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President: Shawn M. Thrasher
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Past President: Gary Shaffer
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Vice-President/President-Elect Genesis Hansen
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Treasurer: Nichole Brown
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Secretary: Hillary Theyer
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Migell Acosta
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Kris Amaral
- Brandy Buenafe
- Anthony Chow
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Crystal Duran
- Nancy Schram
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Kelly Tyler
- Darla Wegener
- Annie Jaffe (Student Representative)
- Ziba Perez (ALA Chapter Councilor)
All officers and other members of the Board of Directors assume their duties on the last day of the Annual Conference following their election and serve the term specified in Bylaws or until their successors are elected and assume office.
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Officers
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Shawn M. Thrasher (President)
Library Director
Ontario City Library
sthrasher@ontarioca.gov
Term end: 2025
I have been working in public libraries in California since I moved here from Kansas City in 2001. I worked for several years at Pasadena Public Library as a teen librarian; then five years at Monrovia Public Library as the Youth Services Librarian. I have worked at Ontario City Library since 2011, and currently serve as director. I have much experience in public librarianship at all levels. I can bring a depth of knowledge to the Board.
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Gary Shaffer (Past President)
Library Director
City of Palm Desert
gshaffer@palmdesert.gov
Term end: 2024
In addition to
Glendale and USC, I have worked for the Los Angeles County Library as a
reference and administrative librarian, and at the Sacramento Public
Library as their director of marketing and outreach. I have also worked
in libraries outside of California. I started my library career as a
Public Urban Library Service & Education fellow/trainee at the
Brooklyn Public Library while in library school. And from 2011-2016, I
was the CEO/Library Director of the Tulsa City-County Library, an
award-winning 24-branch library system located in northeast Oklahoma.
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Nichole Brown(Treasurer)
Branch Manager
Oakland Public Library
treasurer@cla-net.org
Term end: 2025
I
understand behind every conference registration fee, training, spring
fling, and dues bill paid, there is a library employee that worked hard
for that dollar. They deserve to know how the money is spent and the
resulting outcomes. As treasurer of CLA, it will be my job accurately
record where your money goes within CLA and report back to you.
Professionally the word for this is “transparency.” |
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Hillary Theyer (Secretary)
Director
Monterey County Free Library
hillarytheyer@gmail.com
Tern end 2026
It is my pleasure to once again request your support to serve CLA on the Board. I have experience in the Secretary position twice, and on the Finance Committee, Leadership Development Committee, Interest Group Committee, Advocacy Committee, Bylaws and Governance Commitee, and as your President in 2020. I am a lifetime member of CLA, and make attending Conference my annual professional development priority.
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Genesis Hansen (Vice-President/President Elect)
Director of Library & Cultural Services
City of Mission Viejo
ghansen@cityofmissionviejo.org
Term end:
2026
I’ve been the Director
of the Mission Viejo Library since 2014. I have a passion for public service, leadership development, and libraries as partners in our communities’ success. I’ve worked with Mission Viejo staff to expand library services and capacity
through grant funding, enabling expansion of early literacy programs and services, technology, local history, teen services, disability needs assessment and more. For the past year I’ve worked with community members and City of
Mission Viejo staff to launch a Diversity & Inclusion Task Force in Mission Viejo, a partnership between residents, local
businesses and nonprofits, and City staff.
I care deeply about our profession and the work we do in our communities, and I care deeply about CLA and its role in supporting and furthering that work.
I believe CLA plays a vital role in leadership development, knowledge sharing, networking, and advocacy for libraries and library staff in California, and I think it’s crucial that CLA continues to adapt and improve as an organization to serve our library community and profession far into the future. I want to be a part of that process. |
Directors
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Kris Amaral
Managing Librarian
Monterrey County Free Libraries
Tern end: 2025
TheMonterey
County Free Libraries(MCFL), which serves community members from diverse backgrounds covering 3265 square miles. In this role, Kris works with a team of 5 senior staff overseeing the operations of 16 branch libraries and
100 employees.
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Brandy Buenafe
Principal Librarian,
California Department of Corrections
Brandy.Buenafe@cdcr.ca.gov
Term End: 2026
As a California librarian it is my honor to serve on the California Library Association Board as a Director at Large. When I served my first term it was a privilege to share the perspectives of correctional librarianship
to the diversity of membership on the Board. I am running for the Board again to continue to ensure that the voices of the diverse library workers in California have a place in our State Association.
I believe passionately in the mission of the California Library Association, which is to be the community for California libraries. State agency libraries may not feel reflected in the
makeup of the Board, and I’d like them to see themselves in the diversity of our Board. |
 Anthony Chow
Director
an Jose State University's School of Information
a.chow@sjsu.edu
Term end: 2024
I
am beginning my 22nd year as an LIS professor and am the new Director
of San Jose State's iSchool and my areas of specialty include
information and patron needs, technology integration, organizational
management and leadership, community assessment and strategic planning,
instructional design, and systematic barriers to access to libraries and
early children's literacy in underserved and tribal communities. I am a
former member of ALA's Committee on Library Advocacy and was a
long-term board member and co-chair of Advocacy and Legislation for the
North Carolina Library Association (NCLA). I was also the founder of
nclibraryadvocacy.org and long-term National Library Legislative Day
(NLLD) state liaison for North Carolina.
 Crystal Duran
Director
Belvedere Tiburon Library
crystal.duran.mlis@gmail.com
Term end: 2024
Like
many in our library field, I have worked in various positions from page
to storytime presenter and now director. While I have spent some time
working and interning in urban and university libraries in Los Angeles,
my heart and passion lie with small libraries. I am probably a bit
biased, having grown up in a small community. Still, I value small
libraries because they create opportunities for community members to
bond and connect in different ways and are often the center of any small
community with limited resources. My drive to participate in the CLA
Board is to be a voice for rural and small libraries. Often our small
and rural libraries are overlooked when our needs are just as unique, if
not more challenging. I want to represent our tiny but mighty libraries
that do the most with the fewest resources. It is important to
acknowledge our small library successes and opportunities for growth and
have representation to speak to them.
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Nancy Schram
Library Director
Ventura County Library System
nancy.schram@ventura.org
Term end: 2025
Nancy
Schram joined the Ventura County Library System as the Deputy Library
Director in 2016. Prior to that, she worked for almost ten years for the
City of Thousand Oaks Library as Deputy Library Director and Division
Manager. She also worked nine years for the County of Los Angeles Public
Library in several positions including Adult Literacy Coordinator and
Branch Library Manager in Westlake Village and Canyon Country, CA.
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Kelly Tyler
Manager, Office of Education and Literacy
Los Angeles Public Library
ktyler@lapl.org
Term end 2026
The California Library Association has long been my professional home away from work. I am grateful for the amazing network of peers and mentors who make our conferences the premier yearly opportunity to network and learn. Being involved in the expansion of adult literacy offerings at CLA over the past few years, I know how our professional organization directly impacts the delivery of critical library services essential to equity within our diverse communities. If elected, I will continue to advocate for all library professionals. After all, it is all of us who make California an incredible library ecosystem!
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Darla Wegener
Librarian
Tulare County
darla.wegener@tularecountylibrary.org
Term end 2026
I am passionate about Libraries and how we are essential to our communities and country. Today we encounter book, program, and other challenges to the first amendment rights libraries protect. In addition, libraries are protecting our
most vulnerable patrons’ rights to information. Libraries and Librarians have a history of being there when needed and today we are needed more than ever.
CLA is growing the organization to ensure our members and libraries receive the recognition and support needed to accomplish the great work we do every day. CLA is working to represent the communities we serve by reflecting those communities
in our staff, programs, and services. CLA is fighting with us every day to ensure the legislature is aware of what we do and how they can help us. As someone who has helped rebuild library systems all over the state, I would like to
do my part to help in this effort as a member at large representing you on the CLA Board. |
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Annie Jaffe (Student Representative)
annie.r.jaffe@gmail.com
Term end: 2024 I am a second-year MLIS student at UCLA focused on public librarianship, specifically interested in working with children and teens. My focus is on building community through programming. As the 2023-2024 CLA student representative I am excited to bridge the gap between MLIS students and LIS professionals to help foster mentorship and professional development.
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Ziba Perez(ALA Chapter Councilor)
Young Adult Librarian
Los Angeles Public Library
zperez@lapl.org
Term end: 2025
I
am a zine enthusiast and helped create a circulating zine collection at LBPL as well as LAPL. For four years I helped organize Long Beach Zine Fest and am currently helping to organize L.A. Zine Fest 2023.
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