Kathy Love (President)
Hello, my name is Kathy Love. I have been a resident of Potsdam for 40 years. I spent my entire career working at and supporting the Crumb Memorial Library and SUNY Potsdam. I am now retired with my post-retirement job being a substitute teacher aide in the Potsdam Central School system. I am a self-published children’s author, a blogger, and a hospice volunteer. I fully support the good work they do. I also fully support the work that our public library does. When I visit the library (which is often) it feels like coming home. Our library may appear small but it is big on services. Most budgets do not allow for the purchase of the very expensive new books when they come out. Our library sees to it that we all have access to them. A favorite sight of mine is that small child holding a stack of books, excited to get them home and start reading. Young readers become adult readers who can become leaders. I am looking forward to representing our library as a trustee.
Mary Cabral
Mary Cabral is the Health Sciences Librarian at Clarkson University, working with the faculty and graduate students in the Lewis School of Health Sciences. She is an experienced librarian and an accomplished researcher with a long history of working in higher education, which includes eleven years at Clarkson, five years with the MIT Libraries, and three years at Boston Public Library. A Potsdam Village resident for a dozen years, she has served on the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Board of the Potsdam Public Museum, and is an active member of the Potsdam Food Co-op. She has also volunteered as a tutor in Potsdam Library’s Adult Literacy Program. Mary holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MLS from Simmons College.
Statement:
“I have been involved in the library world on a professional level for decades and an enthusiastic patron of libraries my whole life. I feel strongly about promoting literacy in reading, technology, health and demystifying the complex world of information we all navigate. The public library serves so many important roles in our community by offering a wealth of programs and resources. It is a place for diverse exploration and discovery. It provides lifelong learning and educational support on all levels. It spurs personal productivity and cultural engagement, and critically, it is a hub for community connection. It is a small library with a big impact. I would be honored to hold a position as a library trustee and play an active role in maintaining its vibrancy in our community.”
Abigail DeCastro
Abby is a native of the Finger Lakes Region and has been living in Potsdam since 2016 with her husband, Miles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and is currently the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Clarkson University. She loves the plethora of outdoor activities available in the North Country and especially enjoys snowshoeing in the winter and kayaking and hiking during the summer. Abby plays the clarinet and is an active member of the Potsdam Community Band and also performs with SUNY Potsdam’s Northern Symphonic Winds. As a life-long lover of books and an avid reader, Abby is eager to expand her involvement within the community while advocating for the newly-renovated Potsdam Public Library, which is an essential public resource she remains passionate about. The library offers an impressive variety of services of which many loyal patrons may not be aware, including an online media library, “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” reading challenge, resume building resources, ESL programs, and even a seed lending library. A former resident of several different states and still a relative newcomer to Potsdam, Abby is excited about the possibility of lending a fresh and innovative perspective to promote the access to these and other invaluable library services across a broader cross-section of our area.
Tammy Madeja (Secretary)
Tammara Madeja received her BS and MS degrees in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For the past thirty-seven years, she has been a public school music teacher in Potsdam and, prior to that, in the state of Illinois. Upon her retirement from Potsdam Central Schools in 2017, she served as Music Education Field Experience Coordinator and Student Teaching Coordinator at The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. Tammy has held statewide and countywide administrative positions including membership on the New York State School Music Association Executive Board, New York State Choral Chair, Training Coordinator for the New York State Arts Standards, and President of the St. Lawrence County Music Educators Association. Tammy and her husband Jim, Potsdam residents since 1985, loved raising their three children in Potsdam along with enjoying the many educational, cultural, and outdoor experiences our community provides.
Statement:
“As an avid reader and a resident of Potsdam for 37 years, I have been inspired by the beautiful renovation of the library and grateful for the many services it provides our community from children’s programming to online resources to ESL and literacy tutoring. I hope to give back to the Potsdam community which has given our family so much by representing the library and supporting initiatives that will help the library continue to grow and thrive while reaching as many residents as possible.”
Maureen Taylor
Although I am originally from Iowa, Potsdam has been my home since 1983 when I met my husband, Stephen. Together, we have a son Zachery, and a daughter Elysia. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a Masters of Science in Counseling from St. Lawrence University. Three years ago I retired from SUNY Potsdam’s Student Government Association where I worked as a business manager. I have served on the board of the Canton-Potsdam Hospital Guild as a treasurer and secretary as well as the Potsdam Town and Country Club Board of Directors. In these capacities, I have had the opportunity to oversee budgets and organize events. I would bring these skills to the table if re-elected to the Potsdam Library Board of Directors. I believe the Potsdam Library is a valuable resource as well as a refuge in our community. I love to read and our library makes reading, and so much more, accessible to the public. The range of services the library offers is impressive. From assistance with personal taxes to the literacy program and computer courses, this community haven provides something for everyone.
I invite you all to come check our beautiful, newly renovated facility!
Dani ben-Avraham
Dani has been a Potsdam resident since 1987, working as a Physics Professor at Clarkson University. He organizes the Science Cafe program in the area and is a regular contributor to the SOAR program (earning a SOARing educator Award, a few years back).
Sandra McCloy (Vice-President)
Sandra came to the North Country 32 years ago with her husband, Dr. John Dewar, to practice rural family medicine with obstetrics at the Canton-Potsdam Hospital. Having retired a couple of years ago, she now has more time to benefit from what the library offers. She has joined its book club and has taken its computer courses. She strongly believes that the public library is — like public education and the postal service — one of the bedrock institutions in American democracy. Her interest in the library is to help maintain the library as a vital access destination to all the “armchair” explorers in the community.
Richard VanLeuven (retiring from the board in June 2022)
Richard and his wife moved to Potsdam 46 years ago and worked as a pharmacist for Kinney Drugs and as Director of Pharmacy at Canton-Potsdam Hospital. He has coached soccer, basketball and baseball for his sons’ sport teams and served as treasurer for Trinity Church, the Potsdam Booster Club and the Council of Religious Concern (CORC). He currently serves on the Canton-Potsdam Hospital Board of Directors and CPH Foundation Board. He is currently a trustee of the Potsdam Public Library and serves as the chair of the Board’s Finance Committee.
David Trithart
David has been a Potsdam resident since 1973 when he joined the library staff at SUNY Potsdam. His areas of work included reference, instruction in the use of the library and various information technologies. He retired in 2012, but has continued his interest in the mission of libraries. He believes that public libraries serve a diverse audience with an exciting array of products and services. He believes that the Potsdam Public Library has been especially effective at being a dynamic part of the community, and we are grateful for his service in that capacity on the library’s board.