The town of Flower Mound announced Tuesday that it has named Dr. Rachel Hadidi the town’s new director of library services.
Hadidi will succeed Sue Ridnour, who retired in March after 24 years with the Flower Mound Public Library.
Hadidi, who has more than 10 years of municipal library experience, has served as the managing director of library services at the Little Elm Public Library since 2022. Prior to this, she was the director of library services for the city of Lake Dallas and the community outreach librarian for the city of Plano, according to a town news release.
Hadidi’s hiring comes after an extensive nationwide search – led by library executive search firm Bradbury Miller Associates – yielded 26 applicants from seven states.
“The Flower Mound Public Library is such a valued and integral part of our community,” said Assistant Town Manager Tiffany Bruce, who oversees library services. “We knew we were searching for someone who could continue to build upon the work that has already been done to ensure the library is a place our community members go to not only for books, but also for programming and educational and creative opportunities. Rachel is passionate about all the ways a library can impact its community, and we can’t wait for her to get started.”
Hadidi has a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s in library science, and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary information science, all from the University of North Texas. She is a member of the Texas Municipal League Directors Association and the Public Library Administrators of North Texas.
“I value the connections public libraries make with their communities, and I am looking forward to strengthening that connection in Flower Mound and empowering the excellent staff there to continue their work with community engagement,” Hadidi said. “The Flower Mound Public Library is such an asset, and I feel lucky and excited to work with and get to know the staff and the patrons who truly make the library the resource that it is.”
