Board of Directors

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is governed by the Board of Directors, a group of dedicated community leaders who serve as volunteers. If you would like to join our Board, please contact us.

Executive Committee

Shiela Reyman

President

Shiela Reyman grew up in Scottsdale, met her husband in Scottsdale and would later bring their daughter to many events at the Civic Center library. The Scottsdale Public Library system continues to be very important to her family, as well as, the entire community that it serves. Shiela currently works as a Motivational Speaker presenting at events across the United States. She also works and volunteers as an Event Planner, organizing gatherings from small groups to large scale events. Her volunteer work includes being appointed by Scottsdale City Council to serve six years on the Scottsdale Public Library Board, including two years as Vice-Chairperson and two years as Chairperson. She also is a member of the Arizona State Softball Diamond Devil Booster Club where she was privileged to serve as the President for four years.

Carol Damaso

Treasurer

Carol Damaso’s career in library services spanned 28 years until her retirement as the Library Director for the Scottsdale Public Library in 2014. Her experience included library services to children, library branch management and library system administrative management. She earned a BA from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN and an MALS from the University of Michigan. Carol’s volunteer work included serving six years on the Saint Mary’s College Alumnae Board of Directors, four years as Treasurer of the AZ Library Association and seven years on the Scottsdale Leadership Board of Directors, including as President. She currently serves on the Scottsdale Leadership Advisory Council. She graduated in Scottsdale Leadership’s Class XXI. More recently, Carol chaired the Capital Campaign Committee for the Scottsdale Heritage Connection that garnered $500,000 to complete the project. During her tenure with the City of Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Public Library issued Carol the Hall of Fame award, and twice she received the Scottsdale City Manager’s Award for Excellence. Carol is a staunch supporter of community libraries and continues to promote their services.

Janet Smigielski

Vice President

Originally from Alexandria Virginia, Janet Smigielski received undergraduate and graduate degrees (MLS) in Michigan. Her variety of careers in the library field include public, academic, corporate, and special libraries spanning multiple states from Virginia to Hawaii. Additionally she applied her information services background to sell and market library software and hardware. In 2009, Janet moved to Arizona with her family and held a position at Grand Canyon University in Academic Assessment. This position entailed collaborating with the faculty and Deans of the nine colleges to establish, monitor, and meet learning goals in compliance with HLC accreditation requirements. Since retiring in 2017, Janet has volunteered at Rescue A Golden of Arizona (RAG) to help find families for rescue Goldens. Also, in 2017, Janet volunteered at the Civic Center Library, working with reference staff assisting patrons. From 2018 to 2024, she served on the Library Board for Scottsdale Public Libraries as both vice chair and chair. Janet is currently volunteering at the Scottsdale Heritage Connection and for Human Services in Operation Fix It. In 2025, Janet was a recipient of the Spirit of Literacy Award.

Brookelyn Loeffler

Secretary

Brookelyn Loeffler is a Scottsdale native. As an avid reader, she has always appreciated the City Library system. Brookelyn is a mortgage loan officer, and in her free time, she enjoys skiing, reading, traveling, playing trivia, and spending time with loved ones. She is an active book club member and enjoys being introduced to new genres. She is an affiliate member and volunteer for Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors.

Board Members

Brian Corte

Brian Corte served as an educational leader for 30 years in the roles of teacher, coach, principal, curriculum director and principal leadership coach. As a native of Scottsdale, Brian is most proud of his children serving as a firefighter and high school English teacher/coach. He enjoys golfing, pickleball, biking and most outdoor activities.

Chris Allen

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. Chris relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1990 and have maintained a residence in Scottsdale ever since. She currently lives with her husband, Mark Mongeau, in the La Villita neighborhood. Her and her husband have made great friends since retiring here in 2021. As an active member of her neighborhood, she serves as the Social Committee Chair for the Home Owners Association (HOA), responsible for organizing social events and welcoming new residents. As an RN, I served in various capacities including Hospice Nurse, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) Nurse, and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for an orthopedic hospital in Chandler, Arizona. For 10 years at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) I was the Lead Surveyor responsible for medical facilities state licensing and federal certification, state and federal complaint investigations, writing Statements of deficiencies (SODs), review and approve plans of correction (POCs) to ensure regulatory compliance and traveled throughout the state. For 4 years with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Baltimore, Maryland, I served in a senior role within the Division of Nursing Homes. At CMS, I produced an award-winning series of educational training videos titled “Hand in Hand” regarding the patient-centered treatment of nursing home residents. This resource was distributed to over 17,000 nursing homes in the U.S. I have a blended family of five children, five grandchildren, and my sweet Pomeranian, Kevin. My hobbies and interests include traveling, art, cooking, horseback riding, water aerobics, and doting on Kevin, my children, and my grandchildren. My husband and I support several non-profit organizations, including The Friends of the Scottsdale Library, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Tunnels to Towers Foundation, ASPCA, and Wounded Warriors.

Douglas Sydnor, FAIA

Douglas Sydnor, FAIA, is the Founding Principal at Douglas Sydnor Architect + Associates, a Scottsdale-based architectural firm founded in 1993. He has practiced exclusively in Arizona for over 40 years, completed 225 commissions; and his architecture has received numerous design awards and published extensively. Doug’s professional and civic involvement includes serving on over 200 boards, commissions, committees, and design charrettes. They have included the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale Library Board, Scottsdale Heritage Connection, Scottsdale Development Review Board, Scottsdale Historic Preservation Commission, and Scottsdale Leadership. He currently serves on the Architectural Archives Committee for the Arizona Architecture Foundation/AIA Arizona. Doug received his Bachelor in Architecture at Arizona State University and Masters in Architecture at Harvard University.

Jenny Fasolino

Jenny Fasolino is a supply chain software professional with over 20 years’ experience in retail buying, software consulting, product design, and global operations. She is an avid library patron visiting her local library with her two sons on a weekly basis. In addition to volunteering at her children’s school, local scouts, and soccer league, she pursues professional growth in attending various tech conferences and pursuing speaking engagements to share valuable project experiences. She believes in continuous learning, the importance of higher education, and the value of knowledge sharing as life-long pursuits.

Jenny Gibson

Jenny Gibson is an SVP of Product & Design at a software company and a Scottsdale resident. An avid reader and library supporter, she enjoys bringing her baby to library events and sharing a love of books early. Jenny contributes to Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library through communications initiatives informed by her martech background and is passionate about the Library’s role in lifelong education and creating meaningful third spaces for the community.

Mary Sholtis

Mary Sholtis is an educator, community leader, and lifelong advocate for literacy and learning. She began her career teaching Language Arts, Literature, and Humanities in public schools in Connecticut and Texas, where she also developed curriculum for Talented and Gifted programs. Mary holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership with principal certification and has long championed school-library partnerships that encourage student engagement and a love of reading. After her classroom career, Mary led mentorship, internship, continuing education, and apprenticeship programs in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso and local community partners, strengthening connections between education and workforce development. Mary’s connection to public libraries is deeply rooted in family tradition and personal practice. She grew up visiting the Piscataway Public Library in New Jersey and later regularly brought her own children to the local library for reading and storytime. She has continued to support library- related literacy activities throughout her teaching career. Mary has also served on the Board of Directors for NAMI El Paso, where she helped expand membership, raise funds, and lead mental health education and support programs. Since retiring in 2019 and relocating to Arizona, she has remained active in community education, hiking, and nature conservation with McDowell Mountain Conservancy, and in supporting female entrepreneurs through Golden Seeds. She also founded a women’s book club and continues her own creative writing education, with work published in Vortex, Scottsdale Community College’s literary journal.

Mary Wilber

Mary Wilber has worked for several public libraries and she retired from the Scottsdale Public Library System where she worked as a reference librarian. She also served two terms on the Scottsdale Library Board, including one year as president. Mary has also served on library boards in Illinois and Texas. She currently volunteers at the McClelland Library at the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix. She also co-coordinates the library’s book discussion which focuses on Irish writers and Irish literature.

Dr. Sara A. Johnson

Dr. Sara Johnson is a dedicated and enthusiastic education leader with over 10 years of experience leading positive changes in schools using data-driven approaches. With a solid background in managing programs and organizational transitions, Sara excels at implementing successful educational projects to promote excellence. From analyzing data to improve systems to building relationships with stakeholders, Sara’s main goal is to inspire students and staff to reach their full potential by promoting literacy and lifelong learning. She is currently the Vice Principal of Academic Services at Arcadia High School within Scottsdale Unified School District. Sara’s passion for education extends beyond the classroom, encompassing a belief in the endless possibilities that books and libraries offer to individuals of all backgrounds and ages. She recognizes that a book can take you anywhere in the world both real and imagined. Grounded in principles of access and equity, she believes in the transformative power of literature and knowledge, advocating for the importance of public libraries in fostering a love for learning and exploration. Dr. Johnson is an avid reader and adventure seeker. Her hobbies include hiking, traveling, spending time with her dog, and trying new food and activities. Embodying the words of John Quincy Adams, she lives by the quote, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”

Sheila Nazari

Sheila Nazari is a writer, speaker and consultant who has always had a passion for reading and storytelling. She has written for websites including Jobing.com and HRJobs.org, and is currently in the process of publishing her own book. Sheila also has over 10 years experience in human resources and employee training. She is originally from North Dakota.