I’m a long-time resident of Whatcom County having been raised here as well as raising my own children here. I retired from the Bellingham School district as a Prevention/Intervention Specialist. Libraries are such an important support to families, schools, and the community. It’s inspiring to see the activities supported by the Whatcom County Library Foundation and I feel privileged to serve on its board.

I can’t remember a time when the library hasn’t been part of my life. As a child, I wanted to live at the library. I loved the card catalog; the smell of books, both old and new; and, of course, the “library ladies.” The Summer Reading Program was truly a highlight. My passion for libraries continues to this day. I feel honored to serve on the WCLS Foundation Board, and I welcome involvement in opportunities that support our libraries in any and all ways. We are indeed fortunate to have such a strong and vital library system.

I believe one of the missions of libraries is to curate and maintain a diverse collection of human knowledge–including history, literature, science, and art among others–and to provide critical universal access to this repository of knowledge. Access to information is the key to independent thought and participation in our complex world, and the veracity of the information is becoming increasingly important in the digital age.

I serve on the WCLF Board to promote libraries and their freedom to continue to provide this service unfettered by content restrictions, as well as to continue to develop ancillary services benefiting the Whatcom County community and expand access to those services.

I have been a lifelong advocate for libraries and literacy. They are the last truly democratic institution in the United States. They are open to everyone without a fee or required membership. They only ask that you get a library card to take items home. There is no other place in the USA that offers limitless information with no charge.

Libraries have always held a special place in my life—they were a refuge and a source of inspiration when I was growing up, and the bookmobile’s visits were a highlight of my childhood. I believe every child deserves access to a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space where they can explore ideas freely and foster a lifelong love of learning. I serve on the board of the Whatcom County Library Foundation because I’m passionate about supporting strong, connected communities and giving back to an institution that shaped who I am.

The library was an integral part of my childhood. Each Saturday morning my family drove to town to do the weekly shopping. One of the stops was the library. The building was an old red-brick building, built, as so many of that era, by Andrew Carnegie. The second floor was the children’s section.

As I was reading by the age of four, I quickly read through the children’s books. I moved downstairs to the adult sections, housed on the first floor and basement. As I was ten, any books I read were vetted by both my mother and one of the librarians. I vividly remember the first adult book I was allowed to check out on my own library card.

The books they curated for me opened the world. Each Saturday, I would search for Mrs. McMillan to see what she had found for me. Was my new book to be a historical fiction, a biography, or some classic piece of literature? I want every child to experience the opportunity that I was provided. I want each child to experience the focus of a librarian and have the world opened to them.

I am passionate about supporting libraries because of the impact they have on communities. I believe everyone deserves to have a safe space they feel welcome and inspired. How marvelous that libraries remove barriers and encourage lifetime learning!

I still have a vivid memory as a child of walking up the stone steps to the Carnegie Library in my hometown to get my first library card. Back then, a library was a hushed place for reading, research and solitude, but that day launched my lifetime of affinity for the grand resource a library is. I worked in libraries in my early post-college days, then transitioned into a career with nonprofit organizations. In the ensuing decades, I remained an active user of libraries as a source of reading and resource materials.

Also during those years, I was delighted to witness the shift of libraries into community gathering places, vital and vibrant with programs for all ages. I’ve lived in Washington for 50 years, but in Whatcom County just two, and anticipate learning a great deal about how our library foundation can fulfill the aspirations of all our branches.

I was not a child who grew up visiting the library, but I’m realizing as a young adult how integral they are to the communities we live in, both on a local and global scale!

Libraries encourage open-mindedness, satisfy curiosity, provide resources, and offer an accessible space to a wide variety of people.

Pursuing a Master of Arts in Library and Information Sciences, I look forward to nurturing a career in librarianship, where I can be a steward of information who is grounded in service to others.  

Jes is an 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.

She began her involvement with the library as the marketing committee chair for the Friends of the South Whatcom Library before being appointed to the WCLS board of trustees in 2025 and serving as Trustee Liaison to the foundation board.

I’ve been Whatcom County Library System’s Executive Director and chief cheerleader since 2013. I also review books for Cascadia Daily News and Library Journal, serve as the Treasurer for Whatcom READS and am the past-President of Public Libraries of Washington. My career in libraries includes serving as Director of the Burlington Public Library, where I established the Burlington Library Foundation, and as Assistant Director of the Bellingham Public Library.

For the past decade (and counting) I’ve championed WCLS’s values of people, community, curiosity and stewardship, leading a successful levy lid lift effort, facilitating building projects across Whatcom County and promoting innovative new services like ConnectEd, courtesy renewals and Library Express locations. I’m interested in all the ways that public libraries connect information, ideas and community.

I’m passionate about empowering people and strengthening communities, which WCLS does in spades. Libraries have long been an essential source of information and inspiration for me, especially growing up in a rural area where distance meant one weekly trip to town and the library. I relocated to Whatcom County from Montana in 2025, eager to leverage my decades of communications, marketing and fundraising experience to increase the library foundation’s ability to improve the lives of county residents.

Whatcom County is fortunate to have a robust library system dedicated to offering a wide range of outstanding programs and services to residents of all ages and from all walks of life. It’s an honor to support the library system in partnership with individual donors, organizations, businesses and local leaders who value libraries as the heart of a democratic community. Together, we can support our libraries in ways that strengthen our community for generations to come.