Trustees
There are six trustees, each elected for a 3-year term. In general, the Board of Trustees determines the mission of the library, sets the policies that govern the library, hires, and evaluates the library director, exercises oversight of library operations and long-range goals.
Trustees each serve on Board Committees focusing on areas of interest such as Curatorial, Building and Grounds, and Technology. The Trustees meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Eloranta Room at Forbush Memorial Library. Trustee meetings are open to the public and the agenda is posted in advance at Town Hall.
(formerly referred to as Long Range Plans)
Margherita Altobelli, Board Recording Secretary
Term: (2) 2022-2025
Committees on BOT: Curatorial, Building and Grounds, Friends liaison, Welcome to Westminster
Profession: Executive assistant, currently at Saint Vincent Hospital
Book you have most recently read: Wexford/Sloane mystery series by Penrose and Michele Sagara.
3-5 books on your “To Read” List: The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear, David Baldacci’s most recent Memory Man book, Long Shadows. Margherita really enjoys rereading “old friends”
Fun Fact: Margherita hails from a long line of book lovers and Forbush Library advocates with her mother serving as former Children’s Librarian and Library Director and her brother serving as a trustee.
Kim Caisse, Vice-Chair
Term: (1) 2023-2026
Committees on BOT: Technology, Friends liaison
Profession: Workforce Development professional
Book you have most recently read: The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power
3-5 books on your “To Read” List: Cover Story by Susan Rigetti, The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff, Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead, and House Rules by Jodi Picoult
What made you want to serve as a trustee? I love libraries and I like being involved in my community. I have always valued providing information so people can make informed decisions and enrich their lives.
Why is the library important to Westminster? The library nurtures the curiosity of the Westminster community. This starts with babies and toddlers who attend story hour and continues with people of all ages borrowing books they are interested in. I also think the library enriches our community’s culture through its various programs.
Anything else you would like to share: I like to review the books I read on Goodreads.
Tiffany Davis, Board Corresponding Secretary
Term: 1 (2021-2024)
Committees on BOT: Technology, Friends liaison, Welcome to Westminster
Profession: Educator
Book you have most recently read: Booth by Karen Jay Fowler
3-5 books on your “To Read” List: 1) Horse by Geraldine Brooks 2) Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson 3) How High? - That High by Diane Williams
What made you want to serve as a trustee? Libraries have been a lodestone for me throughout my life, providing everything from a refuge when I was a shy and awkward preteen to a place for finding a community of new moms when I first moved to Westminster. I want to make sure that the public library is there to welcome and serve future generations.
Why is the library important to Westminster? Public libraries provide a window to the world for everyone, regardless of who they are, where they live, and how much money they have. Libraries also offer two of the most basic tools that every citizen needs: 1) knowledge (which, of course is power!); 2) a place to connect with others.
Michelle Miller
Term: (1) 2023-2024
Committees on BOT:
Profession: Nonprofit Program Operations
Book you have most recently read: Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
3-5 books on your “To Read” List: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Unbound by Tarana Burke
What made you want to serve as a trustee? I have always had a passion for libraries, and the learning they enable. Libraries are the cornerstones of communities. They are one of the few places that people can visit throughout the year with no expectation of buying anything, making them highly accessible and welcoming. I am honored to be a part of such a strong community institution as the Forbush Memorial Library.
Why is the library important to Westminster? Westminster is a small town with a big heart. The library is within walking distance of the food pantry, a pharmacy, and a neighborhood grocery store. It is present at all major community activities, and hosts free events for children to learn Spanish, for mothers to connect with other mothers, among many others. At the height of the pandemic, the library did not stop serving the community; it brought books to those who needed them, providing not only the literature, but a safe human connection in a very isolating time. Forbush Memorial Library demonstrates the concept of the library as the cornerstone of community.
Anything else you would like to share: Libraries are about so much more than the books they lend. Let's all work together to keep Forbush strong.
Kimberly Samson, Board Chair
Term: (4) 2023-2026
Committees on BOT: Building and Grounds, Technology, Friends, Welcome to Westminster
Profession: Volunteer (trained educator, administrator)
Book you have most recently read: The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt
3-5 books on your “To Read” List: Three by Vale’rie Perrin, The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis, The Inheritance of Orqui’dea Divina by Zoraida Co’rdova, The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, Saturday Night at The Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
What made you want to serve as a trustee? Reading and books have always held a special place in my life. I saw becoming a trustee as an opportunity to serve as a link between the library and the community, advocating for the library and its important place in Westminster for everyone.
Why is the library important to Westminster? Forbush Library is a place where patrons, who may never interact elsewhere, come together. That vital community connection is important to our town.
Anything else you would like to share: I am really proud of the staff at Forbush and also of the forward momentum that the library has as it always strives to be better and do better. Our ability to service so many patrons during the horrible stress of the pandemic was fantastic. And…we gained many new library users, keeping the library relevant at a time when things are ever changing. I’m a quilter, love flowers, have a collection of 389 snowmen, and I’m a Murder She Wrote fan.
Neepa Shah
Term: (1) 2023-2024
Profession: Corporate Finance
Book you have most recently read: Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov
3-5 books on your “To Read” List: The Collector by Daniel Silva, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, The River We Remember by William Kent Kreuger, Agents of Chaos by Sean Howe, The Secret Hours by Mick Herron
What made you want to serve as a trustee? Being a trustee coincides with my desire to become involved with the library, a place I've always loved. The opportunity came at a great moment as well, some of my time has been recently freed up and I was looking for something meaningful to fill it with.
Why is the library important to Westminster? The library serves as a community gathering point, not merely a place to borrow items. It is one of the few places that encourages people to take time away from our busy lives and enjoy the moment.
Anything else you would like to share: I have 2 adorable dogs, Emmy, and Hershey. In addition to reading, I enjoy hiking (with the dogs) and biking.