It is with broken hearts and deep sadness we share that our former CEO and President of the Chicago Public Library Foundation passed away last Friday.

Her legacy is evident in the number of tributes and remembrances that have been shared about her online.

For us at WITS, it has been a hard week, and we needed some time to grieve the loss of our friend; someone that exemplified what it means to be WITS – Community, Consistency, and Empowerment. Our love and compassion is with our friends at the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Library Foundation (CPLF).   Most of our Board and staff members worked with Brenda during her time at WITS. And even as she moved on to lead the CPLF, she remained a mentor in our WITSK program. Recently she told our marketing director, “I’m really good at reading with kindergartners,” a quip that exemplifies Brenda’s humor and charm.

 In the end, Brenda was my dear friend. She was the friend that just – POOF – showed up exactly when you needed her to. She was a daughter, a wife, a sister, and Aunt Buddy to 49 nieces and nephews – 42 of which who joined the original 7 when she married her true love, Ve Bui.  

The world has lost one of its best and we are all incredibly sad.  Here is a link to a beautiful tribute by her family, and a thoughtful obituary in The Tribune.