Executive Director of Libraries Carol Levers

Email: carol.levers@kckps.org
Phone: 913-295-8259
Visit the KCK Public Libraries page.

Carol Levers was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she grew up under an Apartheid Regime. Her family filed for political asylum and was able to immigrate to the U.S. in 1989.  It was in that same year she began volunteering part-time at the West Wyandotte Library in Kansas City, Kansas.  

In 1992, Carol and her family were eventually granted political asylum. A year later, Immigration and Naturalization Services issued her family permanent residence in the United States. In August of 1999, Carol passed the Naturalization Exam, and later that year, she was sworn in as a United States Citizen. 

Throughout the long process of becoming a U.S. citizen, Carol tirelessly worked to get her education. She earned her Associate’s Degree at Kansas City Kansas Community College in 1993. She would later attend Park University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Human Resource Management. Carol earned her Master’s in Library Science from Emporia State University in 2001.  

Carol has been very active in her community. She served two terms as president of The KCK Women’s Chamber and two terms on the KCK Area Chamber Board.  She spent over 17 years on the KCKCC Endowment Board and the organization’s Foundation Board.  Carol also served as the Chair of the United Way of Wyandotte Board of Directors. She was also part of the merger committee for Wyandotte County and United Way of Greater Kansas City and continues to be a Trustee for the combined organizations.  

In 2010, she became the first woman and person of color to become the Director of Libraries for the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library system. In that position that she still holds today, Carol manages five public libraries, three mobile libraries and 40 school libraries.   

In 2011, she received an Outstanding Recent Graduate Award from Emporia State University. She was inducted into the KCKCC’s Mid-America Education Hall of Fame and received “The Legend of Diversity” award from the KCKCC Intercultural office. In 2020, she received the Volunteer of the Year award from United Way of Wyandotte County.