2024 WLA Elections

Announcing the 2024 WLA Election Winners!

The polls have closed for the 2024 WLA Elections, and we have a fantastic group of incoming leaders! Thank you to all of the candidates who ran and the WLA members who voted. Let's give a warm WLA welcome to the newly elected 2024 leaders!

Incoming Board Leaders

  • Vice President/President-Elect: Rickey Barnett
  • Board Director, Public Library Division: Carol Ellison
  • Board Director, School Library Division: Ryan Grant
  • Student Representative to the Board: Taylor Hazan

Incoming Division Leaders

Appointed Division Leaders

Incoming Section Leaders

  • CAYAS
    • Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Eleanor Howell-Shryock
  • IFS
    • Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Tracey Thompson
  • SRRT 
    • Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Lindsay Tebeck
  • WALE
    • Secretary/Communications: Kelleen Thaxton

New leadership terms will begin January 1, 2024. Thank you, again, to all of the candidates who ran and the WLA members who voted. Please contact the WLA Office if you have any questions!


The voting period for our 2024 Board, Division, and Section leadership has closed. Winners will be announced in WLA Wednesday on November 29, 2023!


If you'd like to revisit candidates running for office, please feel free to read through the candidate statements.


All current WLA members may vote for WLA Board positions. Ballots for WLA Divisions and Sections are restricted to current members of those groups.

Winners will be announced November 29 in WLA Wednesday. New leadership terms will begin January 1, 2024.

Please contact the WLA Office with any questions at [email protected].


2024 Elections Timeline

Wednesday, Aug. 23 —Nominations open (may nominate self or others)
Information Open Houses — Monday, Oct. 2 @ 1 p.m. | Wednesday, Oct. 4 @ 4 p.m. | Friday, Oct. 6 @ 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 18
 — Nominations due date
Wednesday, Oct. 25

Friday, Nov. 17
 — Online elections close
Monday, Nov. 27

Wednesday, Nov. 29

If you have questions about any position, you may contact the WLA Office, or go the the current Board, Division, or Section roster to find contact information for the person that currently fills the position, or to whom the position reports. Please note that WLA Committee Chairs are appointed by the Board President and do not need to go through this election process.

Terms of office begin January 1, 2024, and are one year, unless otherwise noted.


WLA Board Positions

The below positions are open in 2024 and will be elected by the entire WLA membership.

  • Vice President/President-Elect (elected annually, serves later as President, then Past President, voting member)
  • Board Director, Public Library Division Representative (two-year term, elected in even-numbered years, voting member, candidates must be a member of the Public Library Division)
  • Board Director, School Library Division Representative (two-year term, elected in even-numbered years, voting member, candidates must be a member of the School Library Division)
  • Student Representative (elected annually, one-year term, non-voting/ex-officio member)
  • ALA Councilor (three-year term, voting member, candidates must be a member of both WLA and ALA)

WLA Division Positions

The below positions are open in 2024 and will be elected by Division members. Additional steering committee positions may be appointed by the incoming Chair. If you're interested in additional opportunities in a Division, view the Division Chair roster to contact the leadership of that Division.

Academic Library Division/ACRL-WA:

Special Library Division:

School Library Division:

Public Library Division:


WLA Section Positions

The below positions are open in 2024 and will be elected by Section members. Additional steering committee positions may be appointed by the incoming Chair. If you're interested in additional opportunities in a Section, view the Section Chair roster to contact the leadership of that Section.

CATS (Collection Development and Technical Services)

CAYAS (Children's and Young Adult Services)

CLAWS (College Libraries Across Washington State)

IFS (Intellectual Freedom Section)

LIFE (Leadership Is for Everyone)

LISS (Library and Information Student Section)

SAIL (Serving Adults in Libraries)

SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

WALE (Washington Library Employees)

WALT (Washington Library Trainers)

WLFFTA (Washington Library Friends, Foundations, Trustees and Advocates)