Created in 1893, the foundation never had an executive director until Pryor.
Early in her tenure, Pryor faced significant pushback from employees, particularly from the staff of the Author Events series. The staff resigned en masse in June 2024 to protest Pryor’s management and programming decisions, but the foundation board fired them later that same day.
Before Pryor was hired in 2023, the foundation began a three-year strategic planning process, which is expected to be completed next year. An interim leader will be appointed, according to the foundation, while the search for a permanent seat replacement will begin after the library completes its strategic plan.
“While any organizational change is hard, we are excited about building on the progress of the last few years and the upcoming release of the strategic plan,” Benoliel said in the statement.