SPLF Staff Members

Elsbeth Howe
Executive Director

Elsbeth Howe has a passion for education and the power and promise of public libraries. She joined the Stillwater Public Library Foundation as Executive Director in September 2023. Before this she served as Development Director at the Inver Hills Community College Foundation for almost four years. In that role she sought to make college accessible and affordable for students, and was responsible for fundraising, grantwriting, event planning, the alumni association, and scholarship administration at Inver Hills.

Before Inver Hills, Elsbeth served as Executive Director at Students United, an advocacy and scholarship nonprofit organization for Minnesota State University students. The majority of her career has been in higher education, and other positions have included Lobbyist, Instructor, and Student Senate Advisor. She also worked as a Legal Aid Attorney in Central Minnesota.

Elsbeth earned a B.A. in History from Drake University and earned her J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. In May 2023 Elsbeth completed a Master’s Degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. She has served as a board member for several local nonprofit organizations, and was a pro bono volunteer attorney with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota between 2011-2017.

Contact Elsbeth at (651) 504-2350 or splf@stillwaterlibraryfoundation.org