Home / Library Resources / Youth Services /

Related link: Featured Speakers info

Presenter Biographies

Brenda Erickson is an A.M.I. Montessori teacher and has directed a non-profit educational organization, Counterpane, for thirty years.  Observing infants and toddlers, she saw a missing piece in the approach to language learning and designed an outreach literacy program called Souns to respond to the language development of the very young child outside the walls of formal education. Brenda is currently the Literacy Chair for District 6900 and a member of the. Rotary Club of Peachtree City

Trudy Friar’s experiential background includes 25 years in the early care and education field as a teacher, director, owner, trainer, and consultant.  She is a frequent presenter at ECE state and national conferences and has presented internationally as a U.S. Delegate for Early Childhood. She works as an independent contractor, a NAC instructor, a Technical College adjunct ECE instructor and a Better Brains for Babies trainer.  She travels the southeast delivering presentations packed with humor, current information, hands on opportunities and “tried and true” solutions to everyday problems.

Emma Laster, Children’s Librarian, of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is a graduate of Clark Atlanta-University.  She has dedicated ten years of library services to Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and twenty-three years at the DeSoto Trail Regional Library System.  Emma Laster specializes in Children’s Services at Adamsville-Collier Heights Branch.

Julienne Marks is a Youth Services Librarian at the South Cobb Regional Library in Cobb County, Georgia. A former elementary school teacher and museum educator, she received a Master of Arts in Education from Adelphi University and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science with an emphasis on Youth Services from the University of South Florida. She has served as a Youth Services Librarian in both school and public libraries for the last 10 years. She taught children’s literature as an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University. She enjoys facilitating Parenting and Conflict Resolution workshops and is deeply committed to providing quality library service and programs to patrons of all ages.

 

 Bea Mengel has been around children in various capacities all of her life, at one time being one herself and later, as an adult, working with children.  She has an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education.  She worked at her local public library in a variety of job titles while putting herself through college.  After 10 years of working in the library, she decided to pursue a career as a children’s librarian.  She received her MLIS from Queens College in New York and continued to work at her local public library on Long Island as one of the children’s librarians.  She relocated to Georgia in 2003 and has been working as the Youth Services Librarian at the Clayton County Headquarters Public Library.  Bea is one of the recent graduates of the Pinnacle Leadership program where she worked on this idea of Library Child Care.

Karen Minton is a librarian on the GALILEO Support Staff who has experience working in public libraries.

Jennifer Starck is a senior at Counterpane, has developed an understanding of the souns program through hands-on work with the materials, and is assisting with the SOUNS of Literacy presentation.

Mary Starck is currently the Children/Youth Services Coordinator and a Branch Group Manager with the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.  In addition to a 1979 MSLIS from Simmons College, she has forty years of experience in a wide variety of positions in public libraries in London, Boston and Fulton County. 

Lisa Tarr completed her undergraduate study at The University of Georgia majoring in public relations.  She did graduate work at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas and finished her master’s at the University of Georgia in Education.  After several years of working in both the academic setting and the public sector, she accepted the position of Youth Services Librarian at the Smyrna Public Library with one goal: To promote literacy among children through age 12.
Believing that marketing would be the key to success, Lisa set out to evaluate community interest, build relationships, promote library use, and increase attendance at events.

Andrew Tillman has worked for the Lee County Library since late 1999 and started as a part time assistant librarian, moved up to full time several years ago, and has always loved playing video games. After seeing a need for young teens to have a library activity in the summer he submitted a request to the director to have a gaming tournament and has been working on it ever since.

Sherry Turner has worked in libraries for nearly 40 years. She is presently working for the Clayton County Public Library System as the Managing Headquarter Librarian.  Formerly she was the Youth Service Librarian at the Fayette County Library.  Whether she was serving as a County Public Library Director or a media specialist she has found that the secret to successful programming efforts is found in creative marketing strategies. She will share marketing techniques that guarantee an audience in any size community working with any range of budget. She is writing a book on this topic entitled: The Pied Piper of Programming.  

Saundra Ukanna has worked for DeKalb Public Library for almost four years, the last and current one being as a Youth Services Specialist. She homeschooled all three of her sons through the ninth grade, the oldest now being in graduate school and the youngest a high school freshman. She brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to Youth Services and the homeschooling community.

Angela Whelchel, Children’s Librarian, Roswell Branch.  Ms. Whelchel has been with the Roswell Branch since 2001.  While she brings skills in all areas of work with children, Angie has developed special expertise in providing programs for very young children.
 
Eric Willis has been working with the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries since 2005. He is the bookmobile’s children’s and tween librarian. He is 23 years old and has a deep love for books and comic books. He is currently working on becoming a full fledge librarian by attending Clarion University. Before becoming a bookmobile librarian he worked at a recreation center as an activities coordinator and worked on various reading initiatives with the public library there.

Leigh Wiley is the Director of Worth County Library System and a terrible Guitar Hero player but hopes to improve by summer.

Veronica Winley graduated from Queens College in N.Y. and has lived in Georgia for over 32 years. She has worked for DeKalb County Public Library for 22 years- 18 years as a Youth Server- and currently as the Branch Manager and Youth Services Specialist at the Lithonia-Davidson Library.  She served on the Quadrant Council, presented workshops at a number of professional conferences, facilitated teen moms’ groups and conducted programs for at-risk-kids in shelters and group homes.   Her greatest pleasure, however, comes from the hugs she receives at the end of story hour and the moments when “Hey Miss V, what’s up?” tells her that she has connected with a teen.