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Felton Thomas, seen here in the Stokes wing of the main Cleveland library, is director of the Cleveland Public Library. He and Sonya Pryor-Jones, the Cleveland-based chief implementation officer for the nonprofit Fab Foundation, have been chosen as two of the 10 White House Champions of Change for Making, for "doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities."
(Lonnie Timmons III, Plain Dealer file)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Felton Thomas Jr., director of the Cleveland Public Library, and Sonya Pryor-Jones, the Cleveland-based chief implementation officer for the nonprofit Fab Foundation, have been chosen as two of the 10 White House Champions of Change for Making, for "doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities."
"These individuals were selected by the White House for their personal passion and tireless efforts to make advances in technology and platforms, educational opportunities, or spaces that empower even more Americans to become tinkerers, inventors, and entrepreneurs," the White House said in a written announcement.
The 10 Champions of Change will be celebrated at the White House on Friday, as part of the National Week of Making, from June 17 through 23.
Sonya Pryor-Jones, with Adam Savage of MythBusters, left, Andrew Coy, senior advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Lisa Camp, Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives, Case School of Engineering.
Friday's ceremony, including U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Thomas Kalil, will be live-streamed at wh.gov/live starting at 1 p.m. Viewers can participate via social media using the hashtag #NationOfMakers.
Pryor-Jones, who is committed to expanding access to cutting-edge technology to more people to enable anyone to make (almost) anything, is a member of the executive team at the Fab Foundation, a spin-off of the Center for Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Formerly, she was the founding director for the Promise Neighborhood initiative at the Sisters of Charity Foundation, and the executive director of Northeast Ohio's STEM Initiative at Case Western Reserve University.
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Thomas, a lifelong advocate of libraries and informal learning, has created a dedicated "makerspace" called TechCentral at 27 branches, where patrons can laser engrave, 3D print, computer program, and use audio, video and photo production tools.
He is also president-elect of the nearly 9,000-member Public Library Association, the Chicago-based division of the American Library Association, the world's oldest and largest library association. PLA, founded in 1944, aims to provide a diverse program of communication, publication, advocacy, continuing education, and programming for those interested in the advancement of public library service.
The other eight winners, whose credentials can be found at wh.gov/champions, are:
-- Greg Behr, executive director of the Grable Foundation, of Pittsburgh.
-- Umberto Crenca, co-founder and artistic director of AS220, of Providence, Rhode Island.
-- Dara Dotz, co-founder of Field Ready, of San Francisco.
-- Renee Fredericks, director of Youth Education and Employment Services at Cook Inlet Tribal Council in Anchorage, Alaska.
-- Limor Fried, founder and owner of Adafruit, of New York, New York.
-- John Niebergall, a teacher in the Sherwood School District in Sherwood, Oregon.
-- Bahiy Watson, founder of the 1881 Institute of Technology in New Orleans, Louisiana.
-- Lisa Marie Wiley, a retired Army sergeant who helped create the VA Innovation Creation Series, in San Antonio, Texas.
At the first White House Maker Faire in June 2014, President Obama launched the Nation of Makers initiative to expand new technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and desktop machine tools to more students, entrepreneurs and Americans of all backgrounds.
"From all of the commitments we have received, events we have heard about, and activities that have been planned, it is going to be a full week of fantastic experiences showcasing American innovation, entrepreneurship, and tech leadership," said Andrew Coy, a senior advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in a statement. "I am truly inspired by the amazing folks in the maker movement doing fantastic work all over the country day-in and day-out."