Patrice McDermott

Patrice McDermott has led the coalition, OpenTheGovernment.org, since July 2006. She previously served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Government Relations at the American Library Association Washington Office, where she had lead responsibility for government information and privacy policy, and e-government policy issues. She joined ALA in December 2001, after having served for 8 years as the senior information policy analyst for OMB Watch.

Dr. McDermott is the author of Who Needs to Know? The State of Public Access to Federal Government Information. On March 16, 2011, she received the James Madison Award from the American Library Association in recognition of her work to champion, protect, and promote public access to government information and the public’s right to know. She was inducted into the National Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the James Madison Award from American Library Association in 2011. Dr. McDermott is a frequent speaker on public access and open government issues.

Patrice was awarded her doctorate from the University of Arizona in political science and received an M.Ln. in library and information management from Emory University and an M.A. from Brown University. She is a graduate of Florida State University.