Board of Directors

The Whitby Public Library board consists of nine members: a Mayor’s designate and eight citizen volunteers appointed by municipal Council. It is responsible for ensuring the library is properly managed. The board represents a broad spectrum of community interests, with diverse viewpoints and strengths, assuring the library serves the entire community. The term of the library board is four years, concurrent with the term of Council. The Whitby Public Library board meets monthly September through June.

Image of The Library Board.

Image of Claude Lavoie.
Claude Lavoie (Chair).

Claude is a retiree from a local School Board where he worked for 18 years as an Integrated Technology Specialist in computer networking. He has lived in Brooklin and Whitby for over 30 years. He has been active in the community with such groups as the Downtown Development Steering Committee, the Town of Whitby Sesquicentennial Committee and the Whitby Courthouse Theatre. He is a member of a group working to organize a museum for the Durham Regional Police.

Claude is a strong believer that the Whitby Public Library is much more than books – it is a major resource center full of programs for young and old alike, a business information center and a key hub of activity for the Town of Whitby. This is Claude’s second term on the Library Board. During his first term, he also attended some meetings of the Southern Ontario Library Service Trustees Council #5.

 Image of Eva Reti.
Eva Reti (Vice-Chair).
 
Eva has been an avid reader her whole life, and spent many hours at the local branch library in Sault Ste. Marie.  She believes that libraries are the civic heart of a community; a place where every citizen can feel welcome.  One of her favourite quotes by Frank McCourt is, “Stock your mind, stock your mind, you might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.” Libraries encourage people to thrive.  

Eva has volunteered for many organizations such as the YWCA Woman of Distinction Awards Gala, Oshawa Jazz and Blues Festival, Whitby Meals on Wheels, CIBC Run for the Cure, and the Violence Prevention Coordinating Council throughout the years. She is currently a board director for the Community Development Council Durham and a bingo team leader for The Animal Guardian Society.  She has been a police officer for over 25 years and is presently an Inspector in charge of a local division. She is currently the President of the Senior Officers’ Association.

Image of Councillor Don Mitchell.
Councillor Don Mitchell (Mayor's Designate).
 
Don is pleased to return as Mayor's Designate to the Board and believes our library services deliver great value for residents of all ages. Born and raised here, Don was a local Councillor from 1991 to 2003 and has served on Regional Council since 2006. He is Chair of the Regional Finance and Administration Committee, the Durham Region Roundtable on Climate Change and the Town Operations Committee and sits on the Accessibility Advisory Board and Groveside Cemetery Board.  He owns and operates a local business in Brooklin and is an active member of the Whitby Men’s Hockey League and the Whitby Curling Club.
Image of Jane Hilton.
Jane Hilton.
 
Jane believes strongly in the importance of a library to a community where people gather for ideas, inspiration, information and enjoyment.  She has been a long standing board member and served as the Chair for four consecutive years. Jane has over 20 years in the health care sector, most recently in policy and planning with the provincial government and now works in the post-secondary education sector as a project management consultant.  Her interests lie in the area of governance, leadership and performance measures.  Jane is Past President of the Ontario Library Boards’ Association and has been very involved with the Southern Ontario Library Service Trustee Council #5.

Image of Barry Hum.
Barry Hum.
 
Barry has over 25 years in the Information Technology field implementing and managing for Fortune Global 100 companies. He was an early recipient of the Premier of Ontario Volunteer Service Award and has been involved in various committees promoting community and youth leadership development. He is a former board member of the Chinese Canadian National Council (Toronto Chapter), promoting and advocating equality within the community. He participated in the development of a Race Relations Policy for the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Barry has been a Whitby resident for over 10 years and has library memberships in Toronto, Ajax, Oshawa and Whitby.

 Image of Elizabeth O'Brien.
Elizabeth O'Brien.

Elizabeth has over 10 years experience in the non-profit sector. Development of web portals at the Canadian Cancer Society and the CNIB are professional highlights. She recently completed an MBA at the Schulich School of Business with an emphasis in Non-Profit Leadership, and is pursuing the Project Management Professional designation.

She greatly enjoys weekly visits to the library with her two young sons, introducing them to all the wonderful resources at the Whitby Public Library.

Image of Sue Pitchforth.
Sue Pitchforth.
 
As the former Mayor's Designate, Sue is a long-standing Library Board member and is pleased to be returning to the Board as a community representative.  She looks forward to continuing to advocate for the library in the community.  

Sue is an active volunteer in the Brooklin community, working with numerous groups and organizations such as Group 74 and B.A.M. Lions Club.  She is also an entrepreneur with a decorating/homestaging business, as well as co-owner in a business owner's networking business that takes pride in giving back to the community while connecting business owners throughout Durham Region.  She is a tireless volunteer, lending her passion, energy and creativity to many galas and fundraising efforts in the Region for numerous charities. She is proud to be a mentor and advocate for youth as a Whitby Youth Council Advisor.  Sue is an enthusiastic supporter of library services, is very aware of the importance that libraries hold in our community, and shares Whitby Public Library’s vision of "Doorway to Discovery".

Image of Gary Rose.
Gary Rose.
 
Gary has been a Whitby resident since 1998. It is his children's love of the Whitby Public Library and his desire to get involved within the community that led him to his appointment to the Library Board. From a professional perspective, Gary is a Project Planning Director for a large company in Durham Region. He has a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Certified General Accountant, and also holds a Project Management Professional credential. From a personal perspective, he spends much of his time watching his boys play hockey or soccer and enjoying all that Whitby has to offer.

 Image of John Stafford.
John Stafford.
 
John Stafford is a long-time Whitby resident, and he and his wife Chris first obtained Whitby Public Library cards in the late 70s. He has four adult children who were partly raised at the library. Because his mother was a librarian, he was brought up surrounded by books. This led to his becoming an English teacher and a Department Head of English.

He is a retired Secondary School Vice-Principal who now works part-time at the Faculty of Education at a local university. In addition he is a tireless volunteer, currently working for the local St. Vincent de Paul Society and sitting on the Durham, Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge Grant Review Team for the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

John very much appreciates all that the Whitby Public Library has to offer the community.