Board of Trustees

Caitie Hilverman, President

Julia Black, Vice President

Dani French, Reporting Secretary

Michael Grisham, Treasurer

Trustees: Jessica Almeleh-Frazer, Elizabeth Dickey, Kimberly Erwin, Linda Friedner, Richard Garmise, Crystal Jeffs, Ryan Kelly, Mark Orton, Carol Pledger, Madeleine Raffel-Meehan, Gary Sheffer, Bill Stenehjem, Kris Weiss, and Charlie Whittingham

The Library Board meets the third Thursday of the month at 6pm at the Library.

What does the Board do and how to join?

More about the Trustees

Julia Black

Australian born, Julia landed in the US over eight years ago and runs developer events for multiple tech companies. When she’s not doing the events shuffle, she’s cooking AND eating all the food or refining her dog whispering skills.

Favorite book – And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Elizabeth Dickey

Elizabeth Dickey is a writer, educator, and community advocate originally from Long Island. She received her MFA in fiction from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan. Before moving to Hudson in 2018, she was a volunteer crisis counselor for NYC Anti-Violence Project, a teaching assistant with Art Start, and a member of the University of Michigan’s Collective Against White Supremacy. She currently serves on Mayor Johnson’s Police Reconciliation & Advisory Commission.

Favorite book – To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Kimberly Erwin

Author/Educator/Entrepreneur, Ms. Erwin returned to hometown of Hudson, NY, after twenty+ years exploring the world and the U.S. Due to her love of books and people from all over the globe, Ms. Erwin majored in English and French (at Spelman College) and in Education, specializing in Intercultural Communication (from UPENN). Currently, Ms. Erwin spends time on RACE TALKS (WGXC-90.7FM) when she isn’t leading her businesses, educating the youth, and writing (books & blogs).

Favorite book – “There’s Only 1-RACE, the Human One,” says Me! A Children’s Book: Ending Racism! by Kimberly Erwin

Dani French

Dani French is a writer, mom, and ramen enthusiast who has lived in Hudson for almost a decade. She works as a content strategist for an e-commerce company and was the co-founder of the long-running Volume Reading Series. Dani enjoys roller skating with her kids, reading three books at once, and strolling through the Hudson Cemetery.

Favorite book – A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor

Michael Grisham

PhD in experimental psychology turned computer nerd. Developed ways for people to use computers, at Bell Laboratories, Burnett Group, and Art Science Code. Now consulting. Member of Greenport Planning Board and chair of Greenport Democratic Party.

Favorite book – Aunt Julia and the Script Writer by Mario Vargas Llosa

Caitie Hilverman

Favorite book – A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Mark Orton

Mark has been on the Board of Trustees for many years following his move with his wife Karen Davis to Hudson from Cambridge, MA, in 2009. He has an extensive background in manufacturing having worked as a machinist, engineer, and multiple management positions over 30 years. Mark remains involved in the business world working for a local software company. Mark and his wife are the proprietors of the Davis Orton Gallery on Warren St. Playing tennis as frequently as possible is always on his mind.

Favorite book – Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay

Carol Pledger

Carol is the Chief Administration Officer at Blue Meridian Partners, a pioneering philanthropic model for finding and funding scalable solutions to problems that limit economic mobility and trap America’s young people and families in poverty. Previously Carol was a managing director and Global Head of Talent at Goldman Sachs and UBS, and she began her career as a management consultant with Accenture. Carol and her husband Paul have lived in the Hudson area for over 10 years.

Favorite book – Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith

Gary Sheffer

Gary is the Sandra R. Frazier Professor of Public Relations at Boston University and previously led communications globally for GE. He is a graduate of Hudson High School and Siena College.

Favorite book – Nobody’s Fool by Richard Russo

Bill Stenehjem

Bill worked for many years at the New York City Board of Education as a SPARK High School based Intervention Counselor. He later became the Brooklyn SPARK Borough Supervisor where he was responsible for the hiring, training and supervision of sixty high school counselors. After leaving the Board of Education, Bill owned and operated the award-winning Stonehome Wine Bar in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Favorite book – I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

Kris Mae Weiss

Kris Mae Weiss is a mother of two book- loving toddlers and a Hudson, NY resident for four years. She was adopted and raised in Maine by a school Librarian and spent countless hours in local libraries throughout her life. A photographer and designer for over two decades, Kris brings her expertise to the HAL board including the 2022 HAL calendar and bumper sticker designs. She looks forward to many more projects in 2022 and beyond.

Favorite books- Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, BOY by Roald Dahl, and everything by Ray Bradbury.

Charlie Whittingham

After a 40-year career in media sales, digital marketing and internet start ups with companies as diverse as Time, Inc, Wired Magazine, About.com and BrightRoll, Charlie relocated to Hudson to reinvent, recreate and reinvigorate. Today he consults established companies and start-ups in digital transformation and angel investing. He also mentors young entrepreneurs. Charlie has a passion for all forms of communication be it literature, art, music, dance, theatre or film. At the core of that passion is a life long love of libraries and he believes it is a privilege and a delight to serve as a Trustee on the Board of the Hudson Area Library.

Favorite book – Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy