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Felton Thomas, Jr. is the Executive Director and CEO of Cleveland Public Library (CPL), one of the nation’s largest and most respected metropolitan library systems. Under Thomas’ leadership, CPL has embarked on an ambitious 10-year Facilities Master Plan (FMP) to renovate or rebuild all 27 of its libraries, launched groundbreaking initiatives addressing community needs around technology, education and economic development, and is consistently ranked as a "Five Star” library, a prestigious distinction from the Library Journal. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Thomas started his library career at age 13 when he became the youngest page in the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. He then served as Branch Manager at West Las Vegas Library, Director of Regional Branch Services for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, and President of the Nevada Library Association before moving to Cleveland, Ohio in 2009. Throughout his 40-year career in libraries, Thomas has been a recognized leader in the field of library and information science serving as President of the Public Library Association (PLA), Chair of the Board of Directors for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), and as a Trustee for Lyrasis, a non-profit member organization serving and supporting libraries, archives, museums, and cultural heritage organizations around the world. His contributions earned him the Library Journal’s Mover and Shaker award, the White House Champion for Change award, and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Equality Award.