational development.

Throughout my career I have promoted access to information and education particularly to young Latinos and other BIPoC communities. I am proud to be a REFORMISTA and would love to continue my support of our association as the REFORMA Vice President/President-elect.

To learn more about me, I invite you to review my CV (https://bit.ly/ARivera-CV)

Mil gracias por su consideración.
Alexandra Rivera