Our board has 15 volunteer trustees, who each serve a five-year term. The year in parentheses represents the year their term expires, however they may be re-elected at the end of their term. Have a question for our Trustees? Please email cfltrustees@gmail.com.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? Our entire family has enjoyed the library over the years and becoming a trustee offers me the opportunity to give back to the library in a meaningful way.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I currently serve as President and am a member of the Long Range Planning committee and the Marketing/Development/Grants committee.
What’s your background? Originally from Baldwinsville, NY, I received my BA from Gettysburg College and have enjoyed a career in marketing, fundraising and writing.
What else should we know about you? My husband and his family are originally from Cortland so our three children are the third generation to enjoy the library. We love sports, spending time with family and exploring new places.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? I’m especially grateful for the inter-library loan opportunities as well as the use of Overdrive for electronic borrowing. I also enjoy utilizing spaces in the library when I need a quiet place to work, research and write!
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I just finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and am listening to Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I’m looking forward to when my hold request is ready for Sue Monk Kidd’s latest book, The Book of Longings.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? Somewhere along the line I learned that, in addition to charitable giving, one way to give back to the community and institutions I care about is to join a non-profit board. Though I’m originally from Rochester, my wife Lisa and I settled here in 1988 and raised our family here. As such, we’ve both lived by that idea: She’s been on the YWMC board, headed the Cortland City School Board, among others--and I’ve headed up the Lime Hollow Board, the Cortland Rural Cemetery Board, and now am on the Cortland Free Library board. All because we care about the community and believe with our hearts that these institutions are important.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? Because I have past board experience and also have spent my career in marketing and advertising, I gravitated toward and became chair of the Marketing/Development/Grants and Long Range Planning committees. In 2022, I became Board President.
What’s your background? I have a BA in English with a concentration in creative writing, from SUNY New Paltz with a semester in London. Career-wise, that means I almost became a high-school English teacher--actually did graduate studies here at SUNY Cortland, did my student teaching at CHS, and earned some work-study cash by working in the SUNY Cortland Library’s periodicals department--but then veered into advertising, where I’ve either been an ad executive or worked on the client-side as a marketing manager.
What else should we know about you? In our house, there’s a lot of love for the 1000 Islands, France, food, wine, reading, history, politics. I also enjoy the outdoors (i.e., hiking, birding a little) and obsessively walking my dog around campus.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? As an adult, it’s just a pleasant place to spend time…I love being surrounded by books and magazines. I also love the Youth Services department, as I used to bring my kids there every two weeks when they were little. We’d leave each time with these enormous stacks of books that we’d all read together in bed.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? Hard copy: Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey series (for the third time). On my Kindle, I’m reading a biography of John Quincy Adams. I LOVE, just love history and biographies these days, with smatterings of fiction as a nod to how I got my start in English.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? I joined the Board of Trustees because our library is an important cornerstone of our community. It's a place for young and old to explore and learn. I feel it is important to advocate for the library to continue to improve and offer area residents the resources they need.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? Currently I serve on the Marketing committee and as board co-liaison with the Friends of the Library group.
What’s your background? I worked at the Cortland Standard for many years as Advertising Manager, retiring in 2018. I was a past president of the Cortland Downtown Partnership and also served as a board member and president of the New York Newspapers Advertising and Marketing Executives.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? When our children were young we always looked forward to our trips to the library and story time. At other times since the library was an easy walk from my workplace, I enjoyed the tranquility and quiet while browsing the book selections and thumbing through pages of interesting books.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? Currently reading All that She Carried by Tiya Miles.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? I have enjoyed using the library personally and appreciate how our children and now grandchildren benefit from library trips. I believe that leaders are readers and one of the best ways to jumpstart lifelong learning is in the library. Consequently, as a recent retiree, I welcomed the chance to give back to such a worthy organization. I think much of a community’s character and durability are derived from thriving non-profit organizations and Cortland County is no exception. My wife, Dianne has served on a library board in Ogdensburg, NY and it was a meaningful experience. I have been greatly blessed and hope my experiences and skills will benefit an already-successful organization.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I joined the Library Board in mid-2022 and participate in the finance committee. I may become a member on other committees during my term, yet I have much to learn about the Library. Overall, I’m impressed with both the governance and leadership of the Cortland Free Library.
What’s your background? I graduated from Penn State, as did my 4 brothers, and completed graduate work at University of Michigan. I spent 5 years with a health system in Tennessee before returning to Pennsylvania as President of a small hospital. After 17 years, I moved to Ogdensburg, NY to lead a hospital for 10 years. I concluded my career in 2019 as President of Cortland Regional Medical Center. During my career, I’ve served on multiple governing boards of healthcare associations and volunteered in youth sports, education, scouting, prison ministry and a museum.
What else should we know about you? Dianne and I have been married for 43 years and are blessed with 4 children and 7 grandchildren. We are a family who values our faith and strives, albeit very imperfectly, to live out our Christian beliefs. We visit our 3 surviving parents in Pennsylvania frequently and relish our time with them. Both Dianne and I enjoy reading, travel, and anything related to family. I’ve begun writing children’s picture books, primarily targeted at conveying values to our grandchildren and friends with little ones.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? The library is a welcoming setting, surprisingly comfortable for a historic building. The staff are friendly and the online book searches make it relatively easy to access materials from anywhere in the Finger Lakes Library Network. Personally, I like the audiobooks, which allow me to multi-task while listening. For people who aren’t familiar with the library, my advice is “Try it...you’ll like it!”
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? In addition to reading the Bible daily, I have eclectic reading tastes. In paperback, I’m reading C. S Lewis’s, “The Screwtape Letters” and “Hell or Richmond” by Ralph Peters. My audiobooks are "Socrates in the City” by Eric Metaxas, and “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic” by Bill Gates. I just finished rereading "Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, one of my all time favorites.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? I am a lifelong reader as well as a community volunteer. Public libraries are important to communities providing opportunities for learning and enjoyment.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? As the newest member of the Board, I currently serve on the Personnel and Long Range Planning committees.
What’s your background? I have a Bachelor’s degree in political science from Colgate University and a juris doctor from Western New England University. I am admitted to practice law in New York, Connecticut and the District of Columbia. I was an attorney in private practice before being elected in 2003 as a Cortland County Judge. I preside over cases in Supreme, County, Family and Surrogate Courts. I also hear cases in two specialty courts, Integrated Domestic Violence Court and Youth Part of County Court.
What else should we know about you? I support many volunteer efforts in the Cortland community. In addition to serving on the CFL Board, I serve on the JM Murray Center Board of Directors, The Blatchley 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees, and am a member of the Homer Music Boosters, the Dairy Promotion Committee and the Zonta Club of Cortland. I have previously served as a member and officer of the Cortland Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees and volunteered with youth sports, music, theatre, and scouting activities.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? My favorite library program is the Dolly Parton Imagination library that provides books to children under the age of 5. I have my own custom of providing a new or gently used book to children whose adoptions I have finalized.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? Cortland Free Library is integral to the vitality of our community, and I want to give of my talents and experiences to help the library continue to meet the needs of those whom it serves.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I am a member of the Board of Trustees. I chair the Development and Marketing committee, and also serve on the Nominating committee.
What’s your background? I have always been a bookworm--I was the child who came to the library, borrowed as many books as I could carry, and was back again the next week looking to borrow more. Now as an adult, I still love to read. I enjoy using my background in marketing and communications to be of service to the library.
What else should we know about you? I'm an avid runner and skier. I also love taking my dogs for walks, and, unsurprisingly, reading.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? I love how the library is not only a place to check out books, but how it is truly a community hub. The library provides so many services, not just books--from audiobooks and books in Braille to services to help learn a foreign language, and also as a place to do research on a new topic, look at local history, study for a new profession, get help with finding and applying for jobs, do your taxes, and more. CFL is a home for books and always will be, but more than that, it's a place where so many other needs in the community can be met.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I'm currently reading Dave Grohl's memoir The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, as well as looking for a new sci-fi series to start.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? Having recently retired, I was excited about the opportunity to be a part of something so vital to the community. I have always known giving back would be an important part of my retirement bucket-list goals.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? Although I am still learning the full scope of my responsibilities, my understanding is I will take part in establishing and updating policies, succession planning and long-term goals for the library, and be involved with budgeting, operations, promoting and advocating for the library in the community, and evaluation of library staff.
What’s your background? I grew up in Homer, and have resided in Virgil for the last 35 years. I spent my early career working for Tops Friendly Markets as a Human Resource Specialist, then transferred to their convenience store chain as a Store Manager, then a District Manager. In 2003 I changed gears and accepted a position at Greek Peak Mountain Resort as their Human Resources Director. I had a very rewarding career working at a growing resort. I currently still contract with them as an HR Consultant and Auditor.
What else should we know about you? My husband Carl and I have been married for 36 years, and together we have raised 5 children: his, mine and ours. We have 9 grandchildren and a 10th due in June. We feel very blessed to have them all live within an a few hours of us. We have an orchard on our property that includes 125 apple trees, 75 blueberry bushes and 6 grape vines. We love to can, cook, freeze and share our harvest with family and friends. Another involvement for me is with our local Fire Department. I have been the District Secretary to the Virgil Fire District Commissioners since 2009. I have learned a lot in this role and have the highest respect for those who risk their lives and give up their personal time to attend to the needs of our community. We love to travel and look forward to some retirement adventures.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? There is an amazing number of resources and programs available through the library, geared towards all types of people and all types of needs. It is also staffed with kind, caring and passionate employees and volunteers that are there to serve and assist the community they serve. That is a valued trait not always found. I really love the look and feel of the library and the rich history that goes with it. If those walls could whisper…
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? Because I love to read and listen to audio books, I typically have a few going. Currently I am reading a love story by Elin Hilderbrand, a murder mystery by John Grisham, listening to a novel by Nicholas Sparks and one by JoJo Moyes, The Giver of Stars.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? When I was asked to be on the board I felt it was the right time in my life to give something back to the Cortland community. It’s a good fit for me because of my education and passion for information and literature.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I’m on the Personnel and Technology committees.
What’s your background? I grew up in Potsdam, NY. I have a BA in Psychology from SUNY Potsdam and a Masters in Library Science from The University at Albany. I’m certified as a K-6 teacher, Library Media Specialist and Public Librarian. I’m the Library Media Specialist at the Cortland Jr. Sr. High School.
What else should we know about you? I’ve lived and worked in Cortland for 25 years. My husband Chris and I have two teenage boys; Ben & Ethan and our dog Clayton. I enjoy watching my boys play sports. I’m a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild of American and I love to do beading.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? I love all the creative programs the library has for youth and young adults. Tammy [our Youth Services Librarian] has so much enthusiasm and passion for children’s literature and you can feel that when you enter the children’s room.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? Because I’m a librarian I’m always reading/listening to a variety of literature. I love reading historical fiction and I’ve gotten into graphic novels as that is a fast growing lit format for children and teens. My “go to” TV programs are anything on HGTV and all the Law & Order series.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? When I was on city council (1995-2003) the library was in my ward and as the daughter and granddaughter of librarians I recognize the importance of the library to our quality of life. I attended the board meetings while on the city council and was asked to join the board in 2004.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? Since I have been involved with the board for so long I think I provide some institutional memory for newer members of the board. I served as treasurer for a number of years and still serve on the finance and personnel committees.
What’s your background? Growing up I lived all over the northeast, moving every few years. I graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in economics, worked for a couple of years and earned an MBA in finance from Cornell business school. I worked for IBM and GE for a number of years and when my husband, daughter and I moved to Cortland I spent time as a volunteer and became involved in local politics, all of which led to my involvement with Cortland Free Library.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? The main reading room is my favorite spot, especially since I know how much work went into upgrading and refurbishing (and paying for!) the room.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I am currently re-reading Lindsey Davis’ series about Flavia Albia, a Roman widow and informer in the first century AD. The character is the adopted daughter of the protagonist of an earlier series who was also an informer.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? I was asked by Diane Ames to be on the board. I thought it was an honor to be thought of as capable of serving.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I am on the finance committee and serve as treasurer. The committee is responsible for proposing the budget for the library and monitoring the income and expenses of the library
What’s your background? I'm a veterinarian with a practice in Cortland and have been here for 43 years. I'm also in the Cortland Rotary club and our family has hosted 3 foreign exchange students.
What else should we know about you? I like to fly fish for trout and bass and tie my own flies. My wife and I have 3 grandchildren.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? Over the past 15 years the library has undergone a lot of changes, from funding, facility improvements, to gaining a children's librarian, to computerization. We are fortunate to have such an active and committed board.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I am reading a nonfiction book by Jeff Shaara, A Blaze of Glory. Olen Steinhauer's The Last Tourist was a good fiction novel.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? After a gentle nudge by John Hoeschele, I toured the library and realized that I was missing out on a real gem in Cortland County. My intent is to get to know the library more and continue serving Cortland by joining the Board of Trustees.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities?I am on the Buildings and Grounds Committee; I want to assist in taking care of the facilities that house the books and journals and information that serve our Cortland community.
What’s your background? Originally from Buffalo, NY. I served 22 years in the United States Army. After retiring from the Army, I assumed the role of Executive Director of the Lime Hollow Nature Center for 15 years and retired in 2021. I'm a husband, father, grandfather, and a nature guy.
What else should we know about you? I love spending time outdoors with my growing family in the summer, the winter, and everything in between. Every year, I read Owl Moon by Jane Yolen with my grandsons before we go Owling! We consider ourselves to be blessed with a great village of friends.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library?The library is a free ticket to anywhere in the world. It has stories, information, history, fantasy, and so much more. The Cortland Free Library has grandeur and awe when you walk through that front door, and then it has these quiet and peaceful little nooks and plenty of opportunities to get lost in the stacks.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?I recently finished Adam Grant’s, Think Again, and am now reading Yuval Noah Harari’s, Sapiens.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? When I was a young boy, I spent many years in the Cortland Free Library. I always felt comfortable there and I loved being surrounded by all those books. So when I was asked to be a member of the Board of Trustees it seemed like things had come full circle for me, helping this wonderful library in even a small way.
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? As a board member I also serve as a liaison to the Friends of the Library. I also enjoy volunteering for any activities or events that I can throughout the year.
What’s your background? I was born and raised in Cortland, a wonderful community that has given my family so much. I own and operate Riccardi Funeral Home in Cortland and currently serve as Cortland County Coroner. I graduated from Cortland High School and the Simmons Institute of Funeral Service, Inc.
What else should we know about you? My favorite thing to do is spend time with my 3 wonderful grandchildren. I am so proud of all 3 of them. I also enjoy NBA Basketball and LeBron James and I am a HUGE NY Jets Fan!
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? There are many things to like about our library, but for me, I would say its our incredible staff, from our Director Jen to our Children's Room Librarian Miss Tammy and all those behind the desk who do a wonderful job at helping all our visitors have an enjoyable library experience.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I am currently reading A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? The Library holds a lot of very pleasant memories for me. As a kid I’d ride my bicycle to the Library - and over time that became trips to the adult spaces. Inevitably my wife and I started the cycle over again when we started taking our kids to the library, then they rode their bikes, and eventually they grew into the adult sections. It’s a great place and I’m honored that I was invited in!
What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I’m currently on the Buildings and Grounds committee.
What’s your background? I’ve been a merchant sailor on the high seas, an engineer, a financial advisor, and currently a sales consultant for commercial construction projects. A jack-of-some-trades and master-of-none.
What else should we know about you? I really like beer and my friends really like beer. My favorite thing is to spend time with my two kids but they’re off to college now so I’ll have more time for my wife – and the beer with friends.
What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library?
As a kid I loved the library and as a parent it was clear that my kids loved the library. When I was around college age I really liked walking in and seeing the display of “new arrival” books just inside the front door. Now I appreciate all of the magazines and newspapers – there’s something nice about having a paper copy to browse through.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I’m reading a Wilbur Smith novel. It’s taking me a very long time. In the past I read everything Tom Clancy and James Michener wrote. I’m always searching for something to replace them but I haven’t found that author yet.
Why did you decide to join CFL’s Board of Trustees? I was asked by another CFL Trustee if I would be interested in joining the Board. After getting over my initial reaction (“What in the world are they thinking?") I said I would love to be a member of the Board. What’s your role on the board? What are your responsibilities? I am presently on the Technology and the Building and Grounds Committees. What’s your background? I am presently mostly retired. I previously was an electrical contractor, Manager of Electrical Engineering at Tetra-Tech A&E, and Senior Engineer at Taitem Engineering. I have lived within 10 miles of my birthplace in Cortland my entire life (so far). What else should we know about you? I am proud to say that I have been married to my wife, Priscilla, for 47 years, and have two daughters, Christine and Sarah. What’s your favorite thing about the library/something people should know about the library? The one thing I would like people to know about the Cortland Free Library is how dedicated the employees of the library are to serving the Cortland community. What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I have been continuously reading NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code for about 50 years now. Fascinating book, I don’t want to give away the ending, but I will say that it raises more questions than it answers.
