Contact: Jeff Fleming, 414-286-8580

For release: Monday, September 21, 2026

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has selected Jean Darnell to serve as the Director of the Milwaukee Public Library. In that role she will oversee the city’s libraries, including thirteen locations and hundreds of employees.

“I am enthusiastic about Jean Darnell leading the Milwaukee Public Library. She is a standout educator and an imaginative leader,” Mayor Johnson said. “Her expertise includes bringing technology into library programming and literacy efforts. She is also an advocate for connecting people with libraries in equitable and inclusive ways.”

Darnell earned her undergraduate degree from Baylor University and a graduate degree in information technology and school librarianship from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. Her professional career has taken her to positions in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

If confirmed, Darnell will succeed Joan Johnson who led the Milwaukee Public Library for more than five years before retiring this summer.

Darnell’s nomination requires approval from the Milwaukee Common Council. Review from that legislative body is anticipated in the coming weeks.