Ava Ehde, Manatee County's Library Services Manager since 2011, has been named interim director of Manatee County Neighborhood Services Department. The department includes Probation, Human, Veterans, Healthcare and Neighborhood services divisions and the Public Library System. Former Neighborhood Services Director Cheri Coryea was recently confirmed as a Deputy County Administrator by Manatee County Commissioners. Under Ehde’s leadership, Manatee Libraries has expanded its educational and technological resources and programs at its six locations, with over 1.9 million customers annually using resources. Library usage has soared 85 percent in 10 years. More than 62,000 patrons attended informational and educational programs this year. Also during Ehde's tenure as manager of the library system, Manatee County won the Florida Library Association’s 2013 Library Innovation Award and the 2016 Library of the Year. Ehde received the association’s Librarian of the Year for 2017. Kevin Beach, Library Operations Manager, described Ehde’s influence on Manatee Libraries as transformational.

Manatee County Neighborhood Services Department