Friends Board 2011-2012

Maxine Kaler, President A resident of Champaign-Urbana for 45 years, Maxine is retired from the U of I, where she was responsible for the allocation of most of the classroom and lecture hall space and the production of the class timetable. She has served on the board of the C-U Symphony Guild, on the community advisory committee at WILL, and is active in the cancer support groups sponsored by the Carle Cancer Center.

Ann Campbell, Immediate Past President Ann moved to Champaign from Scotland in 1977 to study for a master’s degree in Urban Planning. She has worked for the U of I, first in Housing Research and Development, and lately at the Building Research Council. She took a 20-year “break” to raise three sons, during which time she served as PTA president at South Side, Edison, and Champaign PTA Council, webmaster for the Illinois PTA and Women’s Club of the U of I, and secretary and webmaster of BSA Troop 107. Ann previously served on the Friends Board of Directors in 2005–2008, as secretary from 2006 through 2008, and ex-officio as membership chairman in 2008–2009.

Katharine Jones, Secretary Katharine holds degrees in education and accountancy. She has worked as an accounts coordinator, a secretary and bookkeeper, an office manager. a teacher, and as co-owner and co-manager of two local bookstores. She has been active in the Champaign Co-Op Nursery School, the Bottenfield School P.T.A., the Champaign P.T.A. Council, in scout organizations, in the Champaign-Urbana A.A.U.W., and First Presbyterian Church in Champaign. Katharine has also long served on the Friends Board as well as on the Foundation Board.

Warren Wessels, Treasurer Warren joined the staff of the U of I College of Agriculture in 1958, worked in the Cooperative Extension Service, and also taught high school vocational agriculture for 7 years. Since retiring, he has delivered books for the home delivery program at the library and also volunteers at Carle Hospital. He has served on the Unit 4 School Board, the board of the U of I Employees Credit Union and the board of the State University Annuitants Association. He also serves as facilitator for an Alzheimers disease support group.

Louise Allen Louise has held teaching and administrative positions at UIUC, at Sangamon State University (now UIS), at Parkland College, and at the University of Southern Colorado. She has been on the boards of trustees of the CU Mass Transit District, the League of Women Voters, the Urbana Rotary, and the Friends of the UIUC Library. She has also served on the Library Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board. A long-standing Friend of the library, she once served as president of the Friends Board, rejoined the board in 2008, and is currently leading the promotions committee.

Linda Bantz A graduate of the University of Iowa, Linda is semi-retired from Borders Books and Music, where she was general manager from 2000 to 2008. Previously she was general manager for B.Dalton stores in Columbus, Georgia, and at Market Place Mall in Champaign. She currently volunteers in the FriendShop.

Bob Blissard A graduate of U of I, Bob worked at the Weyerhaeuser Company, in Wisconsin, in cost and financial accounting. Returning to Champaign after retirement, he now volunteers in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the U of I. He has helped with Friends book sales and joined the Friends Board in 2008. Bob now serves on the membership and budget committees.

John Frayne John is professor emeritus of the U of I English department. He helped start Cinema Studies in the English department and served long on the Faculty Senate and briefly on the university’s library committee. He also has a second career in broadcasting and print, reviewing opera, announcing, and producing such well-known shows as Classics by Request and Prairie Performances at WILL-FM and writing opera reviews for The News-Gazette. John joined the board in 2009 and is a member of the FriendShop committee.

Bonnie Hudson Bonnie recently returned here to be closer to family and friends. She is consulting with leaders and organizations through her firm, BBH Consulting, while also giving more time to her community. From 2005 to 2008, Bonnie was director of human capital development for UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune 20 company. Her earlier work includes a position as professor of organizational development at the U of I, working in leadership and organizational development at Arthur Andersen, and leading two organizational and management development departments in health care organizations. Bonnie has a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s degree in American intellectual history, and a PhD in leadership and organizational behavior from the U of I.

Joanne Kelly Joanne has lived in Champaign for 54 years. She was a school librarian in Urbana for 25 years, the last 8 of which she also served as coordinator of libraries. After retirement, Joanne worked as librarian for the Regional Office of Education in Rantoul and as consultant with the Unit 4 Champaign Early Childhood School, where she established the library.

Sharon Lappin Lumsden Sharon, a native of Champaign, has been a teacher, a designer-weaver, has published articles on hobbies and special interests, and a book on gardens. She is a founding member of the Cover-to-Cover Reading Group.

Laura Littell Laura is a life-long resident of Champaign. She began volunteering weekly in the FriendShop in December 2009. A month later, she took over recruiting and training sales staff and supervising during shop hours. Since then she has served ex-officio on the FriendShop committee.

Deb Sanderson Deb worked in the special education program at Champaign Unit #4 Schools, doing vocational training with disabled
students, and assisted in school libraries. In addition to running an online book business, she works weekly in the FriendShop and volunteers with Books to Prisoners.

Norine Shonder A native Chicagoan, Norine has lived in Champaign for the past 8 years. Before moving to Champaign, she spent 9 years in Natchez, Mississippi, where she was a docent at several antebellum homes. She joined the Friends board in 2005 and is now serving her second term.

Allan Steinberg Allan retired from the University of Illinois Press. He owns Stonehill Books, specializing in rare, children’s, and pop-up books. He was a member of the Library Board of Trustees for 10 years.