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Agenda Item
9. Recommendation to appoint one candidate from a pool of 23 applicants including: Fred E. Avera, Elizabeth A. Cadigan, Jacquelyn J. Cheun-Jensen, James Chuck, Donna R. Dawson-Schwartz, David A. Dulcey, Alyssa Goins, Sharon Goldrup, Martha Growdon, Karen A. Hayes, Nicôl L. Herris, Katherine Hollingsworth, Lizeth Lechuga Gomez, Douglas L. Miller, Billy James Moton, Denise Myer, Laurie A. Nahser Martin, Anne S. Pettigrew, Cody Phinney, Amy Pulver, Earl V. Ravid, Sean Sullivan, and Brandi J. Tripp Russell to fill one midterm vacancy on the Washoe County Library Board of Trustees pursuant to NRS 379.020(3) beginning on August 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2027. Library. (All Commission Districts.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
After several years of Library Board of Trustees dysfunction, our County has an opportunity to form a Board made up of individuals who personify the appointment criteria outlined in the staffing report.
While I understand the desire to appoint someone from a specific district, if no qualified candidate from that district applies, the Commission does a disservice to the entire County by prioritizing geography over qualification. The same can be said for appointing an applicant strictly based on name recognition or party affiliation.
The Library Board should consist of individuals who truly care about our Washoe County Libraries and have a proven track record of supporting them—people who exhibit a willingness to work collaboratively with other board members as opposed to those who seek to be disrupters. Our libraries have had to endure this over the past few years and have paid dearly for it.
Of the current applicant list, one candidate clearly stands out. Amy Pulver has regularly attended Library Board meetings for years and has demonstrated an excellent understanding of various library functions, including budgets. Additionally, she is the only candidate who has publicly stated a commitment to completing the comprehensive training that all Library Board members should ideally take.
Please nominate and approve Amy Pulver for Library Board Trustee. Thank you.
I am a Washoe County resident since 1982. Throughout my 44 years here, my family and I frequent, and benefit from, our exceptional Washoe County Library System.
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge how inspiring it is to see so many qualified candidates interested in serving on the library board. It speaks to how deeply our community cherishes and values our libraries.
Secondly, I want to express my ardent desire for our library system to be able to provide open access without censoring to ALL literature and information. Libraries may be the last bastion of expansive, critical thinking and awareness of alternative perspectives. Libraries must continue to provide free access to ideas and information sources relevant to ALL people in our community. I, therefore, highly recommend a library board member who will support that goal.
Thirdly, I would like to give support to Amy Pulver, specifically. She attends library board meetings regularly and is, therefore, familiar with the way budgets work, the way the library system works, and understands library board members' roles. There are other great candidates, as well. But, Ms. Pulver's consistent interest in the library and attendance at board meetings demonstrate a level of commitment deserving of recognition.
Thank you for your service and your sincere consideration about this important appointment.
What the library needs now is an even keel and steady leadership, and I therefore encourage you to only nominate candidates who have expressly indicated they will undergo training for library trusteeship. In the same way that a citizen’s board for the fire department would expect to train those citizens to understand how to evaluate the fire commissioner’s position and the budget of the department, the citizens who sit on the library board should understand the parameters of their volunteer positions and the public resource they oversee.
To my knowledge, Amy Pulver is the only applicant who has said she would complete library trustee training.
I do not know Amy Pulver outside of the BCC and LBOT meetings, but I’ve been watching her as long as I’ve gone to the LBOT, and she doesn’t often speak, but she’s always taking notes. And when she does get up, she asks questions about policy and logistics. I have grown to respect her based on her close reading of the LBOT packets, often picking up on whatever it seems like everyone else in the room has overlooked.
I therefore urge you to nominate Ms. Pulver for the position.
After several years of Library Board of Trustees dysfunction, our County has an opportunity to form a Board made up of individuals who personify the appointment criteria outlined in the staffing report.
While I understand the desire to appoint someone from a specific district, if no qualified candidate from that district applies, the Commission does a disservice to the entire County by prioritizing geography over qualification. The same can be said for appointing an applicant strictly based on name recognition or party affiliation.
The Library Board should consist of individuals who truly care about our Washoe County Libraries and have a proven track record of supporting them—people who exhibit a willingness to work collaboratively with other board members as opposed to those who seek to be disrupters. Our libraries have had to endure this over the past few years and have paid dearly for it.
Of the current applicant list, one candidate clearly stands out. Amy Pulver has regularly attended Library Board meetings for years and has demonstrated an excellent understanding of various library functions, including budgets. Additionally, she is the only candidate who has publicly stated a commitment to completing the comprehensive training that all Library Board members should ideally take.
Please nominate and approve Amy Pulver for Library Board Trustee. Thank you.
I am a Washoe County resident since 1982. Throughout my 44 years here, my family and I frequent, and benefit from, our exceptional Washoe County Library System.
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge how inspiring it is to see so many qualified candidates interested in serving on the library board. It speaks to how deeply our community cherishes and values our libraries.
Secondly, I want to express my ardent desire for our library system to be able to provide open access without censoring to ALL literature and information. Libraries may be the last bastion of expansive, critical thinking and awareness of alternative perspectives. Libraries must continue to provide free access to ideas and information sources relevant to ALL people in our community. I, therefore, highly recommend a library board member who will support that goal.
Thirdly, I would like to give support to Amy Pulver, specifically. She attends library board meetings regularly and is, therefore, familiar with the way budgets work, the way the library system works, and understands library board members' roles. There are other great candidates, as well. But, Ms. Pulver's consistent interest in the library and attendance at board meetings demonstrate a level of commitment deserving of recognition.
Thank you for your service and your sincere consideration about this important appointment.
What the library needs now is an even keel and steady leadership, and I therefore encourage you to only nominate candidates who have expressly indicated they will undergo training for library trusteeship. In the same way that a citizen’s board for the fire department would expect to train those citizens to understand how to evaluate the fire commissioner’s position and the budget of the department, the citizens who sit on the library board should understand the parameters of their volunteer positions and the public resource they oversee.
To my knowledge, Amy Pulver is the only applicant who has said she would complete library trustee training.
I do not know Amy Pulver outside of the BCC and LBOT meetings, but I’ve been watching her as long as I’ve gone to the LBOT, and she doesn’t often speak, but she’s always taking notes. And when she does get up, she asks questions about policy and logistics. I have grown to respect her based on her close reading of the LBOT packets, often picking up on whatever it seems like everyone else in the room has overlooked.
I therefore urge you to nominate Ms. Pulver for the position.
Thank you for your time and service.