Books for Keeps Welcomes New Executive Director, Ruthi Hortsch

Last week, our local school partners here in Athens, GA opened their classroom doors to welcome back students for the 2024-25 school year. We are cheering them on and wishing them a smooth start! It was a busy summer for Books for Keeps, and we are excited to introduce our new Executive Director, Ruthi Hortsch!

Over the last decade, Ruthi has dedicated her career to education and youth development, starting with teaching at the college level at her alma mater, the University of Michigan, and then at Massachusetts Institute of Technology while completing her Ph.D. in Mathematics. Her commitment to equal access to high quality educational experiences led her to Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM),  where she spent over 7 years serving in various roles, most recently as the Executive Director of New York Programs. A Michigan-native, Ruthi moved to Athens, GA about a year ago with her spouse, who is a professor of mathematics at the University of Georgia. 

Ruthi has partnered with Books for Keeps as a volunteer in our warehouse and during Spring Book Distributions on-site at Howard B. Stroud Elementary and Gaines Elementary. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Books for Keeps team and are excited to follow her lead into this next chapter of our story.

Check out this letter from Ruthi to learn more.