Bios of current members

Caryl Nelson-Fitzpatrick

Caryl, a Trustee since 2004 and serving as Vice-Chair from 2005-2008, is currently Chair of the Board. She has been a member of many internal Board committees and has represented the Library Board on the West Lethbridge Centre Steering Committee since 2007.

Caryl brings both financial and legal experience to the Board. She earned her LL.B. at the University of Manitoba and held an executive position with the Manitoba Association of Women and the Law and has also worked as an accountant for Johnson & Johnson Baby Products Co. She values service and has been a leader in many school and youth organizations in her communities.

William Robbins

William was appointed to the Lethbridge Public Library as a Board Trustee in 2007 and is currently serving as a member of the Policy Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Residing in Lethbridge since 1991, he brings to the Library Board a long career of public service. William has two degrees in History from the University of Waterloo and one other in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario.

William began his career in 1979 as the Director/Curator at the Brant County Museum in Brantford, Ontario. He became Director of the Northern Life Museum and National Exhibition Centre at Fort Smith, Northwest Territories in 1982. In 1989, he became the Curator of Collections at the Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre in Cardston, Alberta. Since 2001, after founding a research company, he works as a Documentation Specialist.

With new and exciting developments underway, William views the Lethbridge Public Library as a 21st century library, actively positioning itself to provide state of the art services to the community in the rapidly evolving information environment of an emerging knowledge economy.


Charlotte S. Caton

Charlotte serves on the Public Advocacy Committee as appointed a Trustee of the Lethbridge Public Library in 2004. Charlotte holds a Doctor of Education degree.

She moved to Lethbridge from Toronto in 1994 to work for the University of Lethbridge as Director of Development, fund raising primarily for the Library Information Network Centre (LINC). Since 1999, she has worked as a fund raising consultant for the Lethbridge Community Foundation and for Queen’s University’s Western Canada Office in Calgary.

Charlotte is the mother of two adult children and the grandmother of two little boys who love to go to Lethbridge Public Library’s toy library when visiting Lethbridge.

Margaret Simmons

As the Library Board’s Aldermanic Representative, Margaret Simmons was appointed to the Board in 2007. Margaret has a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Biology from the University of Lethbridge and also attended the University of Alberta to pursue studies in International Political Science.

Before joining her family's business in 1999, Margaret was an instructor in the Upgrading Program at the Lethbridge College for approximately nine years. During her time there, she continued her love for learning by taking courses in Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Over the years, she has taken a keen interest in the community and in helping others, whether through her availability to her students or through her volunteer work. Margaret has been a Board Member of the Lethbridge Immigration Settlement Association; a member on the Farmers' Market Committee and a Member of the Alberta Women's Entrepreneurs.

She would like to encourage participation and feedback from all of our citizens in the community.


Donna Hunt

Donna was appointed to the Lethbridge Public Library Board as a Trustee in 2007 and is currently Vice Chair of the board. She serves on the Public Advocacy Committee. Donna is a long time resident of Lethbridge having attended elementary, junior high and senior high school in Lethbridge as well as obtaining a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Lethbridge.

Donna worked as a teacher and administrator for the Lethbridge Public School District for thirty-five years. Retired, with two grown children, she sees the Library as an intellectual and social gathering place for children, adults and seniors. As a strong supporter of life long learning, Donna supports the growth of a wide variety of library resources and services.

David Nussbaumer

Dave began serving as a trustee on the Lethbridge Public Library Board in 2008. He serves on the strategic planning committee and is also the ministerial representative for the Chinook Arch Regional Library System.

Dave is a teacher and is committed to supporting the values of public access to information and learning that are supported at the Public Library. Dave shares his passion for literature with his students and is often seen taking out materials from all parts of the Library.

Dave has a Political Science as well as an Education degree from the University of Alberta. He also has a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Northern British Columbia. Dave is married, has a dog, and enjoys taking bike rides and long walks through the trail system of Lethbridge. This is Dave’s first foray into community board volunteer work and he is looking forward to the challenges ahead.


Kirk Mearns

Kirk was appointed to the Lethbridge Public Library Board as a Trustee in 2008 and serves on the Public Advocacy Committee. Kirk moved to Lethbridge in 1990 where he met and married his wife Bridget. Currently he is the General Sales Manager of 107.7 The River and Rock 106 and was previously the Director of Sales and Marketing for The Lethbridge Herald, part of a 24 year career in Newspapers.

Kirks interest in literacy goes back to his earliest days in the newspaper industry and he was the driving force behind the inaugural Links for Literacy golf tournament and the Newspapers in Education programs in Lethbridge. After graduating from Mount Royal College, Kirk studied at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is looking forward adding his experience to the already firm foundation of The Lethbridge Public Library as it continues to grow.

Moira Watson

Moira was appointed to the Lethbridge Public Library Board as a trustee in 2008 and also serves on the Public Advocacy Committee. She brings to the board an array of political and social justice experience gathered while living and traveling in South East Asia, and Nicaragua.

She currently is the Manager of the Lethbridge East Constituency Office, and Executive Assistant to MLA Bridget A. Pastoor. Moira is a member of the Lethbridge Handicraft Guild of Weavers, and loves to muck around in the garden.

Moira's interest in the Lethbridge Public Library is grounded in principle and practice. As a child, growing up in rural Ontario, the visiting Book Mobile and a small satellite library set up in the community centre inspired her love of reading. She believes firmly in community institutions, and looks very much forward to working hard to keep the library relevant, progressive, accessible, and viable.


Evelyn Sterenberg

Appointed to the Lethbridge Public Library Board in 2007, Evelyn has spent many years working with young people in the community. Evelyn holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and an Education diploma (library) from the University of Lethbridge.

She has worked as a teacher; teacher-librarian and served as a school trustee. Retired, with four grown children, Evelyn has always loved the library because all of her family members are avid readers and because she spent many years teaching and encouraging young readers.

Evelyn says she “values the library as an essential service especially to children and people with needs, and sees it as a gathering place and a focus for our community”. She is looking forward to the library’s continued growth and change.

Berga J. Moen

Berga is a recent appointment to the Lethbridge Public Library Board (June 2009). She has resided in Lethbridge since 2002. Berga is a lawyer and partner in the firm of Torry Lewis Abells. She practices in all areas of civil litigation and maintains a busy solicitor’s practice.

Before coming to Lethbridge, Berga practiced law in Northeastern BC. She has been a Rotarian since 1996 and is currently an active member of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge Sunrise and a member of the planning committee for the Lethbridge Rotary Dragonboat Festival. Berga began dragonboating with the Abreast of ‘Bridge team and now paddles and manages the Scales of Justice, the Torry Lewis Abells team. She has also served as a member and past chair of the Board of Directors of the Southern Alberta Community Living Association.

I am looking forward to contributing to the growth and progress of the Lethbridge Public Library as it continues to serve the citizens of Lethbridge and surrounding area."

Todd Gnissios, Director

Todd joined the Lethbridge Public Library in December 2007 as the Associate Director: Branches and Outreach Services, tasked with getting the new West Lethbridge Branch operating. Since that time Todd has supervised the Adult Services Department, Bookmobile Services and the Casual Staff Pool. He has also overseen the formation of an official Information Technology Services Department and the establishment of the fundraising operations.

His undergraduate degree is from Simon Fraser University in Business and Humanities, with his Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of British Columbia. Todd spent 24 years with the Vancouver Public Library in a variety of capacities including supervisory work in the popular reading and multicultural services departments as well as full service, specialty and inner city branch libraries.

He was appointed Acting Director by the Library Board effective July 20, 2009.