By 1808Delaware
The Delaware County District Library began 2026 with a quiet but important ritual that shapes how the system will operate for the year ahead. Last week, the Board of Trustees gathered for its annual organizational meeting and regular session, setting leadership roles, committee assignments, and a meeting calendar that will take the board across the county’s library branches throughout the year.
At the center of the evening was the oath of office. Reginald Ike was sworn in as President of the Board of Trustees. Lori Kipfer took the oath as Vice President, and Connie Skinner returned as Secretary. Stacey Neff, beginning her first term as a trustee, also joined them in taking the oath. Together with Scott Tiede, Lisa Kraft, and Aaron Kenter, they form the full board for the 2026 term.
The board also paused to recognize outgoing trustee Holly Quaine, who attended her final regular meeting on December 16, 2025. Her service was acknowledged as the board transitioned to its new year of leadership.
Behind the scenes, the library’s financial oversight for the year was also formalized. Angie Grossenbacher was appointed Fiscal Officer for 2026, with Sutton Durfee serving as Deputy Fiscal Officer.
A year that moves from branch to branch
One of the practical outcomes of the January meeting was approval of the board’s 2026 meeting schedule. Rather than meeting in one location, trustees will continue their practice of rotating among the system’s branches, a structure that keeps the board physically present across the communities the library serves. Meetings will be held at 5:00 PM unless otherwise noted, and the rotation is set as follows:
- Tuesday, February 17 – Liberty Branch Library (Records Commission meeting followed by regular meeting)
- Tuesday, March 17 – Delaware Branch Library
- Tuesday, April 21 – Orange Branch Library
- Tuesday, May 19 – Liberty Branch Library
- Tuesday, June 16 – Delaware Branch Library
- No regular meeting in July
- Tuesday, August 18 – Liberty Branch Library
- Tuesday, September 15 – Delaware Branch Library
- Tuesday, October 20 – Orange Branch Library
- Tuesday, November 17 – Liberty Branch Library
- Tuesday, December 15 – Delaware Branch Library
- Tuesday, January 19, 2027 – Orange Branch Library (organizational meeting followed by regular meeting)
Agendas, location updates, schedule changes, and any special meetings will be posted on the library’s website at delawarelibrary.org/about.
Committee work that shapes policy and planning
Much of the board’s work happens in committees, where detailed policy, financial, facilities, and personnel matters are reviewed before coming to the full board.
For 2026, committee assignments were set as:
- Facilities Committee: Aaron Kenter and Scott Tiede
- Finance/Budget Committee: Lisa Kraft and Stacey Neff
- Human Resources Committee and Nominating Committee: Connie Skinner and Lori Kipfer
- Policy Committee: Scott Tiede and Aaron Kenter
These smaller working groups will handle much of the year’s in-depth discussion on budgets, buildings, staffing, and governance before bringing recommendations to the full board.
A routine meeting with long-term impact
Organizational meetings rarely draw large crowds or headlines. Yet the decisions made on evenings like this one quietly determine how one of the county’s most visible and heavily used public institutions operates for the year. Who leads. Where the board meets. Who reviews the budget. Who shapes policy. Who oversees facilities.
All of it begins with an oath, a calendar, and a set of committee assignments that will guide the Delaware County District Library through 2026.
