Ringling College Library Association announced today that Lauren Kurnov will join the organization as Executive Director beginning December 1, 2022. Kurnov succeeds Stephanie Grosskreutz who will retire at the end of the year. Association board chair, Emily Walsh, is thrilled to welcome Kurnov to the organization. A Sarasota native, Kurnov moved back to the area in 2015 with her husband, Gary, and two children. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit and education sectors in various leadership roles. Locally, Kurnov has worked at both the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee as the Assistant Vice President of Student Success, as well as at New College of Florida’s Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence and Student Affairs to promote community outreach and student success. Kurnov received her Doctor of Education degree in 2021 from the University of South Florida, and she is a proud alum of the Florida Gulf Coast Leadership Institute Class of 2018. Most recently, Kurnov ran for the Sarasota County School Board. Throughout her campaign, Lauren built a broad coalition of community support, secured notable key endorsements, and raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars in direct campaign contributions. Kurnov will head up the organization’s TOWN HALL lecture series, kicking off on January 17th with Nobel Prize winning journalist, Maria Ressa. The Ringling College Library Association is dedicated to the ongoing development of the Alfred R. Goldstein Library at the Ringling College of Art & Design and acts as a catalyst for educational growth of students, faculty and the community. To learn more about Ringling College Library Association and the TOWN HALL series visit RCLAssociation.org.