Board of Trustees

Caitie Hilverman, President

Julia Black, Vice President

Dani French, Reporting Secretary

Michael Grisham, Treasurer

Trustees: Jessica Almeleh-Frazer, Miranda Barry, Wesley Tillman Brown, Elizabeth Dickey, Kimberly Erwin, Linda Friedner, Richard Garmise, Crystal Jeffs, Ryan Kelly, Madeleine Raffel-Meehan, Stephanie Royal, Bill Stenehjem, Kris Weiss, and SJ Williams.

The Library Board meets on 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

Linda Friedner

Linda Friedner is currently SVP Associate General Counsel and Employment Counsel for Penguin Random House LLC. Her first job at 14 was as a page at the Public Library in Great Neck NY (Long Island). She has been a part-time resident of Hudson since 2016, and moved here full-time in June 2020. Linda served on Mayor Kamal Johnson’s Police Advisory and Reconciliation Commission, and volunteers with other community organizations in Hudson. Ms. Friedner also has an MFA in non-fiction from The New School in Manhattan.

Favorite book – White Teeth by Zadie Smith

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

Crystal Jeffs

Crystal is a business design consultant, living and raising a family in gorgeous Hudson, New York. Her background is in strategic and innovative initiatives across design, technology, communications and human resources. Her strength lies in leading hybrid teams, thinking vision to execution, stitching end to end experiences from strategy to execution — to create meaningful experiences and/or products. While she grew up without a library in her hometown, she is gravitated to it now as she sees how much it can offer in terms of growth and unlocking human potential in a community. She hails from Greece, is always working on a renovation project, gives back as a mentor and coach and would love to build a maker community space in Hudson one day

Favorite book – TBD by TBD

Ryan Kelly

Ryan is happy to recently call Hudson a permanent home after living in Brooklyn and prior to that San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston. Ryan has led brand growth, strategy, sales and business development for consumer products and publishing brands, and currently is the Managing Director of local Hudson lighting company Workstead. Personal free time includes reading, films, travel, design, hiking, biking, and managing the daily calendars of a dog & cat.

Favorite book – The Man Who Fell in Love With the Moon by Tom Spanbauer

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.