Staff

John Bracken

Executive Director

John (he/him) is our executive director. Previously John worked for nearly two decades as a philanthropic investor in digital media, media policy, and innovation. He most recently served as vice president for technology innovation at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where he oversaw the Knight News Challenge, Knight’s Prototype Fund, and other efforts to improve the creation, curation, and accessibility of information. He previously managed technology and civic innovation programs at the MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. He has a master’s degree from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from Pitzer College. He serves on the board of the Illinois Humanities Council.

Dominic Byrd-McDevitt

Data and Partnerships Strategist

Dominic is our data and partnerships strategist. Dominic is working to integrate DPLA’s collections into Wikimedia projects and make them more readily accessible and reusable online. Most recently, Dominic worked at the National Archives and Records Administration where he was a digital content specialist, helping to design the catalog’s crowdsourcing features and launch the agency’s first catalog API, as well as being the world’s longest-serving Wikipedian in Residence. Dominic also served as Wikipedian in Residence at the Smithsonian Institution. Dominic currently serves as a cultural partnerships advisor at Wikimedia District of Columbia and has been an active Wikipedia editor since 2004. He has a B.A. from Reed College and has studied library science at Simmons College.

Suzanne Gilbert Lee

Operations and Culture Manager

Suzanne is our operations and culture manager and is responsible for a wide array of tasks that keep DPLA running smoothly, from events management and grant reporting to human resources and payroll. Suzanne has previously worked with several New England not-for-profit organizations, including Rocky Neck Art Colony, Historic New England and the North Shore Arts Association. She has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and studied theology at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Micah May

Director of Ebook Services

Micah is our director of ebook services, driving the DPLA Exchange and related ebook work. He previously served as director of technology for Library For All, creating open children’s books and free reading apps for the developing world. Before joining DPLA, Micah was director of strategy and then senior director of business development and innovation at the New York Public Library, where he built capacity for innovation and led the creation of the NYPL Labs, Open Ebooks, the MyLibraryNYC partnership with NYC schools, and the open source SimplyE reading app, among others. Micah started his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Co. and has a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Scott Williams

Interim Director of Technology

Scott is our interim Director of Technology, working to create streamlined experiences for DPLA’s partner institutions. Before coming to DPLA, Scott worked with museum data at the Yale University Art Gallery and University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. He holds degrees in history and computer science from Miami University of Ohio.

Kathleen Williams

Director of Communications

Kat (she/her) is our director of communications, working to get the word out about DPLA and our mission. She also helps create content for DPLA projects. Previously, Kat was vice president of digital content for the History Channel and A+E Networks. She has been nominated for three primetime Emmy Awards, winning in 2013 for the short documentary Remembering 9/11, and her website work has been recognized by the Library of Congress. She holds a B.A. in history from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in history education from Teachers College at Columbia University.

Shaneé Yvette Willis

Director of Community Engagement

Shaneé is our director of community engagement. She identifies and develops services, partnerships, and products to support our national network. Previously, Shaneé was the university archivist and an assistant professor at the University of West Georgia. Shaneé holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Bethune-Cookman University, a Master of Divinity from Drew Theological School and a Master of Library Science from North Carolina Central University. As former Director of Library Services and Archivist at Payne Theological Seminary, she curated the Payne Theological Seminary and African Methodist Episcopal Church Digital Collection. Shaneé is also the current president of the Society of Georgia Archivists, serves on the Board of Directors of Atla (formerly known as the American Theological Library Association) and is a member of the Society of American Archivists.