City Clerk Lori Wilcox is the first new board president at the Chicago Heights Public Library in more than 50 years.

At the library board's Sept. 13 meeting, Wilcox appointed the position unanimously by a library board with several new members. Wilcox thanked the other members for the appointment.

"I hope we can move the library board forward the way the past board did," Wilcox said. 

Robert Booth, who celebrated 50 years with the board in December 2010, was nominated by Vice President Vicki High, but said he no longer wanted to serve in the role. High retained her role as vice president after a unanimous vote from the board. Mary Beth Cifelli was appointed as secretary.

Wilcox is a former librarian for the Chicago Public Library, working in the Legler, Daley, Wrightwood Ashburn and Pullman branches. She is also a member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, as well as the Illinois Library Association.

Other Sept. 13 appointments included:

• Tiffany Bennett as finance committee chair
• John Stanfa as building committee chair
• Nora Martinez as library committee chair
• Nicole Sanders as meeting room committee chair

Mayor David Gonzalez and Chicago Heights City Council approved Bennett, Martinez, Sanders, Stanfa and Second Ward Ald. Sonia Perez to join the board, replacing former members Doug Swanson, David Alston and John Murphy. There also had been two longtime vacancies on the board.

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