Message from Paula Moore, President of Bixby’s Board of Trustees:
The pandemic might have been seen as a roadblock but thanks to Zoom, the Bixby board completed the search for its next director right on schedule and made the unanimous decision to hire Catharine Findiesen Hays. Her start date is May 1st.
Library trustee Nial Rele, who chaired the search committee, noted that it “received 25 applications from many talented and qualified folks.” Following a first round of interviewing ten candidates by phone, the committee presented three finalists to the board, which chose to interview two of those candidates earlier this month. The Bixby staff and three members of the five-town community also participated in the interview process.
Catharine comes to the Bixby with distinguished and varied work experiences including positions at the American Cancer Society, AT&T and a management institute at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which is also her alma mater. “Catharine is a natural collaborator, ready to connect immediately with our five-town community,” explained Paula Moore, the president of the Bixby board. “People clearly come first for her, and I believe people will respond very positively to her enthusiasm for the Bixby.” “Catharine engaged the board with her tremendous enthusiasm and capable leadership style,” Moore continued. “She understood our values of focusing on our patrons and on the library’s sustainability in the future. I think we have a very exciting future ahead of us with Catharine as our director.”
No stranger to Addison County, Catharine lived in Addison as a child, on her family’s Yankee Kingdom Orchards and continued her growing-up years through high school in Vermont.
Catharine will begin work immediately with the staff to plan for the safe reopening of library services and the building, following orders from Governor Scott. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to come home to Vermont to work with such a committed board, stellar staff and active volunteer corps to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people throughout the communities we serve.