The Board
In 2023, Friends of Strathcona County Library Society welcomed a new and innovative board. This fresh leadership marks a significant shift in how our organization operates. The new board structure includes not only the traditional Officer roles but also Coordinator positions. These Coordinators will undertake specific responsibilities, ensuring a more hands-on and effective approach to advancing our mission.
Meet
The Board
We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated team to help us revitalize and rebuild our organization after the challenges of the pandemic. Exciting times lie ahead as we reconnect with our volunteer community and shape the future of Friends. We are eager to boost youth involvement in the organization and look forward to introducing new initiatives.
Wendy Saunders
President
Wendy comes to the board with experience in administration after her career at the University of Alberta. Her vision is for Friends to be a dynamic, positive community organization that supports the library while providing a meaningful volunteer experience for all library lovers.
Ron Dick
Past-President
After completing his time as President, Ron has moved on to supporting Friends as the Past-President. He brings all his knowledge of the organization to his new role and will be a resource as we take on new challenges.
Gillian Young
Secretary
Gillian has been a library lover since the age of 4 when her Father took her to the library in Northfield, Birmingham, England where she lived until she emigrated to Canada at age 35. As soon as she retired from NorQuest College, after 25 years, she joined the local library and soon joined the Friends where she has volunteered for quite some time and is now Secretary of the Friends.
Pam Goliath
Treasurer
Pam brings expertise to the financial management of Friends as she puts her accounting and bookkeeping skills to use. Her family has long been library users and she is happy to have an opportunity to give back.
Susan Mihalievitch
Membership Coordinator
Susan has many years of working with volunteers in the non-profit sector. For 25 years, she served the community with the Information & Volunteer Centre for Strathcona County and has now chosen Friends to continue her love of volunteering and contributing to the community.
Laura MacLelland
Membership Coordinator
Laura is a 20-year member of the Sherwood Park community. With her background in library services, law, and student advising, her experience will help us to innovate and attract a younger demographic of volunteers.
Louise Ludwig
Events Coordinator
Louise has a long history with the library and with Friends. Her organizational knowledge in managing our casino fundraisers and in organizing galas, trade fairs and other events will be invaluable in planning our events calendar. With the dynamic duo of Sandy and Louise, prepare to be inspired by the innovative events they are proposing.
Teresa Bosse
Events Coordinator
Teresa is a newcomer to Sherwood Park, having moved from Edmonton in 2022. Her 3 grandkids who live here were the motivation, and what a great decision it was! Her background is in nutrition with a BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics then a MSc from the University of Alberta (U of A). Her career was spent at the U of A and at Athabasca University in the Home Ec Faculty and with Pfizer as a Sales Representative.
She now volunteers at CapitalCare, OLPH Catholic Church, and with Friends. She loves reading and is a part of 2 book clubs, believing strongly in the importance of literacy and libraries. When not attending grandkids activities, reading or volunteering Teresa enjoys walking on our awesome trails, gardening, and travelling.
Brittany Richter
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Brittany comes to Friends with experience in design, communications, and marketing. She has fond memories of visiting the old library in the Sherwood Park Mall as a kid. She has a renewed appreciation for the library now that she has her own children. They make regular visits and enjoy many of the programs offered.
Sheila Smyth
Director-at-Large
Sheila immigrated to Canada in March of 1980 with her husband, Alan, and two daughters. Together, they were proud to become Canadian citizens in November of 1989. They settled in Sherwood Park and the community welcomed them. Sheila has sat on many committees and boards over the years as a way of giving back to the community. This will be her second term on the board of the FSCL and she looks forward to helping to make a difference.
Cathy Weston
Director-at-Large
Cathy has lived in rural Strathcona county since moving to Alberta in 2016. She brings project management, analytic and technical skills to the board and balances an active career in the Financial Industry. She is excited to join Friends to support literacy, libraries and strong community connections.
Open Positions
To better manage our workload and support succession planning, we have introduced dual Coordinator roles. This approach allows team members to share responsibilities and provides valuable mentoring opportunities for future volunteers. Currently, we have openings for a second Marketing & Communications Coordinator, two Webmaster & Social Media Coordinators, and we are actively seeking a Vice-President to join our team.
We ask that board members be available to attend board meetings. The board meets on the 2nd Monday of each month except for December, July and August. Meetings may be rescheduled to the 3rd Monday if they coincide with holidays.