Trustees, Friends, Foundations: Strategically Rooted and Value-Added Civic Catalysts

Trustees, Friends, and Foundations are unique and essential assets in advancing a library’s strategic priorities, including those around civic engagement. A dynamic partnership in Sonoma County, CA, fosters relationships and deepens civic engagement at and beyond the library. Hear their story with concrete ideas that can be applied to or adapted for your own community. Come with curiosity, leave inspired to action.

Presenters

Deborah Doyle, immediate past president of United for Libraries, is a writer, editor, and fundraiser as well as an active library advocate at local, state, and national levels. She played board and staff roles at Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. She has served as President of the California Library Association (CLA), chair of the Sonoma County Library Commission, 2024-2026 United for Libraries President, and member of the ALA Committee on Legislation and the CLA Advocacy and Legislative Committee. She is treasurer (and a past president) of California Public Library Advocates, and is a board member of the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County.

Lynn Dooley is a retired advertising sales executive with CBS Radio and Television, ABC & ESPN Radio Networks and Disney. Lynn’s stand for truth and transparency in advertising motivated her to join the League of Women Voters in 2017. As a board member of the Sonoma League, Lynn focuses on bringing the Pros & Cons of Local Measures and State Ballot Propositions to Sonoma County voters before elections, presenting Voting Education in Sonoma County high schools and spearheading the Stand Up for Democracy program. Lynn lives in Petaluma, CA with her husband. She has two grown (and wonderful) daughters and one 6-month-old, extremely cute grand daughter.

Erika Thibault has more than 20 years of experience working in libraries across California. Prior to her appointment as Library Director for Sonoma County Library, she served as Deputy Director. Her career spans a wide range of public library roles, including reference librarian, young adult librarian, library assistant, branch manager, and principal librarian with the Los Angeles Public Library.

Before entering the library profession, Erika worked in the cultural and media sectors at Santa Monica Public Radio and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Northern California Public Media, serves as Co-Chair of the California Library Association’s Advocacy & Legislation Committee, and is President of the California County Librarians Association.