Please contact the Executive Director,Jerrilyn Kirk, with any membership questions including access to BCLTA board meeting agendas and reports or to connect with any member of the BCLTA Board of Directors.
2023 BCLTA Board Meeting Schedule
January 24
March 28
September 12
December 5
AGM in conjunction with Beyond Hope
Beyond Hope is in Prince George on May 15-16
Board of Directors
Mike Gagel
President 2021-2023 Board Chair, Prince George Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2016
Mike earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing at the University of British Columbia and worked as a nurse for almost 20 years at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Coastal Health, and as a sole proprietor consultant. In the second half of his nursing career Mike progressively focused on staff education through the use of technology. Next, he worked at the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) where he was responsible for all of the Association’s technology needs and also supported various trustee committees. Mike currently works for Northern Health as their Regional Manager, Communicable Disease.
As a volunteer, Mike has been on the BCLTA board since 2016, and serves as Chair of the Prince George Public Library Board and its Policy and Governance Commitee, and sits on its Local History Committee. Mike is active in other areas of his community as well. He volunteered with Parent Advisory Councils at the school and district levels, and has been a Scouter with Scouts Canada since 2011. As a Scouter, Mike has been successful with grant applications totaling over $12,000 to support Scouting initiatives in and around Prince George.
As an avid reader, Mike’s interests include medieval European history, and science fiction and murder-mystery novels. He takes full advantage of his Hoopla and OverDrive accounts, and has downloaded many, many audio and ebooks. Some of his other interests include Maker initiatives, birding, backyard astronomy, and travel.
Jennifer Amell
Director 2022-2024 Prince George Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2022
Josie Chuback
Director 2021-2023 Whistler Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2021
Josie is a Trustee with the Whistler Public Library, serving as Chair of the Human Resources and Governance Committee for the past four years. She has played a significant role in the development of board policies, board recruitment and training, performance development and succession planning.
In her second year as Chair of Interlink Federation of Libraries (Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky, Sunshine Coast) Josie works with Board member appointees and the executive director in guiding the work of the organization in collaborating on shared programs and services and most notably supporting staff training and development initiatives.
Josie retired from municipal work in Parks and Recreation and currently provides consulting services in project planning and management, and facilitation in community development and a variety of community services.
Josie is also an active volunteer with Whistler Blackcomb as a mountain host and as an ambassador with Whistler Sport Legacies and currently serves as chair of the Recreation Leisure Services Advisory Committee to the municipality. In her spare time Josie hikes, bikes, skis and rides horses.
“I believe libraries are fundamental to community resilience and community building and are valued as pillars of strength, foundations of truth and agents of change. I believe in contributing where I can to these values and to build stronger bonds and understanding within and outside the field.”
With gratitude and respect, Josie acknowledges that she lives, works and plays on the shared, unceded territory of the Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) Nation and the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation.
David Clark
Director 2021-2023 Cranbrook Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2019
David brings a wealth of skills to his board work. He is retired from the insurance and mutual funds industry, where he was a Certified Financial Planner®, with over 20 years experience with a national company.
David’s passion for public libraries began when he received his first library card for the Chilliwack Public Library at the age of six. As well as being the Vice-Chair of the Cranbrook Public Library Board, David is the Board Chair for a local charitable thrift store. He is also Vice-Chair on the board of Trustees for an independent school.
Darra Hofman
Director 2022-2024 Tumbler Ridge Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2022
Darius Maze
Director 2022-2024 Surrey Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2022
Michelle Sylvest
Director 2022-2024 Nelson Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2022
Laura Vilness
Director 2021-2023 Pender Island Public Library Board On the BCLTA board since 2021
Laura is a retired educator with 37 years of experience as a teacher, consultant and administrator in Saskatchewan school divisions. Her personal and professional education includes: B.A., B.Ed,. M.Ed., and Ed.D. Laura has extensive experience with local, regional and provincial boards in public and post-secondary education.
Laura moved to Pender Island in 2018 and has dived into community activities such as the Pender Island Arts Society, the Ptarmigan Gallery, quilting, knitting, photography and whatever else engages her interest. She loves living on the coast of the Salish Sea and the traditional lands of the W’sáneć peoples.
Laura has been on the Pender Island Public Library Board since 2019 and is in her second year as board chair. When she moved to Pender Island one of the first things she did was go into the local library and get a library card. Then she applied to be a volunteer and, finally, a board member. Libraries have always been her happy place, a place of calm, reflection and engagement and she is honoured to be on the Pender Island Public Library Board and the Board of the BCLTA.
Jerrilyn has spent many years serving in various local government capacities including Tumbler Ridge Council, the Peace River Regional District board, North Central Local Government Association, Union of British Columbia Municipalities and Federation of Canadian Municipalities as well as serving as President of the BC Library Trustees Association, Vice Chair of the Lakeview Credit Union board and Vice President of the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation as well as race director of the Emperors Challenge Mountain race
Jerrilyn places tremendous value on building relationships between and among individuals and groups, creating a stronger more dynamic community of organizations ensuring their sustainability. She is thrilled to be able to put her connections and skills to work for benefit of BCLTA
Babs (she/her) brings over 30 years of experience facilitating workshops, community forums, and organizational process. She has done extensive community-driven and academic research projects on governance structures, culture, and process and gets a kick out of talking about fiduciary responsibility, accountability, and transparency while challenging “best practices” and the status quo. When not working with other organizations through her own private practice, she enjoys meeting and working with the diversity of people across BC who want to serve their communities through the governance of public libraries.
Babs is grateful to be situated on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation (Prince George).
Jan Thomas
Bookkeeper jan.thomas@bclta.ca Jan has served as the administrative assistant for Heritage BC for more than 25 years, ably supporting this not-for-profit organization to deliver annual and regional conferences, annual general meetings, newsletters, website, and government advocacy activities to a province-wide membership. BCLTA is lucky to have her in-depth knowledge of association management at work for BC public libraries.
