Mary Anne Hodel has been director and CEO of the Orange County Library System since January 2002. Under her leadership, the system has won numerous awards, library circulation has increased 91 percent and door counts have increased 74 percent. Thanks to Hodel's innovative thinking, OCLS is a recognized leader in technology - and was the first public library in the nation to offer RSS feeds, as well as become a very early adopter of providing free WiFi access to library cardholders. Orange County's roving reference, virtual library, and mystery shopper programs have been recognized as national models.
A leader in library services, she has spent her entire career working in libraries. Before coming to Florida, Hodel was director of the Ann Arbor District Library in Michigan which was named 1997 National Library of Year while she was there. Prior to that, she was Chief of the State Library Resource Center at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Hodel has also worked as a librarian for the Edward Bennett Williams Law Library at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Other library experience includes working as a cataloger at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany and multiple management positions at the Natural Resources Library of the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.
Hodel is a member of the American Library Association, Public Library Association, the Florida Library Association, and the Library Information and Technology Association. She is a Board Member of the Public Library Association and the Chair of the Library Leadership Administration and Management Association's Systems and Services Section (SASS) Management Practices Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Humanities Council and was appointed in 2008 to the DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant Jury and the Urban Libraries Council Membership Committee.
Hodel has a master of library science degree from Catholic University of America and a bachelor of arts in political science and history from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is the mother of two grown children and during her free time enjoys travel, golf and photography.
Debbie Moss
Assistant Library Director & Head of Technical Services
Debbie Moss is a longtime library professional - having served in numerous capacities for the Orange County Library System for more than two decades. As assistant library director and head of technical support, she oversees multiple areas including collection development, information systems and circulation. Moss takes a leadership role in compiling and analyzing usage trends as means of optimizing the library experience for patrons.
Before being promoted to assistant director, Moss held several positions within the Orange County Library System. She’s served as a department head, worked in Special Services and as a reference librarian. She started her career as the librarian liaison to the county jail.
She earned a master of science degree in library information systems from the University of South Florida and a bachelor of arts from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.
Bob Tessier
Comptroller
Bob Tessier oversees the Orange County Library System’s financial administration, business operations, risk management, business analysis and debt management. In addition, he also is responsible for facilities & operations, and custodial maintenance for the library system.
A Certified Public Accountant, Tessier earned his B.A. in Business Administration from North Adams State College in Massachusetts. He is a member of the Central Florida Chapter of Government Finance Officers Association, the Florida Government Finance Officers Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Government Finance Officers Association.
Prior to his career at the Orange County Library System, Tessier was a partner in a CPA firm.
Craig Wilkins
Public Service Administrator, Division of Public Service
Craig Wilkins has been with the Orange County Library System since July 1981. He is currently the Branch Administrator responsible for the following library branch locations: Southeast, Southwest, Windermere, Alafaya, Washington Park and Eatonville. He also oversees property owned by OCLS as a potential branch location in east Orange County.
During his OCLS career, Wilkins has held several varied positions – as a branch manager and as head of the following departments – Circulation, Business & Science and QuestLine. Over the years, he has been professionally active in numerous associations and is a former committee member for the American Library Association.
As a graduate of Florida State University, he received a master of library science degree as well as a bachelor's degree in English.
Renae Bennett
Public Service Administrator, Division of Public Service
Renae Bennett is the administrator responsible for the following library branch locations and departments: Edgewater, North Orange, South Trail, Reference Central and the Children's Department. She is also the facilitator to the Librarians as Learning Leaders group, Business Librarians Team, Database Champions Team and Career Pathways.
She has served OCLS in several leadership capacities over the last several years. Most recently, Bennett was branch manager for the Alafaya Branch Library. She has also served as the reference department head for social science, as well as in the business and science department. Prior to joining the Orange County Library System, Bennett worked at the Winter Park Library.
Bennett earned a master in library science from Florida State University and a B.A. in history and humanities from the University of Central Florida. A member of the American Library Association and the Public Library Association, Bennett has presented at national conferences on topics of interest to those in the library profession. She is a graduate of Leadership Orlando.
Wendi Bost
Public Service Administrator, Division of Public Service
Wendi Bost is a Branch Administrator responsible for the following branches within the Orange County Library System: Herndon, Hiawassee, South Creek, West Oaks and Winter Garden. An accomplished manager, Bost has served in several leadership capacities within the library system including Acquisition Services Manager and Collection Development Manager. She also has several years experience managing the Circulation Department. Bost is professionally active in both the American Library Association and the Public Library Association, and is a frequent presenter at national conferences. She earned a Master's in Library Science from Florida State University and a Bachelor's of Science Degree from Cornell University. Bost is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute offered through the Urban Libraries Council.
Eric Atkinson
Information Systems Department Head
Eric Atkinson provides leadership and oversees the implementation of organization-wide strategic information technology planning, assuring reliability of information technology infrastructure and directing the delivery of technology support services. His oversight includes strategic planning, policy, capital planning, systems development, telecommunications, information security data management and e-commerce functions.
Atkinson has held a variety of positions within the Orange County Library System over the past 20 years. He has significant experience in leading the organization successfully through major change initiatives.
Atkinson earned a bachelor of science in accounting from Florida Southern College. He is a member of the Florida Library Association, the American Library Association, and the Library Information and Technology Association. His most recent presentations include the Computers in Libraries presentation on Open Source using Kete.
