Biographical Information
Town Where You Live
Brookings, Oregon
Your Experience/Qualifications
Government Experience - Current: Chetco Library District, Position 1; Prior: Curry County Housing Committee; Del Norte County Law Library; Fellow, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Community Volunteerism - Board member of South Coast Native Plant Society; Del Norte Mission Possible; Deaconess Finance & Audit Committee; Library: Active Patron, Volunteer Summer Reading Program
County
Curry
Term
2025-2027
Term Expires
June 30
What skills and experience do you bring to the board?
As a new library board member (Jan. 2025), I support positive, forward-looking, strengths-based approaches to library business that promote the twin goals of public access and staff administrability. I value cordial and professional relationships and am a pragmatic problem-solver. I am familiar with Oregon’s public meeting, public record, and public budget laws, comfortable reviewing policy documents, and am versed in equal opportunity fair employment practices. I have nonprofit board experience and have served on public committees; I understand the roles of staff and boards, budgets, bylaws, etc. I have completed Oregon Dept. of Revenue's training in Special District Budget Law (proposing, approving, adopting, modifying public budgets).
What do you see as the role of libraries today, and what kinds of services do you consider important for the library to provide?
Libraries today expand horizons and educational and employment opportunities, foster civic and community engagement, and create meaningful connections with life-long learning and amongst community members. It's essential that libraries provide tangible and digital materials for learning, literature, local interest, and recreation/entertainment. As a hub of civic engagement, it's important for libraries to provide public meeting places, opportunities to be an informed citizen, and programs like tax help and tech literacy.
What do you see as the greatest challenges facing libraries today, and how would you address them?
Libraries are rare opportunities to experience truly public spaces, where people from all socioeconomic demographics can gather with equal access. As people with different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and resources rub shoulders, tensions can arise. Libraries are increasingly having to determine how to respond to community needs and interests while providing opportunities to "expand horizons" and ensure people from all walks of life can find materials that reflect their interests for study and recreation.
Address by improving public access and sense of community ownership: Better pedestrian and bicycle access; parking lot traffic flow (under budget deliberation); patron suggestion box
audio/visual upgrades, livestream mtgs (voted yes)