Board of Trustees

Board Members

Jean Keleher

1703 Orrington Ave., Evanston 60201
Phone: (847) 461-3106
E-mail: Jean Keleher
Term expires: 6/30/2028

Jean Keleher leads operations, research and knowledge management for the healthcare sector at strategy advisory firm EY Parthenon. Over her career, she has served as a reference librarian at a north suburban public library, and worked in the reference, circulation and technology departments at three academic libraries. A native of Chicagoland, she and her spouse raised their son here in Evanston, where she has lived for nearly 30 years in total. She has been active in organizations supporting adult literacy and housing equity, and completed ECF’s Leadership Evanston program. She holds a bachelor’s degree and M.I.L.S. from The University of Michigan, and an M.A. from DePaul University.

Victoria Shire, Treasurer

1703 Orrington Ave., Evanston 60201
Phone: (847) 338-0917
E-mail: Victoria Shire
Term expires: 6/30/2028

Victoria Shire is serving her first term as a Library Trustee. She is currently Chief Operating Officer at FirstRepair, which informs local reparations, nationally. Victoria has over 25 years of experience in youth development, child care, education, workforce development, homelessness and affordable housing, and community development. Her vacations and business trips always include a visit to the local public library. Born and raised in Evanston, Victoria returned to town in 2021 with her husband and two teenagers. She is a proud alum of Leadership Evanston (Class 32) and the Evanston Police Department Community Police Academy (Class 56). Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University in Philosophy and a Master of Public Administration from New York University.  She deeply loves french fries.

Sharef Al Najjar

1703 Orrington Ave., Evanston 60201
Email: Sharef Al Najjar
Term Expires: 6/30/2029

Sharef Al Najjar has proudly called Evanston home since 2018, when he and his wife moved to the community after first visiting a year earlier. He was drawn to Evanston's vibrant neighborhoods, rich cultural life, and strong sense of community—qualities that reminded him of his hometown of San Francisco. Today, he and his wife are raising their two young children in Evanston and are active participants in the Evanston Public Library community.

For Sharef and his family, the Library is much more than a place to borrow books. They regularly participate in EPL programs, including Storytime, Time for Twos, Nature Tots & Tunes, Book Buddies, Summer Reading, and Día de los Muertos celebrations. These experiences, along with his service on the Library's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee, have reinforced his belief that public libraries are essential spaces for learning, connection, and belonging.

Professionally, Sharef is a strategic transformation leader with more than a decade of experience leading enterprise initiatives across the public and private sectors. His career includes leadership roles in strategy and program management, as well as public service in the U.S. House of Representatives. He earned his MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School, where he concentrated in Operations and Strategy.

A proud Mexican and Palestinian American, Sharef values the perspectives his multicultural upbringing has given him and is committed to fostering welcoming, inclusive spaces where everyone feels they belong. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, and practicing tatreez, the traditional Palestinian art of cross-stitch embroidery. He is honored to serve on the Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees and support the Library's mission of expanding access to knowledge, opportunity, and lifelong learning for all.

Liz Kenney

1703 Orrington Ave., Evanston 60201
E-mail: Liz Kenney
Term expires: 6/30/2029

Liz Kenney was a high school English teacher for 34 years at Adlai Stevenson High School, where she taught literature, rhetoric, film and media analysis, and served on the department leadership team. As a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, she attended and presented at conferences on curriculum design, instruction, and media literacy.

Liz still remembers the day she got her first library card, and she could draw you a map of the children’s room of her youth. She and her spouse raised three kids in Evanston who always loved going to the library.

Liz holds a bachelor's degree in Great Books from the University of Notre Dame and a master's in teaching from the University of Chicago. Now that she is retired, she has more time for yoga, knitting, and hanging out at the library.

Gustav Granchalek

1703 Orrington Ave., Evanston 60201
Email: Gustav Granchalek
Term Expires: 6/30/2029

Profile coming soon.

Interim Library Director

Heather Norborg, Assistant Library Director

1703 Orrington Ave., Evanston 60201
Phone: (847) 448-8641
E-mail: Heather Norborg

Upcoming Board Meetings

Scheduled 2026 Library Board Meetings:
January 21
February 18
March 18
April 15
May 20
June 17
July 15
August 19
September 2 (Special Budget Meeting)
September 16 (Public Hearing on budget)
October 21 (Truth in Taxation Hearing)
November 18 (Adoption of Tax Levy)
December 16

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm and are currently hybrid.

Note: The minutes posted here are those approved by the Board, therefore they are one meeting behind the schedule of meetings that have taken place.

Board positions are appointed by the Mayor of Evanston. If you are are interested in applying to be on the Board of Trustees for EPL, visit the City of Evanston's application page via the button below. Trustees appointed by the Mayor hold office for three years and will serve through June 30 and thereafter until a successor has been appointed. Trustees are eligible to be re-appointed by the Mayor to additional three-year terms. Subject to reappointment by the Mayor and approval by the City Council, there are no limits to the number of terms a Trustee may serve.

Board Application