City promotes Christine Friese to Library Director

City Manager Karen Conard is pleased to announce the promotion of Christine C. Friese to the position of Director of the Portsmouth Public Library, effective March 1, 2022.

Ms. Friese joined the Library as Assistant Director in 2014, coordinating daily operations and administration, directing supervisors, and building and maintaining strong community partnerships through outreach to internal and external audiences. She brings a strong set of skills vital to effective library leadership, including experience in public and special (business) libraries at BMCP and Saint Gobain, as well as the Vermont Department of Libraries system.  She holds a BA in Foreign Languages & Literature from Bennington College, an MA in Italian from The Ohio State University and an MS in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois.

In announcing the promotion, City Manager Karen Conard commented, “I have deeply valued Steve Butzel’s work as our Library Director, and his creativity and positive leadership will be missed. However, he is leaving the Library in very capable hands. Christine Friese is a tireless Librarian, fulfilling every expectation one might have for that role and doing so, especially over the past two years of pandemic challenges in a way that balanced the demands on her staff and from her community, seemingly effortlessly. I am delighted to make this promotion from within – within the City team, within the institutional knowledge of the Library and its value to this community and within the dedicated professional staff with which the Portsmouth Public Library continuously serves this community.”

In accepting the promotion, Christine said, “The past seven years as Assistant Director have provided me with a richer, broader and deeper understanding of this library and this city than any previous library in which I have worked. Working alongside the Director through budget cycles, troubleshooting building and technology issues, working with the Trustees and observing Steve Butzel as a leader here have been extremely helpful in understanding the library, how City government operates and how to work effectively and collaboratively with all City departments.”