Board of Directors

Kathy has an extensive background in the legal and real estate fields. After 34 years working in the legal field, she switched careers and began working in the real estate sales field. She’s been involved in various Friends groups in several states and California counties for over 20 years. Kathy believes in the necessity of local libraries and what they bring to the whole community and believes the fight needs to go on to encourage libraries to be open and available to all.

Lauren has loved libraries since she was quite young. Her first volunteer job while in high school entailed sorting notched punch cards for the librarian; long before computers were available.  Her career was in Emergency Medical Services System Administration and Management for Contra Costa County. She spent several years volunteering at the Danville library and has volunteered for the Friends of the Brentwood Library for six years.

Lauren has spent the past two years as the first Vice President of the Friends Board. She has happily participated in numerous library activities including author events, book sales, and shifts in the book shop. Lauren was a big part of helping to initiate a system that allows volunteers to accept credit cards and tap methods for payments in the bookstore and related events.

Lynn is a retired Manga Letterer and paralegal. She can currently be found homeschooling her youngest daughter or working to expand our FOBL online book sales. With her help, we have expanded the different online companies to promote our higher priced items. She’s currently working towards getting into Guinness World Records for her massive manga collection. She has always had a huge passion for books and the education that libraries bring to our communities.

Kim became a big fan of libraries when she received her first library card at age 4. She has always had a love for reading and currently belongs to two book groups. She believes it’s really important to be part of your community and to contribute to the quality of life where you live. She moved to Brentwood four years ago after retiring.

Before retiring, she worked for the City of San Ramon for 25 years in the Parks & Community Services Dept. She wore many hats and oversaw all the city’s special events. She created the San Ramon Black & White Party fundraiser for the arts and the San Ramon Art & Wind Festival that served as an avenue for local nonprofits to raise funds by operating the food booths. There were countless other events she helped create and run. The library was always included so they could set up displays with books relating to the program subject or provide a volunteer storyteller for many children’s events. Prior to working for the City of San Ramon, she served as a civilian Recreation Specialist for both the Army and the Air Force. She found that while she was stationed overseas, the base libraries became her refuge.

It is her belief that libraries play an important role in communities and she wants to continue the Friends’ mission so that our wonderful library in Brentwood can continue to offer many great services and programs.

Pam has been a resident of Contra Costa County for almost 40 years. She moved to Discovery Bay in 2016 and joined the Friends of the Brentwood Library in 2018. She thoroughly enjoys the people she works with and helps to improve our community service. Over the years she has worked in various fields, such as being a bank employee, dental associate, self-sales, jewelry store design and management, and most importantly raising a family. She retired from Bank of America in 2013. Pam has been married to her wonderful husband Michael for 54 years. She has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Madeleine has enjoyed an extensive career as an educator. After teaching for many years, she became an administrator, serving as principal in three elementary schools. After she retired, she and her husband moved to Brentwood where they have lived for ten years. She has enjoyed being a member of the Friends of the Brentwood Library, volunteering in the Second Story Book Shop, working at several book sales and getting to know so many highly dedicated volunteers.

Madeleine has always loved libraries. She grew up in a small town and every Saturday, she would walk to the Carnegie library with her sister, to choose a new supply of books. She looks forward to becoming more involved in the work of the Friends’ and to actively promoting our beautiful library and the great variety of services and programs it provides for our community.

Linda is quite proud of the incredible volunteers working in the book shop. They bring their life and career experiences to the volunteer team and customers. She loves that our customers benefit from the volunteers’ knowledge of books, and authors. One of her many goals is to continue to recruit and enhance volunteer training.

Sharon retired after a thirty-five-year career in finance and project management, primarily with Silicon Valley companies. Within those companies, she held management and executive-level positions. She currently holds several board positions, including, both District and State-level positions with the daughters of the American Revolution and several others that have to do with lineage and genealogy. She has been a resident of Brentwood for over 20 years. She previously taught adult-level computer classes, as well as genealogy workshops. Sharon is an avid reader, genealogy researcher, family and history book collector. She holds both a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a MBA from Pepperdine University. She believes strongly that libraries are a great source for learning.

It was Walt Disney who said: there is more treasure in books than in all the pirate loot on Treasure Island.

Bill served as Associate News Director at the University of Chicago before moving with his wife to Brentwood to be near family. He is active in the Rotary Club of Brentwood and volunteers as a math tutor at Pioneer School.

Diane served as a Librarian for Contra Costa County Library System from 1975 to 2016. Many of those years were served in a substitute position, as she worked as a teacher librarian for Liberty High School for 11 years, then spent 5 years at Heritage High School. She is a Past President of the Brentwood Library Foundation and served in various positions on the Friends of the Brentwood Library Board. She is also quite active in the Delta Quilters Guild and the Discovery Bay Lions Club. She teaches sewing and quilting classes at the library.

Andrea was the Community library manager for Oakley Library for five years before coming to Brentwood. She never planned on becoming a librarian, but looking back; it was meant to be. After graduating from the University of the Pacific with a psychology degree, she took some time off to look at her life and focus on her family. She spent a few years volunteering in the community, and then she applied for a library position and knew instantly that she had found her calling. She went back to school and received her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.

Andrea has been with the Contra Costa County Library since 2007 and has worked in 19 of the 26 branches, as well as the libraries at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility and Juvenile Hall that serve incarcerated youth. Her favorite thing about being a librarian is helping people find the information they need and helping people learn new and exciting ways to use programs and services. Every time she helps a child, she knows she’s improving that child’s future and the health of the community. When she’s working, she feels the same comfort that she felt as a child at the library. She strives to show every patron the same warmth and kindness that she was given.

As Library Commissioner, Linda hopes to encourage greater community involvement and help promote more events. She looks forward to spending her time here in a positive and productive manner. COVID brought many families down and as they emerge, she hopes the library gives people a reason to once again get outside and get together in a safe manner.