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Fort Vancouver Regional Library District
Board of Trustees
The Library Board is composed of seven positions representing the Fort
Vancouver Regional Library District. Since they are not compensated for
their time, Board members are essentially volunteers. They are appointed
by a joint resolution of the commissioners of Clark, Skamania and Klickitat
Counties, generally for 7-year terms. The three counties have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
(it includes an amendment), to specify details about Board members' appointments. Clark County has a resolution that describes their appointing procedures.
Board Meeting Schedule | Meeting Agenda | Minutes
Send an email to the library board.
Board officers for 2010:
-Bill Yee, Chair
-Rose Smith and Merle Koplan, Vice-Chairs
-Bonnie Reynolds, Secretary
Board members and their representative areas:
Karen Peterson
Dr. Karen Peterson's position represents Clark County and runs through December 31, 2010.
Karen has a strong educational background. Majoring in child development, she received her B.A. and M.S. from Texas Woman's University before moving to Iowa and obtaining her Ph.D at Iowa State University. She taught at Central Michigan University for five years, then moved to Pullman, where she worked as a professor and department chair in Human Development at Washington State University. In 1994, she transferred to WSU-Vancouver, where she is Professor of Human Development and Coordinator for Early Learning Programs. Karen has also published numerous articles on topics related to child development and early childhood education.
Her strong interest in libraries and the work of librarians led her to apply for a trustee position. "My mother was a librarian libraries have always been a part of my family life" Karen said. "I worked in a library for several summers during my teen years, doing cataloging, reading shelves, that kind of thing."
Karen feels strongly about the importance of libraries in a community. "Libraries are an invaluable resource," she notes. "Libraries and library services give all people access to information and understanding, while providing a forum for different forms of expression. And the most fabulous thing of all is that they are free."
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Merle Koplan
The City of Vancouver makes recommendations for appointments to two library board positions (positions 2 and 5). Merle Koplan holds one of these positions and her term runs through December 31, 2011.
Merle grew up in the other Vancouver (Canada) and completed a degree in elementary education from the University of British Columbia.
Formerly single parents, Merle and her husband Keith merged their two families of six children when the kids ranged in age from 6 to 13. All six children have since finished high school and have gone on to graduate from Washington colleges. She has eight grandchildren. Merle considers their family her proudest achievement.
These days you'll usually find Merle at Koplan's Home Furnishings in downtown Vancouver where she is not only a full partner in the business, but is involved in buying, sales, customer relations and interior decorating. The family-owned company has been in business since 1948.
Merle and her family are long-time supporters and users of the library. She's also a strong advocate for public library services and believes, "A good library is an integral part of a livable community and a resource that an entire community can use no matter what their age and interests. Vancouver is underserved in library facilities, so one of my goals as a member of the library Board of Trustees is to work towards larger libraries."
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Bill Yee
Bill Yee's position represents Skamania County and runs from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2012.
Born and raised in Portland, Bill has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University and an MBA from Portland State University. He is also a veteran, having served four years in the U.S. Air Force on active duty. For 25 years, Bill worked as general manager for Skamania County Public Utilities District. Before that he was chief engineer for Richland City Light.
A frequent library user and avid supporter, Bill is a member of Friends of Stevenson Community Library and also participated on our citizen Strategic Planning Committee in 2004-2005.
Bill's hobbies include collecting antique clocks (specifically those with wooden movements) and ancient coins. His favorite reading material is science fiction.
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Jane Higgins
Jane Higgins' position represents Clark County and runs from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2015.
Jane was born in Kansas and raised in Eastern Oregon where she developed her love of books and libraries. In fourth grade she lost the library book, The Secret Sloth. "I felt like I had committed a mortal sin," Jane remembers. "Library books were that important."
As an adult, Jane has lived in several states, following her husband Don's career transfers. Her interests and activities focused on the education of her two children, civic and neighborhood activities, and life-long learning.
Jane is a graduate of the University of North Carolina - Charlotte and taught school in Charlotte, eventually working as a middle school instructional facilitator and coordinator for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. Part of her work included evaluating schools in North America that were applying to implement the program, and schools whose certification was up for renewal. She coached academic teams and twice took her team to the final four in National Academic League competition. Helping students achieve challenging goals was the most gratifying part of her teaching career.
Jane and Don retired to Battle Ground in January 2000 (a new home in the new millennium). Jane's affiliations have included Phi Kappa Phi, the International Reading Association, the National Middle School Association, and the Friends of Battle Ground Community Library. Jane has served as chairperson of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation and president of the Friends of Battle Ground Community Library. She and her husband, Don, have been co-chairs of the campaign for a bigger and better library for middle and north Clark County.
"I believe that an easily accessed community library must be available to all of our citizens. Libraries were important in ancient civilizations, they have remained important throughout time, and they are even more important today," Jane says.
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Brian Carrico
Brian is our newest Board member, having been appointed to serve a term that runs January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2016. Brian represents Clark County.
Please check back for Brian's bio, to be posted here soon.
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Bonnie Reynolds
Bonnie Reynolds represents Klickitat County and her term continues through December 31, 2013.
Bonnie earned a bachelors degree in sociology and psychology from Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa. She studied school psychology at Millersville State University and graduated from Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Professional Studies in 1985. After graduating, Bonnie was a family therapist for the Oregon Children's Services Division, then a mental health professional for Mid Columbia Center for Living in Hood River. From 1997 to 2001, she worked in private practice as a mental health counselor. She is currently a domestic relations mediator under contract with the State of Oregon.
Bonnie has served on the board of directors for the Trout Lake School and the Columbia Arts Gallery. She was on the founding board of directors for the Trout Lake Arts Council and served on the Council for 10 years. She has served on various other education and service committees. Currently, Bonnie is involved in developing forums on the topic of peaceful resolution of conflict for the Trout Lake Presbyterian Church.
In her free time, Bonnie enjoys art in all forms but in particular literature, cinema, music and fine art. "The nurture of creative and intellectual people from all walks of life is essential to the maintenance and development of a viable culture," Bonnie said, noting that, "the public library is the most democratic institution I can think of in the service of that goal in that it is free to anyone who chooses to use it."
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Rose Smith
Rose was reappointed to a second term, which continues through December 31, 2014.
She represents Clark County.
Rose is a realtor and a former La Center School Board member. She was actively
involved as vice president of the Friends of La Center Community Library during the
fundraising and remodeling phase of the La Center branch building, which opened in 2004.
She and her husband run a historic farmstead, Stratton Farm, just outside
of La Center.
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Bruce Ziegman
Bruce Ziegman developed an interest in libraries early on. "I have always been library-oriented," he notes, adding, "I worked in a library as a Page while going to school and that gave me a feel for how libraries work and what librarians do. That, coupled with my natural affinity for books led to what has turned out to be a fascinating career."
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Bruce attended the University of Washington, where he obtained his BA in History in 1970 followed by a Masters of Library Science in 1973. Subsequent coursework in a variety of subjects include leadership, management, accounting & finance, negotiations and writing skills.
After obtaining his MLS, Bruce landed a position at the North Central Regional Library's Wenatchee branch as a reference librarian. Several months later, he promoted to Coordinator of Extension Services, which included the responsibility for services and operations of 23 branch libraries. In 1975, he took the Coordinator of Central Services position and supervised book selection, technical processing and interlibrary loan for the system.
From 1977 to 1989, Bruce worked for a library automation organization known as the Western Library Network (WLN). His first three years there were spent providing training and customer support for a variety of WLN software programs. He also obtained seven years experience as Manager of Library (Customer) Services and two years as Director of the organization.
Bruce joined Fort Vancouver Regional Library District as Assistant Executive Director in 1989 and became Executive Director in 2001. As Director, he oversees a system comprising 13 branch, 225 employees, serving over 460,000 people spread across 4,200 square miles. The highlight of his tenure as Director was presiding over the successful 2006 bond measure and the subsequent construction of the new Cascade Park and Vancouver libraries.
Along with his energy, creativity and enthusiasm, Bruce shares his strong belief in the value of libraries: "Libraries add so much to society in so many different ways--culturally, intellectually, economically, and for just plain entertainment value. Libraries offer multiple learning and entertainment choices of interest to virtually anyone who chooses to avail themselves of the opportunities."
In his free time, Bruce enjoys spending time with his family including three grandchildren, playing golf, trying to be an avid Husky fan, and...reading.
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