Meet Sam LeBlanc: Library Facilities Administrator

Meet Sam LeBlanc: Our New Facilities Administrator

The New Orleans Public Library is pleased to introduce facilities administrator Sam LeBlanc, who stepped into the newly created position in early March.

In this role, LeBlanc will focus on the long-term planning and strategic vision for Library facilities, working alongside the Library Board, City Council, the Mayor’s Office, Capital Projects, and city partners including City Real Estate and Neighborhood Engagement. His work will span current buildings, new construction, building additions, and securing funding.

New Orleans Public Library Executive Director & City Librarian Emily Painton said LeBlanc is an essential addition to the administrative team.

“Sam is bringing years of experience to the Library and I have no doubt that we will benefit from having him in this role,” she said. “His role is to be proactive instead of reactive to the needs of our buildings and facilities, which will help ensure our Library locations continue to serve our community for generations to come.”

A Baton Rouge native, LeBlanc spent his teenage summers and holiday breaks working in construction. He received his bachelor’s degree from LSU’s professional architecture program in 2004. Later that year, LeBlanc moved to New York City, where he worked making lamps and sinks out of brass.

In 2007, he moved back to Baton Rouge and worked for Remson Haley Herpin Architects as an associate architect. Two years later, LeBlanc returned to New York with his now-wife, Whitney, where she earned her master’s degree in library science from Pratt Institute.

From 2010 to 2012, LeBlanc made shop drawings for a historical plaster manufacturer, after which he earned a master’s degree in architecture and urban design from Pratt Institute. Right after graduating from Pratt, Sam taught architectural drafting at the NYC Charter School for Architecture, Engineering and Construction through 2015.

Sam LeBlanc

Sam LeBlanc is the facilities administrator at the New Orleans Public Library, a newly created position overseeing long-term planning and strategic vision for Library facilities.

LeBlanc and his wife returned to New Orleans in 2015, where he worked as a facility manager for Paul B. Habans Elementary––now Dorothy Height Elementary––until 2019.

Since 2019, Sam worked as a project manager for NANO LLC, an architecture firm in New Orleans. Most of his projects were for the Capital Project Administration and Jefferson and Orleans Parish School Boards. Some of LeBlanc’s notable projects are the renovation of Fredrick Douglass High School’s auditorium, East Jefferson High School HVAC replacement, renovations to the New Orleans Fire Department Multi-Stations and Headquarters, and the emergency response and exterior repairs to Julian White Hall –– formally the LSU Design Building.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the team at the New Orleans Public Library. I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I’ve always found a lot of comfort and protection inside the Library,” LeBlanc said. “Growing up, I had undiagnosed dyslexia, and I really struggled with reading in school, but I felt much more comfortable and supported at the Library. Public libraries are an essential pillar to the community, and if I can help to ensure their preservation and success, it would be an honor of a lifetime.”

LeBlanc hit the ground running, facing an unplanned closure at Main Library shortly after he joined the team. On Monday, March 9, the building was closed due to low water pressure, which was caused by several water main breaks around the city.

As of Monday, March 30, Main Library remains closed. Since the closure began, LeBlanc has been in constant contact with the Sewerage and Water Board while repairs are underway. Additionally, LeBlanc is working with engineers on plans to future-proof Main Library to protect the buildings from similar issues moving forward.

For up-to-date information about Main’s closure, visit our building projects & maintenance page.