Brooks Rainwater (he, him, his)

President and CEO

brainwater@urbanlibraries.org

Brooks Rainwater serves as President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, an outcomes-driven research and innovations network of nearly 200 leading North American public libraries. Under his leadership, ULC champions the future of public libraries by engaging and uplifting members - and strengthens the essential role of public libraries as dynamic places for innovation, equity, and opportunity.

Libraries are the key civic anchor institutions that drive our communities forward, and Rainwater advances the core vision that urban libraries are critical resources for transforming lives and strengthening communities. Throughout his career, Rainwater has worked to advance urban policies that expand local democracy and provide funding for local programs related to economic opportunity, entrepreneurship, literacy, and equitable growth. He has advised city governments in the US and globally on a range of key urban issues.

Rainwater has published reports and articles on innovative solutions that lead to vibrant and successful places. His primary research interests center on the need to support and bolster democratic institutions, the role libraries play in the age of AI, the importance of third spaces in urban communities, and the economic impact of investing in local entrepreneurs to spur city innovation. Rainwater's thoughts have been read, heard, and seen on MSNBC, NBC's TODAY Show, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, BBC, and the New York Times. He has also contributed writing to Fast Company, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, US News, and Fortune.

Prior to joining ULC in July 2022, Rainwater served as Senior Executive & Director, Center for City Solutions at the National League of Cities where he drove the organization's research agenda and oversaw technical assistance efforts and leadership education. He holds a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.