In a competitive application process, 25 archivists have been selected as cohort members in the 2025 Archives Leadership Institute (ALI) to be held at the University of Virginia Library, June 8-14, 2025.
ALI is a grant program funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and aims to meet the ongoing professional development requirements for mid-career archivists. UVA’s grant provides $300,000 for the three-year project, which began in 2024 and will extend into 2026. ALI offers advanced training for the cohort, giving them the knowledge and tools to transform the archival profession in theory, practice, stewardship, and care.
Participants were selected for the 2025 ALI@Virginia program based on their exceptional skills and potential, their ability to influence change within the archival field, a strong commitment to the archival profession, demonstrated professional organizational involvement and service, a collaborative and innovative spirit, and representation and/or support of diversity within the profession.
Over its 15-year history, ALI has embraced a distraction-free, focused opportunity for archivists to build their capacity as leaders in the field and in their institutions. Cohort members engage in classroom and experiential learning centered on individual growth, organizational leadership, and responsible stewardship and partnerships. The ALI@Virginia experience is grounded in context and place. Thus, the cohort will explore leadership through the lens of the unique emotional and historical landscape that the University of Virginia offers.
“We’re grateful to the NHPRC for giving us this opportunity to develop an iteration of ALI that is uniquely UVA,” said Associate University Librarian for Special Collections Brenda Gunn, who is the director of the Institute. “The institute is going strong after 15 years and has garnered recognition and prestige for filling a gap in the national leadership education landscape.”
As the ALI staff say goodbye to the 2024 cohort, who have continued their engagement with the program since their experience on Grounds in June 2024, we welcome the following 25 to the ALI program.
Introducing the Archives Leadership Institute 2025 cohort:
- Danielle Afsordeh, Central Arkansas Library System
- Rayna Andrews, College of Physicians of Philadelphia
- Katherine Barbera, Bright Archives
- Susannah Broyles, Texas State University
- Alexandra deGraffenreid, Princeton University
- Angel Diaz, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Tracy S. Drake, Reed College
- Jina DuVernay, Gwinnett County Public Library
- Katie Ehrlich, New York City Department of Records and Information Services
- Afua Ferdnance, William and Mary
- Alphie Garcia, University of Hawai’i West O’ahu
- Rory Grennan, Florida State University
- Courtney Hicks, Syracuse University
- Abby Hoverstock, Denver Public Library
- Anneliese Jakle, Montana Historical Society
- David Lewis, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center
- Stephanie Luke, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Sam Meier, Northern Arizona University
- Candy Navarrete, Autry Museum of the American West
- Alix Norton, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Caitlin Rizzo, Institute for Advanced Study
- Raegan Stearns, Alabama State University
- Lisa Vallen, Georgia State University
- Alexandra Vargas-Minor, University of South Florida Courtney Hicks, Syracuse University
- Gregory Wiedeman, University of Albany, SUNY
For more information about the cohort, visit the ALI website.