DC Board of Library Trustees Confirmation Hearing - March 12, 2026
DC Board of Library Trustees Confirmation Hearing - March 12, 2026
On Thursday, March 12, 2026, the Council of the District of Columbia's Committee on Human Services, chaired by Councilmember Matt Fruman (Ward 3), held a public oversight roundtable to consider one reappointment resolution and two confirmation resolutions for new appointees to the District of Columbia Board of Library Trustees. The meeting took place in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building and via Zoom, beginning at 2:08 PM and adjourning at 3:14 PM. The D.C. Public Library was established as an independent agency in 1896; its board consists of nine unpaid residents appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, plus the director as a nonvoting ex officio member. Trustees serve five-year terms, limited to two terms. Currently there are five members and four vacancies.
Nominees Testimony & Committee Questions
Donella Brockington – Reappointment (PR 26-0488)
- Background & Service: Brockington was first appointed in January 2021. She highlighted accomplishments during her first term, including: opening the Lamond-Riggs Lillian J. Huff Library in June 2022; distributing 10,000 devices through the ARPA Device Distribution program in summer 2022; launching a new library website in 2023; hosting major cultural exhibitions (Leonardo da Vinci in 2023, Alma Thomas exhibit in 2024, Negro Motorist Green Book in 2024–2025); leading the library’s post-pandemic rebound with Q4 FY24 gate counts surpassing 900,000 (the highest since FY19); receiving the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2024; and advancing capital projects including the Southeast Library modernization and updating the facilities master plan in February 2025.
- Leadership Roles: She currently chairs the Finance Committee and the Contracts Review Committee, and serves as primary liaison to the D.C. Public Library Foundation.
- Priorities for Second Term: Ensure high-quality programming extends beyond the MLK Library to neighborhood branches; manage budget complexities (including revenue from events that is often underestimated); continue to address rising costs of digital materials in collaboration with other library systems; and maintain strong governance and fiscal stewardship.
- Conflict of Interest: Brockington disclosed she is also a board director for Document Systems Inc., a small family-owned business working with D.C. agencies. She stated this has not created a conflict of interest and she has never had to recuse herself from any board matter.
Holly Flood – New Nominee
- Background: Native Washingtonian, D.C. public school alum (John Eaton Elementary, Duke Ellington High School – valedictorian), BA from Catholic University, master’s in international affairs from George Washington University. Served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, then worked in humanitarian response and international development for 30 years, overseeing programs in Angola, Colombia, Kenya, Paraguay, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Turkey. Currently works at Christ House (medical respite for homeless men) and volunteers as a long-term care ombudsman specialist with AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly. She was furloughed in January 2025 due to DOGE-related cuts from her role as Director of Proposal Writing at BlueMont.
- Library Use: Holds a D.C. library card; primarily uses Mount Pleasant and Cleveland Park libraries; recent checkout included an audiobook, 1989 by Val McDermott. She emphasized the value of reciprocity with Montgomery County Libraries.
- Priorities & Vision: Advocate for books and reading; ensure residents across the city are aware of and can access library services; navigate resource constraints during a challenging budget process; balance acquisition of print, ebooks, and audiobooks to meet diverse community needs; expand outreach to underserved populations (e.g., people experiencing homelessness, those lacking digital literacy).
- Relevant Experience: Extensive experience overseeing budgets, government grants, and contracts; building partnerships in challenging environments; she expressed interest in serving on the Finance and Budget Committee or the Programs, Partnerships, and Performance (PPP) Committee.
Christy Cunningham Whitfield – New Nominee
- Background: Chief Impact Officer at Nathan Cummings Foundation; previously served as Director of the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), where she partnered closely with DCPL on small business support programs. She holds a library card and uses the Woodridge Library with her children; recent checkout included The City We Became by N.K. Jemison and The Red Badge of Courage (read alongside her son’s school assignment).
- Priorities: Expand awareness and use of library resources (e.g., Libby app); strengthen library’s role in economic opportunity, workforce development, youth literacy, senior services, arts, and small business support; protect the library as a civic anchor and hub for democracy; explore creative partnerships (e.g., Art All Night events) to drive foot traffic and generate revenue.
- Relevant Experience: Familiarity with procurement complexities from DSLBD role; she indicated interest in serving on the PPP Committee and potentially contributing to procurement oversight.
- Conflict of Interest: She stated she would recuse herself from any subject matter related to her former directorship and has no current conflicts.
Key Outcomes
- The Committee heard testimony under oath from all three nominees. Written testimony may be submitted via the Council’s electronic hearing management system until the close of business on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
- No votes were taken during the roundtable; this was a confirmation hearing to consider the nominees. The Committee is expected to report the resolutions to the full Council for consideration.
- Chairperson Fruman expressed gratitude for the nominees’ service and interest in the board.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Good afternoon, everyone. I am Matt Freuman, Ward 3 Councilmember and Chairperson of the Committee on Human Services. Today is Thursday, March 12th, 2026. We are meeting in person in room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building and virtually via Zoom. The time is now 2 08 p.m. Today we are conducting a public oversight roundtable to consider one reappointment resolution and two confirmation resolutions for new appointees to the District of Columbia Board of Library Trustees. PR 26-0488, the Board of Library Trustees, Donella Brockington Confirmation Resolution of 2025, the matter of the nomination of Holly Flood to the Board of Library Trustees, and the matter of the nomination of Christie Whitfield to the Board of Library Trustees. The District of Columbia Public Library was established as an independent agency in 1896 by an Act of Congress. Congress also created a Board of Library Trustees to develop policy for the library. The board consists of nine unpaid residents who are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, as well as Director Reyes Gobalon, who serves as a nonvoting ex officio member of the board of trustees of the board. Trustees serve a five-year term and are limited to a maximum of two terms. There are currently five members of the board, and there are an outstanding four vacancies. The work of the library trustees supports the maintenance of our 26 libraries, relevant programming that facilitates lifelong learning and efficient use of public funds that support our library system. I am grateful for the service of our library trustees. I look forward to getting to know the nominees better today. I'd now like to offer a note on logistics. We will move on to our nominee's testimony with just one note on logistics. Should any of my fellow colleagues council members join us, they will have 10 minutes each to ask a round of questions, and I will generally turn to my colleagues in the order they arrive. We will now move to our nominees, starting with Ms. Brockington. Ms. Brockington, I invite you to turn on your camera. Ah, wonderful. I see you now. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman, Chairperson Fruman and members of the committee. Oh, just one moment. I'm sorry. We start with it is it's the practice of this committee to swear again. Yeah, yeah, to place our nominees under oath. So if you'd please, I love your eagerness to get to your testimony, but let's just do this step first. Please raise your right hand and state your name. Dunella Brockington. Do you swear or affirm under penalty of law that the testimony you are about to provide to the Committee on Human Services is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I do. Wonderful. Okay. Thank you, Ms. Brockington. And you now may begin your testimony. Well, thank you once again. Good afternoon, Chairperson Fruman and members of the committee and staff. I'm Donella Brockington, and it is my pleasure to receive your consideration for my nomination to serve on the Board of Library Trustees. I'm grateful to Mayor Muriel Bowser for nominating me and honored to have this opportunity to serve the residents of my hometown, the District of Columbia. When I was first appointed in January 2021, the DC Public Library was at a pivotal moment navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while reopening the modernized Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. It was a time that required resilience, creativity, and collaboration, and I'm proud of the progress we've made together together over the past five years. During my first term, I worked closely with my fellow trustees and library leadership to advance the library's mission and deliver meaningful results for district residents.
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