Lodi Library under new leadership
The Lodi Library Board of Trustees is set to go behind closed doors Tuesday evening to discuss the evaluation, dismissal and release of former Library Director Dean Gualco.
Jeff Hood, who serves as the city’s spokesperson and parks, recreation and cultural services director, has been named the library’s acting director and confirmed he has been serving in that capacity for the past three months.
“There’s a section of government code that talks about review, replacement, discipline and dismissal, and that’s just a reference to all the various reasons why you can have a closed session,” City Manager Steve Schwabauer said of the upcoming special meeting. “So just because it says review, discipline, dismissal doesn’t necessarily mean that it is,”
Schwabauer explained that while Gualco was employed with the city his employment was governed by the Library Board of Trustees, not by the city manager or the city council. Schwabauer said that Gualco had indicated that he planned to retire, and the trustees will have to discuss what they will do in terms of a replacement.
Gualco said he is currently in a transitional period with the city and is unsure of the exact date he will officially retire.
“The longest I’ve been in a job is five years, and then I go to a new challenge,” Gualco said. “I’ve actually been in the city for 11 years, so it’s been a long time. Plus, I’m at the age where I can retire, and I think it’s such a good time. We’ve just had so many accomplishments with the library, and we’re just truly blessed and so I think it’s a really good time. It allows me to focus on other issues. I’ve just been very lucky.”
Having authored a number of books in the past, Gualco plans to continue his career as a writer and tackle some new adventures moving forward.
“It’s a good time to take it easy,” Gualco said. “I’ve been working for almost 30 years, and so you get to an age where you want to look at new adventures. I started with the city in human resources, and then six or seven years ago I moved into the library. I would have never guessed that I would’ve been at the library ,and so it’s just been an amazing experience. I’ve never worked in a library before, and it’s really energized me to do that job.”
Gualco said that he will miss having the ability to make a difference in the community. During his time as director he spearheaded the addition of a homework help room and a teen scene and jump-started efforts to bring a children‘s story time room to the library as well as various other accomplishments.
“It’s been a whirlwind. I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity along with others to make something better, and you often don’t have an opportunity especially in the days of diminishing resources to make an impact similar to the impact we’ve made at the library,” Gualco said.