Meet the Foundation President
Trish Hawthorne
A UC graduate, local historian, former teacher and college counselor, Trish is a long-time Berkeley resident with a remarkable record of volunteer leadership. Recognized with an award for Outstanding Community Service from the UC Alumni Association. She's also a founding board member of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association and former chair of the Landmarks Commission. Trish was instrumental in the Neighborhood Libraries Campaign and helped create a new vision and direction for the Foundation after the campaign.
On the library
...
My lifelong love of the library was inspired and nurtured by a wonderful great-aunt
who was a children's librarian in Oakland. Her love of books and reading and the
library was contagious. For as long as I can remember, I've thought of the library as a special and welcoming place where wonderful things happen. Hallowed ground, for sure.
Favorite part of the library...
Although I am a dedicated patron of North Branch,
I must mention the History Room at Central. The collection of original materials it contains is a treasure trove; I've made some wonderful discoveries there.
Why the Library Foundation? I like serving on the Board because it's a great group of people to work with and I believe strongly in the importance of the library to this community. The library is available to everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. It is a place where we all belong -- our most democratic institution. In a diverse community like Berkeley, this has special resonance. Working with the Foundation to help the library thrive is deeply satisfying, as is the sense of making a difference.
What are you reading? I'm enjoying Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Reading by Wendy Lesser, Being Mortal by Atul Gawander, Lila by Marilynne Robinson, and the The Quiet American by Graham Greene.
Trish lives in North Berkeley with husband Tony, a retired lawyer who has just published his first novel -- a legal mystery called Silent Suspect.
|