Abby Yellman has served as Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas City Public Library since August 2024. A library and public sector leader with more than two decades of experience, she has dedicated her career to strengthening communities through responsive public service, organizational excellence, and equitable access to knowledge.

 

Before joining the Kansas City Public Library, Yellman served as Deputy City and County Manager for the City and County of Broomfield, Colorado. During her tenure with Broomfield, she held several leadership positions, including Director of Library Services and Cultural Affairs, Director of People and Innovation, and Assistant City and County Manager. Her work spanned library administration, organizational development, and local government leadership, giving her broad experience in organizational leadership, civic engagement, and community-focused public service.

 

Yellman's library career began in the Kansas City region. She worked as a Library Assistant with Mid-Continent Public Library, served as an Assistant Children's Librarian at North Kansas City Public Library, and was a Library Media Specialist for North Kansas City Schools. In 2012, she became Director of the Lied Scottsbluff Public Library in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a position she held until 2016.

 

She earned a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Graceland University. She has also pursued and is a capstone project away from a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver.

 

Throughout her career, Yellman has championed libraries as critical civic infrastructure that connects people with knowledge, opportunity, and, most importantly, one another. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in service, collaboration, and continuous improvement, empowering teams to achieve ambitious goals, embrace new possibilities, and create meaningful impact in the communities they serve. As Director and CEO of the Kansas City Public Library, she is committed to ensuring the Library remains a welcoming and dynamic space where curiosity is sparked, learning is accessible, and communities can thrive together.