The California State Library and California Library Association are pleased to announce the third cohort of participants in the Catalyst leadership development program. Catalyst is a cohort-based program under the banner of California Libraries Learn (CALL) designed to equip and support California library workers with development opportunities that allow them to lead from anywhere.
During the program, participants will explore and apply critical skills in library leadership, including equity, effective communication, community engagement, and co-design. The cohort will also engage in enriching networking experiences, reflective practices, and mentorship opportunities designed to foster both personal and professional growth.
The Catalyst cohort participants for this year are:
Name: Cailin Yeager
Library: Sonoma County Library
Cailin is a Youth Services Supervisor at the Sonoma County Regional Library where she enjoys supporting her staff, welcoming families into the library, and trying to make all the babies smile and laugh. When she’s not at work, you can find her snuggling and reading with her giant dog and kids or trying to identify all the plants on an outdoor adventure.
Name: Carolyn Kimmel
Library: San Diego County Library
Carolyn is a librarian with the San Diego County Library who is passionate about bringing library services to under-served and marginalized populations. She is equally passionate about the Oxford comma and defending the validity of audiobooks as reading.
Name: Crystal Mercado
Library: Arcadia High School
Crystal is a high school teacher-librarian and district librarian in Arcadia. She is an avid audiobook listener and is always looking for ways to grow, try something new, and make each year better than the one before.
Name: Dan King
Library: Therese Academy & Coronado Public Library
Dan is the School Librarian at St. Therese Academy and a Librarian I at Coronado Public Library. He is passionate about libraries as a means to access critical resources for all members of the community, and he is excited to learn more about library advocacy. When not in a library, Dan is generally outdoors watching birds or indoors watching his cats.
Name: Ivana Salgado
Library: Sacramento Public Library
Ivana is a Queer, Disabled, First Generation Salvadoran-American, currently working on occupied Nisenan land. They are a dedicated public servant and librarian to be, who is passionate about bridging the gap between resources and underserved populations while working alongside the same community that raised her.
Name: Eunice Hong
Library: Huntington Beach Public Library
Eunice is a librarian and artist, currently serving as a Tech. Services librarian at the Huntington Beach Public Library. She enjoys using storytelling–through programming, collaboration, art, and writing–to build community and connect people with resources, ideas, and lifelong learning opportunities.
Name: Hana Oshita
Library: El Camino College
Hana manages the day-to-day operations in the Learning Resources Center (Tutoring Center and Study Center) of an academic library. She enjoys guiding student staff in making the library a welcoming and accessible place.
Name: Ignacio Negrete
Library: Madera County Library
Ignacio is a Library IT Technician with the Madera County Library, where he manages and maintains the library’s computer systems while also providing technical support to patrons, helping them navigate a wide range of technology-related challenges.
Name: Jasmine Fang
Library: Mountain View Public Library
Jasmine Fang is a government and higher education professional turned library staff member and author. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Name: Jessica Choy
Library: San Francisco Public Library
Jessica works as a children’s librarian at a neighborhood branch of San Francisco Public Library, where she serves on the library’s Early Learning and Literacy Champions committee.
Name: Jimena Jaramillo
Library: Simi Valley Public Library
Jimena Jaramillo coordinates Adult Literacy Services at the Simi Valley Public Library, where she develops and manages programming to support adult learners focused on improving their reading, writing, oral communication, digital literacy, and workforce readiness skills, as well as those attaining their high school diploma or citizenship. She is a passionate lifelong learner that enjoys helping others work towards their goals and achieve their full potential.
Name: Kimberlee Wheeler
Library: Butte County Library, Chico
Kimberlee Wheeler is the branch manager of Chico Library in northern California and has worked in libraries since 2010. As a newer branch manager, Kimberlee is eager to learn new skills and grow alongside peers in the year ahead.
Name: Luz Amador
Library: Burbank Public Library
Luz Amador is a Library Operations Supervisor at Burbank Public Library who is passionate about supporting her staff, creating inclusive library spaces, and advocating for her community. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, live music, and spending time in nature with her wife and rescue dog, Miklo.
Name: Maia Mondy
Library: Yolo County Library
Maia is currently a library assistant with the Yolo County Library and a graduate of Sacramento City College’s library and information technology program. Her supervisors describe her as one of their strongest staff members: proactive, thoughtful, dependable, and consistently willing to take on unfamiliar challenges.
Name: Marri Atienza
Library: California Digital Library
Marri Atienza is an Information Services Analyst at the California Digital Library; she supports library services and collaborates with colleagues across the University of California Libraries. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, visiting museums, playing badminton, and exploring new restaurants.
Name: Maxwell Holland
Library: Beverly Hills Public Library
Maxwell works as a Librarian II for Beverly Hills Public Library. He is a former library kiddo, now a caregiver for curiosity and creativity, and a Storytime wiggle champ.
Name: Meagan Helms
Library: Riverside Public Library
Meagan is a Librarian at the downtown branch of Riverside Public Library who is committed to its Local History and Archives and connecting to Riverside’s history by day. By night, she’s a Dungeon Master who loves arthouse films and playing guitar.
Name: Michele Garcia Martinez
Library: Huntington Beach Public Library
Michele Garcia Martinez is a Technical Services Librarian with a passion for community engagement, emerging technologies, and lifelong learning. An ALA Spectrum Scholar, she is committed to growing as a leader and using her work to expand access to learning, technology, and opportunities for the communities she serves.
Name: Nereida Bravo
Library: Belvedere-Tiburon Library
Nereida Bravo is a bilingual children’s librarian at the Belvedere-Tiburon Library who is passionate about children’s services, community engagement, and creating inclusive library spaces. With a background in biology and experience serving diverse Bay Area communities, she is committed to connecting people with resources, learning opportunities, and one another.
Name: Perla Sanchez
Library: Sonoma County Library
Perla is a bilingual Outreach Librarian and drives the bookmobile to community stops and events. She is passionate about providing services for underserved communities, especially the Spanish speaking community.
Name: Phil Coba
Library: San Diego County Library
Phil Coba is a Latine Librarian with San Diego County Library who brings a punk, DIY mindset to youth services and community programing. Their work tends to live somewhere between Storytimes, Dungeons and Dragons, lucha libre, and zines. Experimenting with programs to move beyond the one size fits all mentality of what community engagement is supposed to look like.
Name: Rachel Zibaila
Library: Shasta Public Library
Rachel is the Assistant Library Director of the Shasta Public Library system and enjoys new adventures, live music, and traveling for work or pleasure.
Name: Ramara Rubin
Library: Inglewood Public Library
Ramara Rubin is an Associate Librarian at the Inglewood Public Library. Beginning her library career as a Library Support Clerk and growing into her role as a librarian, she is passionate about serving her community wholeheartedly. Outside of the library, Ramara enjoys spending time with family and friends, thrift shopping, listening to music, 35mm film photography, and exploring the outdoors!
Name: Terra Emerson
Library: Sonoma County Library
Terra Emerson (she/her) is a Supervising Librarian for the Forestville, Occidental, & Guerneville branches of the Sonoma County Library. In her free time she enjoys writing, reading, and performing poetry and snuggling with her cat Margot.
Name: Viviana Estrada
Library: San Diego County Library
I am a Library Technician II with the San Diego County Library. I love walks with my dogs, hiking, reading, and cooking.