Mendocino County, CA
HomeLibrary Advisory Board
Library Advisory Board (LAB)
The Library Advisory Board meets six times per year to discuss library operations, services, and programs.
LAB Members
Michele Savoy, District 1, Chair
Term expires January, 2029
Michele worked in the publishing industry as a designer, writer, editor and sale representative. She retired from the book industry where she worked for over 20 years. Michele served on the board of the Publishing Professionals Network for more than 18 years. She has been with on the Board of the Friends of the Ukiah Library for over 10 years. She believes in giving back to your community. The Library Advisory Board allows her to represent the Ukiah Library and provide feedback directly to the Board of Supervisors. Michele is a serious reader, an avowed print junkie and a motorcycle enthusiast. She loves to swim, garden and spend time with her husband and dogs. She has lived in Hopland, CA for over 20 years.
Jody Nyberg, District 2
Term expires January, 2029
Jody, a native Californian, grew up in Martinez, where her love of reading and exploring the local children’s library began. She would spend many hours in the library which expanded her horizons and influenced her imagination. Jody graduated from University of California at Santa Barbara with an BA in Communications. She lived for 40 years in Belmont, CA and spent the majority of her professional career in education administration.
Jody retired in 2021 after working for 36 years in Student Affairs at Stanford University, In December 2022 she moved to Mendocino County with her son and daughter-in-law to assist in their new venture, Solo Acre Farm, growing organic vegetables and flowers. In her on-going pursuit of giving back to the community she volunteers weekly at the Ukiah Library branch and serves on the board of the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library. She is excited about learning more about Mendocino County libraries while serving on the Library Advisory Board.
Lew Chichester, District 3
Term expires January, 2026
Lew has resided in some of the more remote parts of Mendocino County for the last fifty years or so and has a special appreciation for our libraries. These are havens for rest and contemplation, full of exciting and challenging information, free and open to anyone willing to whisper.
Carole Poma, District 4
Term expires December, 2028
Carole has treasured libraries since she was in grade school. Once a week she and her mother rode bikes to the Library to check out books for their nightly reading pleasure. Her mother taught her to love books. The Library was a way to travel to places far away and to learn about the world. Libraries are special places in our communities. They provide a wonderful place for children and adults to learn and grow. Many would not be who they are without our libraries.
Carole grew up in Southern California and worked with the County Fire Department and the Superior Court of California. In both of positions she negotiated contracts and provided Human Resource support. Once she retired and moved to Fort Bragg, she worked in the Library, supporting the Seed Library and Children's programs.
Megan Riley, District 5
Term expires Jan 01, 2027
Linda Thornquist Stumpf, City of Fort Bragg
Term expires October, 2025
Linda’s love of libraries started very early. Growing up, if Linda and her brother and sister had completed everything that was required of them prior to going to bed, and it was done at or before bedtime, they were allowed to stay up as long as they wanted to read. They are all still avid readers. So many fulfilled dreams were spawned from library books.
Linda’s professional career involved primarily healthcare - from administration to patient care. Linda has also volunteered throughout her life. Linda holds an Associate in Science as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree. Linda’s family arrived in Fort Bragg in the early 1900’s and spans a few generations now on the coast and in Ukiah. Linda loves and is proud to call Mendocino County her home.
Vacant, City of Point Arena
Term expires____
Susan Sher, City of Ukiah
Term expires December, 2025
Susan has served as an elected member of the Ukiah City Council since December 2022. She also works part-time as a mediator helping parties resolve disputes among family members, employees, neighbors and within organizations. Prior to that, she was self-employed as an attorney for 30 years representing low wage workers in employment discrimination matters. Having lived in Ukiah for over 40 years, Susan has been a long-time and very grateful patron of our wonderful local public library. She is excited to become a member of the Library Advisory Board and participate in securing the future of this beloved institution.
Olga O'Neill, City of Willits, Co-chair
Term expires September, 2026
Olga is a lifelong patron of libraries, including Mendocino County's for the past forty years, and appreciates the richness they bring to a community. Her career as an educator bolstered her belief in the importance of a community resource that addresses education, culture and entertainment in a free and equitable manner. Olga is honored to work with the Library Advisory Board in supporting the work of Mendocino County's Library system, and ensuring that revenue for the library is used judiciously with its mission at the forefront.