Marina resident since 2000. Communications Associate at the Community Foundation for Monterey County. Former news reporter at the Monterey Herald and Salinas Californian; former corporate paralegal. Manages International School of Monterey School all-volunteer run school library. Serves on multiple FoML committees. Marina Youth Arts board member.
About The Friends of the Marina Library
The Friends of the Marina Library has been a non-profit, public benefit corporation since 1990.
We sell used books to raise funds to support programming and maintenance at the Marina Library and to purchase new books, e-books, and videos for library collections that are available for the entire County library system.
Friends' Community Bookstore: In late 2017, we opened our bookstore: Friends' Community Bookstore located at 330 Reservation Road., across from the Ramada Inn.
At this store, we accept donations of used books, CDs, and DVDs, and we sell the best of these donated materials to the public.
The store is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm. Come visit and walk though four rooms of inventory, all beautifully organized.
Bi-Monthly Lobby Booksales at the Marina Library: Our lobby book sales attract big crowds of book lovers who appreciate a bargain and enjoy meeting their friends at the library to review the changing display of books. See Book Sales & Book Donations for dates.
We sell thousands of dollars of donated used books on our Amazon Page - books have traveled to all 50 states and to multiple countries.
We hold free bi-monthly Movie Matinees on the second Saturday in the months of January, March, July, and November at 2 pm. Click on Events Tab at top to see upcoming movie.
We host free bi-monthly concerts from 1-3 pm on the second Saturday of February, April, June, October, and December.
Click on Events Tab at top to see upcoming concerts.
We host the popular Little Kid Block Party on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00-11:30 am. We spread out giant blocks, Thomas the Tank Engine, Magnatiles, a play kitchen, a tent, and a bunch of other toys you probably don't have room for at home.
This is a big play date where you don't need to clean up afterwards! Just come with your cup of coffee, sit back, and relax. Fun for toddlers through about second grade. Click on Events Tab at top to see upcoming Block Party date.
By-Laws of The Friends of the Marina Library
To get an easy reminder of all events as they come up, Like the Friends of the Marina Library Facebook page and/or sign up for the Friends' email list.
The Friends of the Marina Library is a member of the Marina Chamber of Commerce.
The Friends of the Marina Library (FOML) Leadership
Board meetings are held the 4th Wednesday of most months from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in our Library's Community Room. Please join us! They are open to the public! Call (831) 682-8016 for more information.
Dana Cleary
Board Vice President
Marina resident since 1996. Manages development/construction for CHISPA, Inc. a nonprofit developer of affordable housing. Served on the Larger Library Committee that raised funds for library land purchase and passed the bond that funded construction of the Marina Library. Served on Marina Planning Commission and Marina City Council. Marina Tree and Garden Club board member.
Dani Whitaker
Board Secretary
Dani attends Monterey Peninsula College and will graduate in a year with a degree in Environmental Engineering. She worked as a chef before deciding to pursue a career in national resource preservation. In addition to attending school, Dani works for a butcher in Seaside. She has always had a passion for community collaboration.
Moira LaMountain
Board Treasurer
Marina resident since 2004.Currently works as the office administrator for an economic development nonprofit in Monterey County. Previously spent 15 years as an independent executive recruiter and before that as marketing coordinator for A.T. Kearney, an international management consulting firm for 9 years. Has served on the FoML since 2005 as Vice President (2 years), President (3 years), Treasurer (5 years), Secretary (2 years) and is again our Treasurer.
Lulu Moitoso
High School Representative
Lulu Moitoso is a long-time volunteer with The Friends of the Marina Library and is the high school representative on the board. She attends Marina High School where she plays varsity volleyball.
Joanne Bowman
At-Large Board Member
Joanne has lived in Marina since the 1970's. She managed her own accounting and tax service until she retired several years ago and started to volunteer for The Friends of the Marina Library.
Joanne has managed our our library book sales for years, and she manages Friends' Community Bookstore, 330 Reservation Road, our all-volunteer run used-book store that supports the Marina Library.
Dianne Silva
At-Large Board Member
Marina resident since November 2018. Retired Preschool-Eighth Grade principal and administrator at St. Anthony School in Atwater (Central Valley) for 25 years. Established St. Anthony Preschool. Ended career as chief financial officer and librarian at St. Anthony's. Prior careers included six years teaching high risk students and thirteen years as vice president of marketing and lending at Bank of America. Hobbies include reading, crosswords, gardening and cooking. Volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul, Italian Catholic Federation and Friends of the Marina Library Bookstore.
Jill Stoffers
At-Large Board Member
Jill is a senior manager responsible for partnership development for the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS). She has spent her career in student recruitment and admissions, including 20 years at MIIS. She is also an adjunct professor.
Jill has lived in Marina since 2009.
Reggie M Bradford
At-Large Board Member
Resident of Marina since 1978. Librarian, retired as Branch Manager of the Prunedale Library in 2004 and immediately joined Friends of the Marina Library. Served as President during the construction and opening of our New Marina Library. Also served as Book sale chairperson.
Nancy Fortman
At-Large Board Member
Resident of Marina since 1988. Retired from 43 years of middle school education as a math/science teacher and technology coordinator. Active member of St. Jude’s Parish and St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Volunteer marshal at local golf tournaments. Launched and delivers Constant Contact notifications for FOML.
Gail Youngblood
At-Large Board Member
Marina resident since 1988. Retired after twenty two years working on environmental cleanup of Fort Ord, serving as the BRAC environmental coordinator and the Army’s BRAC representative to the Fort Ord Reuse Authority. Currently serving on the boards of Marina Youth Arts, Marina-In-Motion, the Friends of the Marina Library, and City of Marina's Tree Committee (which supports the City of Marina Planning Commission on issues relating to trees).
Elisabeth Billingsley
At-Large Board Member/Correspondence Secretary
Marina resident since 1961. MPUSD Instructional Aide for 23 years. American Legion board member since 1981. Treasurer for Marina-in- Motion. Volunteer at the Marina Teen Center Breakfast program. Member of Marina Youth Arts. Volunteer at St. Jude's Church. Received Marina Foundation’s 2015 Woman of the Year Award.
Kristi Lau
At-Large Board Member
Kristi has been a Marina resident since 2008. She and her husband own and manage the Marina Grocery Outlet store. Kristi served as Treasurer for The Friends of the Marina Library for two years and has served as an at-large board member for two years
The Librarian of the Marina Branch Library is an Ex-Officio member of the board of The Friends of the Marina Library.