Meet the Board
David Roberts
David is the Adult Ed Coordinator at the Hannaford Career Center and has spent the last 25 years working in financial consulting, education and workforce development. David holds an Assistant Director of Adult Education License and a Master of Accounting. He enjoys gardening, raising chickens, baking and creating stained glass.
Cristy Harding
Cristy and her family have been Brandon residents for 22 years. Cristy is a Personal Banker at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, and has worked at the bank for over 15 years. In her free time Cristy is active in her church, sings with the Brandon Festival Singers, reads, enjoys the outdoors, and spends time with her family
Bruce Ness
Bruce's parents were library board members for 30 years at a small library in Indiana so he was acquainted with the library early. From a career as an engineer in the building industry, his experience should be helpful with both building management for maintenance and repairs in addition to any expansion projects.
John Peterson
John grew up in Rhode Island where his love of books and history was born. He came to Vermont in 1985 to teach history at Rutland High School and moved to Brandon in 1987 where he and his wife Laura raised their 3 sons. He is now retired after teaching 35 years in Rutland and is happy to call Brandon his year-round home.
Beate Ankjaer-Jensen
Born and raised in Norway, she's lived in many places across the world. When she was a single mother of three, she learned the truth behind the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. Libraries play a vital role in that village, and she's excited to be a member of the library board of trustees. Her background in Historic Preservation and Master of Library and Information Science will help to shape the future of Brandon Free Public Library.
Gary Meffe
Gary Meffe is a retired Research Professor in Ecology and Conservation Biology, and has lived in Brandon with his wife Nancy since 2007. He has a long connection to the written word, having authored dozens of scientific papers and several textbooks. He is also the author of two Vermont-focused books, a novel and a collection of essays. Gary considers reading and writing to be critical and fundamental rights of a free and open society, and is honored to advance that vision on the BFPL Board of Trustees.
Cecil Reniche-Smith
Growing up, Cecil always had her nose in a book (it helped that there was a family rule that you didn’t have to do chores if you were reading). It helped that she lived just a few blocks from the local library, where she and her siblings were infamous for checking out more books collectively than most of the town. After college, Cecil worked in independent bookstores in Chicago, NH, CT, and OR, going to law school in her spare time. Cecil retired to Brandon in 2019, where she now works at The Bookstore.
Nancy Iwanicki
Nancy lives in Leicester on a small Christmas tree farm with her husband and dog. She is a retired Land Surveyor, having worked for the Green Mountain National Forest for 36+ years. She enjoys most outdoor activities, but is also an avid reader. Her love of reading goes back to those Scholastic book fairs as a kid and working in her Mom's bookstore as a teenager. She is looking forward to serving on the Library Board at this exciting time.
Jeff Haylon
Jeff is a salesman and woodworker with a background in political analysis. His "itch" for public service never faded, and he tries to give back to this wonderful community by volunteering for several boards and committees. Learning and historical preservation are his two great passions, and the BFPL is a fantastic outlet for both.
Harry McEnerny
Harry McEnerny moved with his family to Vermont in 1996, and to Brandon in 2016. He recently retired from a career as a Theatre Arts Professor, having directed over 70 plays and musicals. He enjoys cooking, traveling, and building things, and is very happy to be a member of the fantastic Brandon community.
Courtney Satz
Courtney is native Vermonter who fell into a fantastical 15 year stint as a farmer’s wife managing farm life and two growing boys. She now spends her days designing for print, obsessing with growing plants, seeking adventure with her kids, and volunteering her spirit and talents to the community. Her love for “real” paper books is shared with her mom, the two of them passing favorite reads back and forth.
Board Members
- David Roberts, Board President
- Gary Meffe, Vice President
- Cristy Harding, Treasurer
- John Peterson, Recording Secretary
- Bruce Ness
- Beate Jensen
- Cecil Reniche-Smith
- Nancy Iwanicki
- Jeff Haylon
- Harry McEnerny
