Dear friends:
I am pleased to make your acquaintance!
For those of you who may not know who I am yet, my name is Nick Sawicki and I am the new Executive Director of the Houston Public Library Foundation (HPLF).
Today is my first day in this role and I want to take a moment to introduce myself to you, our friends and supporters, who enable the work of HPLF.
I was always told that you should start on a note of gratitude, and that’s what I intend to do.
First and foremost, I want to thank YOU! It is because of your generosity and belief in the value of the library system that we are able to make an impact with our work. The Houston Public Library is an invaluable part of our community (and, I believe, one of the great institutions of our democracy), and you ensure that the resources are there so that as many Houstonians as possible can make good use of it. Thank you!
Second, I want to thank the team at HPLF. Even though this is my first day, I know how much our small and mighty crew does to ensure things run smoothly. So, to Sandra Pegram, Director of Finance, Elizabeth Gomez, Communications & Operations Manager, and Bryan Cárdenas, our Volunteer and Warehouse Coordinator, I am deeply grateful.
Finally, I want to recognize our Board of Directors, led by Board Chair Nico Jimenez. These volunteer leaders have done yeoman’s work in ensuring that HPLF continues to thrive as we assist the Houston Public Library. To them, who contribute so much of their time, talent and treasure, I offer my sincere thanks for providing me with this opportunity to serve.
Now, back to introductions! I am a native of Lackawanna, NY—just outside of Buffalo and home to one of the last Carnegie libraries built and still operating. I met my now wife, Emily (a Houston native), on the first day of college at Fordham University in the Bronx. After six months of pursuit, SHE convinced ME to go out with her, which only taught me early-on that I should listen to her sooner.
Following our undergraduate studies, I became the Chief of Staff of a media company in New York and attended Fordham Law School in the evening. While at law school, I was a fellow on national security law, a legal fellow with the Manhattan DA, and a fellow on religion and culture. I promised Emily that we could move wherever she wanted when I completed my studies and, five days after graduation, we were packed into a VW Beetle with our then (and much beloved) dog, Charlie, driving down to Houston (three years later, and I’ve almost thawed entirely from the New York winters).
From 2021-2024, I served as the Associate Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where I had the pleasure of working in a dynamic and diverse environment that covered a territory roughly the size of New Jersey. We handled about as many people a day as McDonalds in this region, and likely in more languages and with more unique dynamics at play!
Earlier this year, Emily and I welcomed our first child, Chava (who has quickly come to rule the roost), and have all settled in Spring Branch with our two dogs, General Guster (a Cavalier King Charles with the biggest ears you’ve ever seen) and Peggy Sue (a rescue lab/collie mix with a pronounced personality).
It is my absolute and utter delight to be a part of the Houston Public Library Foundation. The public library played an integral part in my growing-up, and instilled in me a passion for public access to lifelong learning—a gift I hope to pass on to my own daughter and all children throughout Houston.
Alongside our team, I look forward to supporting the priorities and initiatives of the Houston Public Library and I’m doubly excited to get to know each and every one of you.
Let me end with how I began: thanking YOU! The Houston Public Library Foundation exists to serve the Houston Public Library, which is really the jewel in our civic crown. Your support is vital to the good work that our libraries accomplish day-in and day-out, and for that I offer my sincere thanks.
Be assured of my well wishes and I look forward to seeing you sometime soon!
With best regards,
Nick Sawicki
Executive Director, HPLF