The Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) Board of Trustees today announced the following finalist candidates for JCPL’s executive director position:
- Midori Clark, Director of Community Relations, Development and Strategic Initiatives, Pueblo City-County Library District, Pueblo, CO
- Roberta Phillips, Director of Planning and Projects, Richland Library, Columbia, SC
- Laurel Prysiazny, Acting Dean for the Library and Student Learning Support Services Division, Fresno City College, Fresno, CA
- Donna Walker, Director of Public Services, Jefferson County Public Library, Lakewood, CO
“We are pleased to present this slate of finalist candidates,” said Julia Hill-Nichols, chair, Library Board of Trustees. “The pool of candidates was highly competitive, representing exceptional library professionals from across the country, and we believe any one of these could provide accomplished and visionary leadership to JCPL.”
The Library Board will host a community forum to introduce finalist candidates from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on Monday, June 18, at the Lakewood Cultural Center Meeting Room, Civic Center North Building, 470 S. Allison Pkwy., Lakewood. Jefferson County residents and Library staff are welcome to attend.
During the forum, candidates will participate in a panel discussion and respond to questions from the audience. After the panel discussion, there will be an opportunity to meet and speak informally with the candidates. Attendees will be invited to share their feedback on the candidates by completing a short survey, and survey results will help to inform the Board of Trustees as they evaluate the finalists.
From June 18-19, finalists will tour JCPL libraries, meet Library staff, complete in-person interviews with the Library Board and participate in the community forum. Assuming a favorable outcome of the process, the Library Board expects to announce a new executive director by mid-summer.
The new executive director will follow Pam Nissler, who plans to retire in August.
Midori Clark
Midori Clark has a passion for highlighting the value and mission of public libraries and has more than 13 years of public library executive-leadership experience. She is currently the Director of Community Relations, Development and Strategic Initiatives at Pueblo City-County Library District, where she joined the executive leadership team in 2004. Her areas of responsibility include district-wide data collection and analysis, centralized adult programming, marketing, public relations and fundraising. Her proudest accomplishments include creating and directing the annual All Pueblo Reads literary project (with total participation of more than 40,000 in 2017), managing the Pueblo Library Foundation’s capital campaign that raised more than a $1 million for three new libraries built simultaneously in Pueblo County in 2015, and leading the marketing team that helped quadruple program attendance over the last decade. PCCLD was recognized by “The Library Journal” as one of only two Colorado four-star libraries in 2017, and in 2018 was awarded the Institute of Museum and Library Services national medal, the country’s highest honor for library excellence.
Clark, who grew up in Northern Colorado, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in Broadcast Journalism. She holds two master’s degrees, one in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the other in Applied Communication from the University of Denver. Prior to working at PCCLD, Clark was a television news anchor and reporter at the highest-rated TV stations in both Colorado Springs and Cheyenne.
Roberta Phillips
Roberta Phillips is currently the Director of Planning and Projects for the Richland Library. Named a Mover and Shaker by Library Journal in 2013, her work with a broad range of library customers both in school and public libraries and her commitment to customer-focused services from strengthening collections to sharpening customer service approaches have been instrumental in the library field. Her keen eye for design and innovation through project management paired with her growing expertise in the principles of service design are evident in all of the facilities she has helped to create. A co-author of the service framework, Library as Studio, Phillips is passionate about spaces that welcome customers to learn, create and share. Richland Library was a recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service that Richland Library in 2017 for their work in enhancing the quality of life for the entire community.
Phillips received a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Services from Wayne State University in Detroit and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Michigan State University. She is married to Christopher and enjoys yoga, walks with Finn, their dog and loves to dance.
Laurel Prysiazny
Laurel Prysiazny is a library leader with a proven history of growing and developing libraries into institutions that are considered a key cornerstone of the community. “Libraries Change Lives” and Laurel believes anyone can meet with success if given the opportunity to do so and the library is a venue for such achievement. She has a solid reputation of working collaboratively with community leaders and residents to ensure there is something for everyone at their local library.
Laurel is a trusted leader with over 26 years of experience serving communities through direct public library service. She has a track record of developing, managing, and monitoring financial and human resource operations. Laurel is a calculated risk-taker, implementing creative solutions to service problems. Together with a team of dedicated professionals, Laurel introduced innovative programs and services such as the WithOut Walls Mobile Library (WoW!), the Digi-Bus mobile computer lab, and Citizenship Corners to help improve the path to citizenship.
Laurel was County Librarian for Fresno County (CA) directing the $30M operation with 330 staff and 37 outlets. Laurel also was Deputy Director for the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. Prior to that, she worked for the Long Beach Public Library as Associate Director for the Main Library as well as Manager for the Automated Services Bureau. Currently, Laurel is Acting Dean for the Library and Student Learning Support Services Division with Fresno City College (FCC).
Married with two dogs, Laurel is a newish American thrilled to call the United States her home.
Donna Walker
Donna Walker is Director of Public Services for Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL), a ten-branch system serving over 570,000 residents. In her tenure, she helped catalyze JCPL into a twenty-first century library through innovations in services, staffing, programs, and outreach. Donna’s experience in public library management and administration is broad and deep - from running rural and jail libraries to building large suburban branches to creating urban outposts to envisioning alternative digital and outreach services. Prior to her time at JCPL Walker worked for the Arapahoe Library District in various capacities, most recently as manager for Neighborhood Libraries, Services to Children and Families, and Outreach. Notable achievements include managing construction of a 30,000 square foot library, embedding a library outpost in a new recreation center, and implementing early learning environments enterprise-wide.
Walker has presented at local, state, national and international conferences on library and outreach services. She currently serves on the Public Library Association’s Leadership Development Committee and on the Board of Jefferson County’s Communities that Care initiative. She is a proud alumna of Leadership Jeffco and mentor to emerging leaders in the Colorado Association of Libraries Leadership Institute. Walker has taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels, published in library literature, and been named a “Mover and Shaker” by Library Journal. Walker earned her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington, Master of Arts in English from the University of Denver, and Bachelor of Arts in English from Elmhurst College.
