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Presenter Biographies

Kaleema Abdurrahman has been a professional librarian for 20 years, with most of that time spent in children's work. She received her M.L.I.S. from Atlanta University and her B.A. in English form Spelman College. She has worked in libraries in Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Georgia, including being a media specialist. She is currently working at the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library and enjoys sewing and crafts, eating seafood, and occasionally laughing at Britcoms.

Joan Anderson is the Director of the Middle Georgia Regional Library. Many years ago when she was a Children’s Librarian, Joan was a Department of Agriculture IFYE participant to Venezuela. Her work there included working with the Venezuelan 5-V (Cinco V) – much like the American 4-H – setting up clubs and working with the children in schools, and community centers in various regions of the country. While studying Spanish in Costa Rica before going to Venezuela, she was able work with the professors to translate a few American finger play songs into Spanish.

Gloria Barton is the Youth Services Coordinator and Assistant Director for the Lee County Library System. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama's School of Library Service and has worked in academic and public libraries for over twenty years.

Brijin Boddy has been Head of the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System’s Teen Department since 2004. She graduated from Kent State University with a MLIS and completed her required young adult services practicum under the tutelage of Rollie Welch at the Cleveland Public Library. During this time, she developed an interest in promoting reading as a connector to succeeding in education. While working towards her degree, Brijin worked as an Assistant Librarian in the Elyria Public Library’s Children’s Department in Elyria, Ohio.

Ginny Collier is a youth services librarian with DeKalb County Public Library, Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams library. She is the Share-a-rama Stage Manager and the NE Quadrant Leader.

Stella Cone has been the Director of Georgia Library for Accessible Services since March 20, 2006. She is a North Carolina native who lived in North Dakota for 17+ years where she was the first regional librarian. Stella received a Masters of Science in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Vanessa Cowie is Programming Coordinator for the Forsyth County Public Library. She received her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina in 2001, but she has worked in north Georgia libraries for twelve years, mostly in youth services. She loves connecting young people with literature and seeing them inspired and empowered by the library.

Melodee Davis is the Program Manager, Assessment Research & Development Division in the Office of Standards, Instruction, and Assessment at the Georgia Department of Education. Dr. Davis joined the Georgia DOE after five years in the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. She also worked in test development at Georgia State University for many years and taught English and Latin in public schools across metropolitan Atlanta.

Caroline Figiel and Danny Jones combine their experience as parents, educators, writers and entertainers. They have written and produced children’s music and storytelling CDs that have motivated families’ dinner conversations and school curriculum. Through their personable approach of “kidspeak”, humor, sound educational strategies, catchy tunes, and energy, they have the unique ability to reach children as well as adults, in a “down to earth” and “edutaining” way. Two well-known educational publishers, Heritage/Lorenz Music and Marco Products, have created music and character education curriculum based on their work. Their storytelling CDs have been featured at the visitor’s center in Jonesborough, home of the National Storytelling Festival and their CD, “Teacher’s Toolbox”, which teaches early childhood skills through interactive music, was reviewed by “The School Library Journal” as “top notched”. They have designed programs and written activities and music for Ripley’s (as in Believe it or Not) Aquariums, The GA Aquarium, Breman Museum, Zoo Atlanta, Bodies the Exhibition, and Titanic International. Caroline and Danny also have been artists and educators in residence at the Marcus Institute, a facility for developmentally disabled children.

Jana Gentry works at the West Georgia Regional Library System, Buchanan-Haralson Public Library. She was selected to attend the 25th National Association of Black Storytellers annual conference in Atlanta in November 2007.

Dusty Gres is Director of the Ohoopee Regional Library System in Vidalia, GA. Her library regularly provides programming for Hispanic children and adults, working primarily with the Southeast Georgia Communities Project and the Migrant Head Start program. Dusty was one of the Georgia trainers for the Spanish Language Outreach program of WebJunction, a program that helps equip local library staff with knowledge and resources to reach out to Spanish speakers in their communities and increase their access to technology. In previous lives Dusty has worked as a Children's Librarian, Reference Librarian, professional storyteller and junior high social studies teacher.

Mary Jean Hartel has been the Young Adult Librarian (and AV Librarian but we don't have to talk about that) at the Athens Clarke County Library for lo these 16 years. Talking with young teens about their interests, the concept of multiple intelligences, librarianship, and (this year) customer service has re-energized her to see beyond signing folks up for the next available computer.

Kimberly James Kibbey works for Athens Regional Library System in Outreach Services and as the Branch Managerat ourEast Athens Community Resource Center. She was raised in Athens and graduated from the University of Georgia. She taught in public schools for 7 years prior to taking a position with the public library system in Athens where in January she will celebrate her one-year anniversary.

Karen Minton works as a virtual services librarian on the GALILEO support staff. Before joining GALILEO, she worked in public libraries in Georgia, and before that, in public television.

Judy Ridenhour moved to Georgia in 2004 following retirement from Social Work career in New York City. She has been employed by Clayton County Library System since July 2006 as a Part-Time Off-Site Storyteller. Judy presently reads stories to children at 25 pre-school, day care center and nurseries per month. Judy has 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. All of her family resides in Georgia except one grandchild who lives in New York.

Kimberly Smothers, a native of Montezuma, Georgia, has loved books all of her life and this love influenced her to apply for a library position at the Centerville Public Library where she worked for close to three years. She is now employed with the Peach County Public Library System as System Circulation Manager. Kimberly and her cat, Indi, reside in Warner Robins.

Lisa Tarr has worked as the Youth Services Librarian at the Smyrna Public Library for five years. Prior to this, she worked about a hundred different jobs ranging from academic advising and student affairs on a variety of college campuses to selling corndogs! Having an undergraduate degree in Public Relations, she enjoys the promotional aspect of programs as much as the program itself! Lisa's Masters is in Education from The University of Georgia. When life slows down a bit, she hopes to seek an additional degree in Library and Information Science.

Roni Tewksbury has been Assistant Director at West Georgia Regional Library for 23 years and has been working for the library for almost 25 years. B.S., M.Ed. from Winthrop College, MLS from University of South Carolina. She has done storytelling and puppetry for libraries, schools, and civic groups, as well as for her three grandchildren.

Karen Turner, Assistant Director and Children's Librarian, taught in the public schools for 17 years before joining the Chattooga County Library System. She received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina, is married and has two sons and one daughter-in-law.

If you have questions, please contact Elaine Black.