Community Corner
Candidate Q & A: Meredith McKenzie
Library Board candidates answer questions from Patch.
Altadena Patch asked the candidates for Altadena Library Board to answer questions before the Nov. 5 election. The candidates answered questions via email.
Name: Meredith McKenzie
Age: 60
Occupation: College Professor, Cal Poly Pomona & Realtor, Podley Properties
1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and why you should be elected.
I have lived in Altadena for three years. Professionally, I teach urban & regional planning classes and do water research at Cal Poly Pomona and am a Realtor with Podley Properties, specializing in Altadena urban homesteads and horse properties. My passion is restoring the Arroyo Seco stream bed and I have worked on many river restoration projects. I am known as the ArroyoLover because of this work. I am also a local equestrian and ride my buckskin, Lobo, down Loma Alta regularly on my way to the County Equestrian Center. I believe that I should be elected as Trustee because, of the three candidates in this race, I have the strongest record in non-profit management and leadership. I also am known for my cordial, collaborative problem-solving style, respectful of all stakeholders, including those whose opinions are different than mine.
2. What do you think distinguishes you from other candidates? What do you bring to the table?
I believe that I will be an important asset to our community as a Library Trustee. As a newer Altadenan, I bring 'fresh eyes' to the challenges facing the library. I have extensive governance experience, including having served as Secretary of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council and as a Director of the Pasadena Community Access Corporation (KPAS), which broadcasts the Altadena Town Council meetings. In addition, I bring significant experience in fund development, including successful grant writing, donor cultivation and fund-raising event marketing. Since one of the major challenges facing our Altadena Library is sustained financial support, I believe my fund-raising skills are particularly important to our ability to retain and expand our current programs, while instituting new programs,
3. Tell us about an issue that faced the Altadena Library in the past and how you would work to resolve that issue.
I have been a card-carrying member of the Altadena Library for the past six years. While I have not been actively involved with any 'official' Library projects, I use the Library regularly, donate books to the Friends of the Library booksales, and have committed to helping the Library Foundation in their fund-raising efforts.
4. What are the most pressing issues facing the community today? How would you approach and resolve these issues?
I note that you ask what the most pressing issues are facing our community today, rather than asking about the issues facing the library. As to community issues, I think the top concerns are 1) the impact on our Altadena students of the closure of some of our local PUSD campuses 2) unemployment and its effect on our local economic security and public safety, and 3) the challenge of keeping the 'authenticity' of Altadena alive through supporting local businesses and protecting our beautiful natural environment.
Our Library has and can continue to play an important role in addressing these community issues. The library's services for our young people are even more vital now, especially the availability of computers for schoolwork and our terrific literacy program. The library offers free access to computers and materials to help our residents with their job searches, critical to those who are currently unemployed. The library, through our community room, hosts a number of community groups and community programs to help educate and increase awareness of local issues in an environment that helps attendees get to know their neighbors. Finally, the library's beautiful campus is a testament to nature and architecture co-existing in a tranquil setting.
As to the challenges facing the Library itself, I believe there are three major challenges: revenue flow and financial management for sound fiscal sustainability, accessibility to library services for all Altadenans, and expansion of library services to meet the changing needs of our community, especially in the areas of new technology.
As described above, I know that my fund development and governance experience will help with the financial management of our library. i support building enhancements that will expand both library space and offer disability compliant access to all our facilities. It is important that ALL Altadenans - young, old, disabled - can visit and use our library and not be prevented from doing so because of physical mobility challenges. I encourage the expansion of our ebooks, DVD rental, computer classes and other technology-based services to help keep our citizens knowledgeable and work-competitive in the 21st century.
