Machelle Keen is the Collections and Facilities Coordinator at the Science and Engineering Library at Vanderbilt University. She has worked in the Vanderbilt University Libraries for 30 years. Her passions are reading, life-long learning and helping to make a difference. She has spent the last year developing, chairing and planning “Partners in Progress VUL Support Staff Conference” and the “Support Staff as Leaders NALA Conference”. She is developing her dream of creating opportunities for support staff to attend professional development conferences and feel empowered through learning.

Debra Stephens is a Library Associate (Service Desk Manager) at the Science and Engineering Library at Vanderbilt University. She has 25+ years of experience in public service and people management. Outside of work, she enjoys all sports, traveling, and shopping.

Leanna Myers is the web designer and social media coordinator at Vanderbilt’s Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Her responsibilities include creating and managing content for the libraries’ social media platforms and maximizing web platforms to share new and existing content. She has 4 years of experience with social media marketing and web design and has worked with prominent influencers in the greater Nashville area.

Lauri Thompson With over 30 years in business, industry and academia, Lauri Thompson has been witness to a ton of training! “From a trainer’s point of view” says Lauri, “a good training experience is rewarding, whether you are the trainer, or a participant. But, a botched training experience is a learning opportunity. So, any day in a training environment is a good day.”

Lauri holds an MA in Education from Ashford University. Lauri returned to school for her MA in Education when she saw the opportunity to combine her two favorite aspects of work – technology and training. Believing that human beings are perpetual learners is key to helping her develop meaningful learning outcomes with a personalized flair.

Lauri and her husband have three adult children and several grandchildren. She has served as a CASA volunteer and as a volunteer for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Holiday Parade where she was a giant balloon handler and band greeter.

Karen M. Swoopes is currently the Administrative Assistant at Peabody Library. Karen is an advocate for professional development and lifelong learning. She enjoys presenting training on various topics.

Christina Riedel is Assistant Library Director for The Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library. She has over 19 years of experience working in three very different libraries and over 26 years of customer service experience. Libraries are changing dramatically, and Christina is thrilled to be a part of those transitions of growth. Prior to coming to Clarksville, she was a member of the Cedar Rapids leadership team, managing the main branch operations with over 80 staff members. Team Cedar Rapids received the “Librarian of the Year” award from the American Library Association in 2009 after the library was restored following a devastating flood. Christina feels very privileged to work in a field that positively impacts communities and is dedicated to providing library users with well-trained welcoming staff, relevant appealing services and inviting community spaces.

Melissa Mallon is the Director of the Peabody Library and Director of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University Libraries in Nashville, TN. Mallon’s research interests include online learning, instructional design, and the intersection of critical thinking and digital literacy. She recently published a book on academic librarians' role in digital learning.

Maria Sochor is the Director of the Tennessee Library for Accessible Books and Media, an organization that provides books and other library services for Tennesseans who have a print disability. Her mission is to dismantle accessibility barriers for readers. Prior to serving in her current role, Maria was the Systems Administrator for an integrated library system consortium of over 100 public libraries. As the head of Circulation and Technical Services at the Brentwood Library, Maria was the project manager for an RFID circulation system installation. Her top reading recommendation for 2019 is The Book of Emma Reyes, a painter’s memoir written in letters that span three decades

Sue Maszaros is the Director of Library Services at Belmont University. She has served as library director for 3 years. Prior to her current role, Ms. Maszaros led the library’s systems and collections management teams at Belmont’s library.

Paige Carter is the Access Services Manager at Belmont University’s Lila D. Bunch Library. She previously served as the Interlibrary Loan Specialist and has been a Belmont employee for over 25 years.

Laura Price is the Administrative Coordinator at the Belmont University library. She was recently promoted from her position as Acquisitions Supervisor, a role in which she served for over 9 years.