HUNTSVILLE – The Board of Directors for the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) voted during its July meeting to hire Cindy Hewitt to lead the 10-branch library system as the new Executive Director. Hewitt has been the Interim Executive Director since October 2020, when Laurel Best retired after 12 years.

“Cindy Hewitt did an excellent job in protecting library patrons and employees during the pandemic, and instituted several new services for the public during that time. We have every confidence in Ms. Hewitt’s abilities, and look forward to her leading the library forward during the coming years,” the HMCPL Board Chair Lee Jones said in a statement.

Hewitt brings 26 years of experience working in libraries. She was the Branch Manager at the Monrovia Public Library for eight years. Hewitt was then appointed Deputy Director in January 2019 and as Interim Executive Director in October 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her tenure as Interim, she developed and executed the phased reopening of the HMCPL, oversaw the opening of the North Huntsville Public Library and construction of the soon-to-be open South Huntsville Public Library.

“I am very excited to lead this wonderful library system into its next phase of growth,” said Hewitt. “My priority as Executive Director will be to make improvements to our locations and our services to meet the demands we are seeing through population growth. I look forward to continue working with our local and state government officials to meet community needs.”

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Georgia and Masters of Library and Information Studies from University of Alabama.

Before joining HMCPL, she was the librarian at Westminster Christian Academy for 15 years.