Announcing Dr. Claudette S. McLinn as Chair of the Board of Trustees
Today the Board of Trustees of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, in Amherst, MA, announces the election of Dr. Claudette S. McLinn as Board Chair. A member of The Carle’s Board since 2023, most recently serving as Vice Chair, Dr. McLinn follows William P. Gorth, a longtime trustee who served as Chairman from 2023-2026. The Board also announces new members and roles.
“I am honored and humbled to be elected as Board Chair and value this opportunity to be of service,” said Dr. McLinn. “I wholeheartedly support The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s mission to celebrate and elevate picture book art and the museum’s vision of a world where people everywhere experience joy, hope, and understanding through picture book art.”
“We are thrilled that Claudette will become our new Board Chair, as she is one of our nation’s leading scholars of children’s literature, with unparalleled knowledge and enthusiasm about picture books,” said Jennifer Schantz, executive director of The Carle. “We also thank Bill for his many years of support and leadership on the Board, as he has been an integral part of the Museum’s growth and successes.”
“I have served as a Carle Trustee for 16 years, knew Eric and Bobbie Carle well, and have loved watching The Carle grow to a nationally recognized institution,” said Gorth. “I am excited about what the future holds, especially as I know that Claudette loves The Carle as much as I do.”
In addition to the election of the Board Chair, Leonard S. Marcus will become Vice Chair, and Drew Ellis will become Secretary. Grace Lin will rejoin the Board as a trustee, and Ann Lewinson will join the Board as a representative of the Eric and Barbara Carle Foundation. The Museum’s Board now comprises 18 trustees from around the country.
About Dr. Claudette S. McLinn
Dr. Claudette McLinn (EdD) is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature in Inglewood, California, and currently concluding her one-year term as President of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
An active member of ALA, ALSC, and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), McLinn has served in numerous capacities during her 44 years of association membership. Most recently, she served on the ALA-Children’s Book Council Joint Committee (2021-2023) and served on three ALA Presidential Advisory Committees. McLinn also served as chair of the 2022 Randolph Caldecott Award Committee, 2017-2019 Coretta Scott King Book Award Executive Board, and chair of the 2009 Pura Belpré Award Committee.
In addition to her service with ALA, McLinn served on the Executive Board of the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY, 2019-2023), also acting as liaison to the Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury administered by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Dr. McLinn also served as judge on the inaugural 2014 Kirkus Prize Jury for Young People’s Literature and as judge on the Ezra Jack Keats Award Committee (2016-2021).
Among her many accomplishments, McLinn was an invited presenter at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2019 and served as the U.S. representative on the 2024 Bologna Ragazzi Award Jury and was a judge and chair of the 2023 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, presenting at the 74th Annual National Book Awards ceremony.
McLinn was the recipient of the 2014 Dorothy C. McKenzie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Field of Children’s Literature sponsored by the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California, 2020 ALSC Distinguished Service Award, 2022 Charlotte S. Huck Endowed Speaker Award, and 2023 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, among other awards and honors.
About William P. Gorth
William P. Gorth has been a Carle board member for more than 16 years, most recently serving as Chairman from 2023-2026. He previously chaired and served on the Carle’s finance committee, as well as holding treasurer and secretary positions on the executive committee. He co-founded National Evaluation Systems in Amherst, MA, which he sold to Pearson in 2006. Gorth has served on college, hospital, and cultural institution boards, holding both committee and board chair positions. With his wife Janet Gorth, he has been a longtime donor to the Museum, including a major contribution to the Museum’s endowment in 2008.
For further information, please contact: Amanda Domizio, Amanda Domizio Communications, 347-229-2877 / amanda@domiziopr.com