Blog

I want to gratefully acknowledge Gene Griffin, who recently stepped down from our Board of Trustees after 10 years of dedicated service. Gene was appointed to the Board in January 2015 and was elected to the Board in 2017 and 2023. For the past two years, he served as the Board President, providing steady leadership and deep insight into the community. This led to numerous successes, including: 

• A strong financial position in both the library’s General Operating Fund and the Reserve Fund. 
• The creation of the current Strategic Plan focused on cultivating connectedness and belonging in the community, providing services that resonate, and building a health organization. 
• Updated policies related to ethics for library trustees, public comment during board meetings, finance and investment, and more. 
• Updated policies that strengthened the library’s commitment to values such as access, equity, intellectual freedom, and privacy.  
• The complete renovation of the third floor of the library, enhancing the workspaces for library staff. 
• The renovation of the Petty Auditorium, resulting in improved accessibility, audiovisuals, and lighting. 
• Many additional capital improvements, including a major HVAC project replacing the main chiller in the library. 
• Revitalization of the art acquisition program that led to the recent addition of six new pieces displayed in public areas in the library. 
• Support for several Staff Days to create more opportunities for training and team building for library staff. 
• Expanded benefits and increased compensation for staff. 

The library thanks Gene for his wonderful contributions, and we wish him and his wife Karen well in all their future endeavors.