Rhea Ballard-Thrower, J.D., was recently appointed Executive Director of the Howard University Libraries. She served as Director of the Howard University Law Library for 15 years, where she taught legal bibliography and advanced legal research.Before coming to Howard, Ballard-Thrower was the Associate Director and Public Services Librarian at the Georgia State University Law Library. Prior to that she was the Reserve Room and Reference Librarian at the Tarlton Law Library of the University of Texas-Austin. She holds a B.A. from the University of Cincinnati, a law degree from the University of Kentucky, and a Master of Information and Library Studies degree from the University of Michigan.Ballard-Thrower has been an active member of several national and regional library associations including the American Association of Law Libraries, the Consortium of Southeastern Law Libraries, and the Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, DC. She also served on the Board of Directors and Library Services Committee of the National Equal Justice Library and on a number of site visit teams and planning committees for the American Bar and the Association of American Law Schools.Widely regarded in legal and library professional circles, Ballard-Thrower frequently presents at conferences around the country on librarianship topics ranging from advanced legal research methodologies to planning for diversity. She is the author or co-author of over 20 articles and book chapters.In addition to all her professional activities and despite her busy schedule, Ballard-Thrower still finds time for giving back to her communities. She is a volunteer for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, has served as an election law judge in Montgomery County, Maryland, and dedicates countless hours of service to Jack and Jill. She is an avid and talented quilter, who also loves to box.