Residents on April 12 will vote for two of the five candidates running to serve as trustee on the Port Washington Library Board for the next five years.
The Trustee election and budget vote will be on Tuesday, April 12 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the lobby of the Port Washington Public Library. All positions are unpaid, according to library officials.
Current board trustee Nancy Comer is running for a second-term and said she plans on helping the library maintain itself as one of the community’s most valuable resources, as well as aid its ongoing transformation to meet the challenges of the digital age.
“I’m dedicated, innovative and creative,” Comer said. “During my tenure as Trustee, I’ve been instrumental in the facilities leaps we’ve made, working closely with the Library administration to improve learning spaces for our patrons. I’ve been active in the planning and marketing for the new Children’s Library. Our Books for Dessert Program won a national ASCLA Award for service to library users with disabilities, and I’ve helped write grant proposals for the program, bringing in over $20,000.”
Comer said her longtime involvement with the PWPL, service on the Health Advisory Council, and founder of the unique “Books for Dessert,” a book club for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities program, and her experience as an innovator on not-for-profit boards and years serving on Library committees have given her the skills and commitment to make a meaningful contribution to the library.
“I’ve served on, chaired and worked for the boards of a number of not-for-profits, including national breast cancer organizations, an agency providing services to people with developmental disabilities, and a national task force on eating disorders, as well as co-founded our local Baxter’s Pond Foundation, which plants and maintains the area surrounding Baxter’s Pond,” Comer said. “I have strong professional experience as a writer and editor for national newspapers and women’s magazines, along with running a publishing consulting business specializing in content, marketing, design for print and electronic media.”
Vice President of Finance and Administration at Queens College William Keller is also running for library trustee and said his experience in higher education, management consulting, investment banking, healthcare, and secondary school teaching business and government will help the library maintain and expand programs despite budget constraints.
“All public institutions have to manage a budget,” Keller said.
“My professional background in budgeting and facilities management will bring added expertise and strength to the library, especially important now as the library undergoes a major renovation,” Keller said referring to the library’s plan to update a new children’s center.
Keller serves on the Ed. Foundation advisory board and governmental and legislative affairs committee in the Port Washington School District. He also is a parent of three with one who’s a current ninth grade Schreiber student, and uses the library regularly.
“Our library is our community’s priceless cultural and educational resource and has always been an important part of my life and my family’s life.”
Port Resident Jeffrey Siegal is running for the five-year trustee term as well.
Siegal, an Internet and phone application developer, writer, and blogger said his extensive experience in the field of technology will be invaluable to the board as it plans for the future of the Port Washington Library.
“I’m bringing a different perspective,” Siegal said. “There are some nuts and bolt issues that have not been addressed.”
Siegal said he believes a major issue is that there’s a neglect on infrastructure in the library building, which he said is vital needs to be updated. Including furniture and electrical outlets.
“A lot of basic things need to be taken care of,” Siegal said adding that the library was last reconstructed 20 years ago.
Also running is Director of Sales Operations at ORICS Industries, Inc. Ronit Daniel.
Daniel has experience in Marketing Management and Customer relationship management and said that as an immigrant, the Port Washington Public Library helped him engage more with the community and become a proud American.
“I grew up surrounded by books. Every room in my parents’ house accommodated a library,” Daniel said. “These were pre-Google era, the days where one seeks for knowledge in books. Libraries represent for me a sanctuary. The Port Washington Public Library has been to me more than just a retreat.”
Chief Financial Officer Eric Kruger is the fifth candidate running the library trustee.
Kruger has more than 20 years of executive level financial management experience, is an active Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York, and a former member of the Port Washington Fire Department. He is also a member of an Executive Committee for a New York City financial company and said he believes his background in budgeting will be useful.
“I am very proud of the Port Washington Public Library and believe that my extensive budgeting experience, risk management, employee benefits management and negotiation skills will add value to the community,” Kruger said.
Current trustee Myron Blumenfeld whose seat is up for election is not re-running. Library Administrator Lynn Moessner said he’s not running for re-election due to old age.
Residents can learn more about the candidates by attending a forum hosted by The League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset on March 30. It will be held in the library’s Lapham Meeting Room, starting at 7:45 p.m.
In order to vote at the April 12 election, one must be a resident of the Port Washington School District and registered to vote beforehand. The library will be offering in-person registration on April 5, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Those who can’t vote in person can obtain an absentee ballot at the library or download a ballot from the library website, www.pwpl.org.
