Our People
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Board
Our nine-member Board of Directors guides the mission and vision of FoSWL, ensuring we continue to advocate for and support the library in meaningful ways. Board members serve two-year terms, with the opportunity for re-election, and can choose to lead or participate in committees that further our work.
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Committees
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. FoSWL has three standing committees and three sub-committees, each led by a chairperson from our membership or Board of Directors. These committees focus on key areas of support, from fundraising to event planning, ensuring our efforts are both meaningful and effective.
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Library Staff
The heart of the South Whatcom Library is its dedicated staff. They are the friendly faces who help us find our next favorite book, connect us with resources, and create a welcoming space for all.
We’re grateful for their dedication every day!
Our Board
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Resources & Development ChairKristin is a recent arrival from the Adirondack Mountains of New York. After receiving degrees in Psychology and Education, she chose to work with the most interesting co-workers: children.
Kristin feels blessed to have grown up in a household surrounded by books, readers, and writers. As President of the FoSWL, Kristin seeks to support the South Whatcom Library so that others may experience the joy of visiting a library.
You can find Kristin walking her golden retriever Rosy, golfing with her daughter and son-in-law, or spending time with her wonderful new friends in Sudden Valley. Kristin served on the FoSWL Membership Committee for two years before being elected to the board.
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Membership Committee ChairRay has been married to Anne for 44 years. They have been living in Sudden Valley since 2017. Ray and Anne have three adult children; two work in Whatcom County and their oldest daughter is married and lives in Italy. The children grew up visiting the library.
Ray worked in sales for Sherwin Williams 35 years. Ray has served on five nonprofit Boards and is currently serving on the Sudden Valley Board of Directors. Ray was an active member of the FoSWL Membership Committee for two years before being elected to the board.
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Gena grew up outside New York City in the one-traffic-light hamlet of Palisades on the Hudson.She completed her B.S. degree in geology at S.U.N.Y Binghamton and moved west to attend graduate school at U.C. Riverside. After completing her M.S. degree, she enjoyed a 37-year career as a Geologist at a major integrated energy company. She moved to Bellingham in 2021 with her husband and adult son to enjoy the beautiful PNW in retirement.
She enjoys walking Whatcom trails, reading, and crossword puzzles, as well as visiting the warm and welcoming South Whatcom Library.
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Diane has spent a great deal of her life volunteering in a variety of capacities, the most recent as secretary for the Oak Harbor, WA Navy League Council where she served as contact point between the council and the board and for NAS Whidbey Island on-base commands and the national Navy League of the United States in Arlington, VA.Amid her years of service, Diane enjoyed raising a family and completing her college education. She moved with her husband to Sudden Valley in 2022.
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Nancy grew up in Ohio. She earned a B.A. at Kent State University and entered her first professional job as a Child Care Worker at Portage County Juvenile Court.After moving to Seattle, Nancy worked at the Seattle P-I and The Seattle Times in advertising sales and management; later joining Macy’s sales staff as a manager in the Bellingham and Burlington stores.
Nancy and her husband moved to Sudden Valley in 2008. Nancy is an avid reader, has two grown children and loves gardening with her husband.
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Catherine and her husband, and their two dogs, moved to Sudden Valley from the East Coast in the summer of 2020 to enjoy retirement.With a doctoral degree in science education, Catherine still works on federal grants serving as an external evaluator, and also as an associate editor for Learning Environments Research: An International Journal. She retired from the university system as a tenured Associate Professor after 20 years in universities in California and Maryland.
When Catherine is not out hiking or riding her e-bike, she can be found in her garage on her pottery wheel.
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Alma Deckert is probably better known as Alma Alexander (“Duchess of Fantasy” – more about that at www.AlmaAlexander.org, the title is real, if defunct…), author of more than twenty books (and more pending), recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Award for the city of Bellingham, and twice a finalist for the WA State Book Award.Recently widowed, she now lives in a house amongst the cedars with two cats and assorted visiting wildlife; her home is a TARDIS, bigger on the inside, and filled with books.
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Volunteer CoordinatorSandi earned her IT degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Sandi had worked in schools and public libraries from fourth grade through college and was excited when the internet came of age and automated so many of her previous jobs.
Sandi now works as a pharmacist exchanging patient information electronically throughout the healthcare system for the Veterans Administration. Her grandkids all are passionate readers.
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Sarah grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, as the child of two teachers. As an adult, she earned her B.A. degree in French from WWU, and then went on to get a masters in Teaching from WSU Tri-Cities.After teaching for 14 years in K-12 in California and Eastern WA, she worked as executive director for a small nonprofit. In 2017 she and her family moved to Dallas, Texas for her husband’s work. During her time there, Sarah worked in teacher preparation for a teacher residency program as both an instructional coach in the classroom and teaching graduate-level coursework to teacher candidates. Additionally, she spent all six years as a member of the Audelia Road Library Friends, as both Secretary and as President.
Last summer she and her family moved back to Bellingham to be closer to family. Since then she has been working part-time for WWU as a field supervisor with student teachers. She and her husband and son live in Gate 13 in Sudden Valley with their two Goldendoodles, Ellie and Griffey. Sarah is an avid reader and active Libby user, and loves to travel and garden.
Meet the Committees
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![Jes Stugelmayer]()
Jes Stugelmayer
Marketing Committee, Chair
Jes is a multiple award-winning journalist, producer and editor. She holds a master’s degree in digital audience strategy from ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Her work experience includes website user experience and user interface design, and cross-platform integrated marketing. Her work has aired on national and local television, exhibited in the Anchorage Museum, been included in several books and cookbooks, and published in national and regional print publications and websites.
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![Profile avatar of a person with short bob hair]()
Bekki
Concert Committee, Co-Chair
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![Profile avatar of a person with hair in a bun]()
Holly
Concert Committee, Co-Chair
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![Ray Meador]()
Ray Meador
Membership Committee, Chair
As part of their duties, the vice president serves as the chair of the membership committee. To learn more about this person, expand their profile above.
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![Profile avatar of a person with a beard]()
Vacant
Resource & Development Committee, Chair
This could be you! Learn more about volunteering with FoSWL today.
Meet the Library Staff
Liz
(she/her)
Mary
(she/her)
Brian
(he/him)
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Branch Manager
Coming from England, by way of upstate New York, Liz was thrilled to make her home in Whatcom County in 2020. Liz has enjoyed becoming a part of this wonderful community and exploring everything this area has to offer.
Her background includes extensive customer service roles as well as previous library management. She enjoys reading, playing board games, watching horror movies, and checking out local breweries.
Ask her about: Sci-Fi, Fantasy novels, Graphic Novels, and Video Games.
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Public Services Assistant
Mary has lived in Skagit County for 33 years, after a youth spent in Southern California. An avid reader her whole life, she spent the past 20 years working in libraries.
When not reading, she’s cooking or baking, playing the piano or organ, or out walking in gorgeous Northwest nature.
Ask her about: Anything! She reads Mysteries, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Non-Fiction, and Children’s books plus she watches DVDs.
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Public Services Assistant
He feels as though he has lived many wonderful lives in his one short life. He is especially pleased and privileged that my latest incarnation is with the South Whatcom Library!
He loves working with both the staff and patrons and enjoy my part in keeping the library “wheels turning” so all may enjoy the many splendid benefits we offer to Whatcom County residents and visitors alike.
Ask him about: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Cooking, Baking (vegetarian/vegan), DVDs (mysteries/crime/dramas/BBC)
Jill
(she/her)
Thomas Lynn (she/he/they)
Chanty
(she/her)
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Page
Jill is a former elementary school teacher and recent Pilates and aerial yoga instructor.
She enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time on Guemes Island in her tiny off-grid cabin and surrounding native gardens.
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Page
Thomas Lynn lives in downtown Bellingham, and recently graduated with a B.A. from WWU where they studied cultural history and anthropology. They are especially invested in religious studies, film studies, and literature, and spend a lot of time exploring these subjects both in and out of school.
For the last few years, they worked as an assistant early learning teacher during the school year and a farmhand on their home island (Orcas) during the summer.
They spend most of their free time running, hiking, reading, watching movies, and exploring Bellingham with my friends and partner.
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Custodian
I am a Sudden Valley resident and love the outdoor life here in the valley. I love walking and golfing with my family during the summertime. I love my library and all the staff.