Library Board sees changes

The Fairport Harbor Public Library Board has said good-bye to two of its longtime leaders and is now welcoming two new members

Ken Newton has retired as president of the board. Heserved for 16 years as a board member, including as its president since 2012.

“I have always enjoyed books and research (I own a set of Encyclopedia Britannica’s from the days before the internet),” Newton stated in a news release. “I believe in trying to give back to my community so when I saw the Library trustee position open, I thought it would be perfect considering my interests.

“The main thing I learned being on the board over the years is how much the Library employees care about the Library and our community. “

Meanwhile, Paul Mathews also has resigned from the Library Board to pursue a teaching position with Case Western Reserve University. Mathews has served as a board member for 22 years and has served as its vice president since 2006.

“It has been an honor to serve on the FHPL board for over twenty years now and despite a few bumps and bruises along the way it’s been a great time,” Mathews said in the release. “We have always had phenomenal staff which made that part of the board’s operations easy and strong support and appreciation from our patrons and the community make the work rewarding.”

To replace Newton and Mathews, the Fairport Harbor School Board has appointed Lee Negrelli and Anna Coll to serve as board members.

Negrelli is a resident of Fairport Harbor and the owner and operator of The Wild Spork food truck business. She is the vice president of the Northeast Ohio Food Truck Association and a board member of the Fairport Harbor Arts and Culture Alliance.

Negrelli is a frequent library patron and expressed that she would, “love to continue growing the library’s community services and awareness of these services so that every resident knows there is something for them at Fairport Library,” according to the release.

Coll is the owner, counselor, mediator, and parenting coordinator at Common Ground Conflict Resolution Services and is an adjunct professor at Lake Erie College. She is a member of the Fairport Harbor Band Boosters, Academic Boosters, and served previously on the school board.

Coll stated in the release that she “welcomes the opportunity to be a part of the library board, particularly through the upcoming transition to a new building.” She added she would like to see “continued expansion of program offerings” at the library and would like the community to see the library as a “hub for local information and resources.”

The library is governed by a board of trustees consisting of seven members who volunteer their time and expertise. The 2022 executives are Pam Lausin, president; Jim Gutowski, vice president; and Rebecca Steinback, secretary.

Board meetings are the third Tuesday of every month except July at 5:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the library, 335 Vine St. The meetings are open to the public.