Jackie Echols
Jackie Echols is an enviro-community activist and believes that a healthy environment
is a prerequisite for healthy communities. She is a staunch advocate for
citizen involvement and the inclusion of local knowledge and expertise in
governmental decision making processes, and she believes that citizens have a
responsibility to participate in deliberations that affect their health and
well-being.
Dr. Echols was born and
raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, and attended Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee
University) and Atlanta University. She received a Ph.D. in Political Science
from Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Echols taught public administration at
Atlanta University and Clark Atlanta University for over twelve years and
currently serves at Assistant Vice President for Community Development at
Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.
Jackie has first-hand
knowledge of how important citizen input is for effective policy making, having
served as president of the Underwood Neighborhood Association and chair of the
Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission. She is a founding member of the Peachtree
Woodall Whetstone Watershed Alliance and also served as primary spokesperson for
the Clean Streams Task Force in Atlanta.
Laura Hauser
Laura Hauser lives in Decatur, Georgia, where she is responsible for literacy
services as part of the administrative team for the DeKalb County Public
Library. Before accepting that position, she taught college and high school
English and worked as a private school librarian. Laura earned an undergraduate
degree in English and masters in Library and Information Management from Emory
University. She also has a masters degree and is ABD (all but dissertation) for
a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Georgia State University.
Laura’s passion for
supporting public libraries is based on her belief that access to free
information in numerous formats is at the heart of a democratic system of
self-government. She also feels that libraries provide a great opportunity for
people of all ages and backgrounds to learn firsthand the value and
satisfactions of sharing resources responsibly with others in their community.
When we enjoy and value what we share, we are more likely to value each other.
Through her active participation in and presentations at various professional
conferences and associations, Laura has come to understand why it is critical
for smaller towns in rural areas to receive extra help and encouragement in
creating their own libraries.
Kathy Furr
Kathy Furr, a resident of Carrollton, Georgia, was among the first Carroll County residents who began raising funds to build a library in the small town of Whitesburg, Georgia. As a charter member of the Friends of the Whitesburg Public Library, she knows that the realization of Whitesburg’s dream to build a library is a success story that can serve as an inspiration to other small communities who desire to better their citizens’ lives.
In addition to her work with the Friends of the Library, Kathy is a member and active volunteer with the Tanner Health System Auxiliary.
She has worked with and advocated for people with disabilities, including her work as project manager for the purchasing, renovating and furnishing of group homes for people with disabilities. She also served as department manager of plant maintenance, housekeeping and motor pool for a large nonprofit organization for 20 years.
Omar Poler
Omar Poler coordinates Convening Culture Keepers, a series of professional development and networking mini-conferences for tribal librarians, archivists, and museum curators working in American Indian reservation communities. He is Associate Outreach Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Library and Information Studies, where he received his MA in Library and Information Studies and teaches a course on indigenous information issues. An enrolled member of the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community in northeastern Wisconsin, he learned to love reading and libraries from his parents––especially his father, Dan, who helped start one of state's earliest tribal libraries. His interests include Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) American Indian language revitalization, tribal histories, and listening to the music of the Great Lakes region.
Gary Flack is a resident of Atlanta Georgia who grew
up in a suburb of New York City. He is a lawyer who helps individuals obtain
their Social Security disability benefits. He began working at the Atlanta
Legal Aid Society, and Social Security law has been his primary focus since
the late 1970s. As a lawyer, Gary adds a new skill set to the RLP board.
Gary has been a patron of public libraries for over 60 years. He volunteered in his public school library as an elementary school student. Currently, he is as likely to check out books, as movies or CDs from the Atlanta- Fulton Public Library.
