🌟 Nan lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and 3 dogs. She has a 🎓 Doctorate in Organizational Leadership 📚 Her career is in public libraries + teaching graduate library science students at Old Dominion University 👩‍💼 Interim Executive Director of the Virginia Library Association (7,000+ members) 🎨 Amateur artist + knitter for relaxation 📖 Libraries: More Than Books 👥 5–6 million visits annually in Virginia (in-person, not counting digital) 🌍 Libraries is always a safe, inclusive spaces for everyone in the community . 💻 Free Wi-Fi, laptops, hotspots, digital collections - further 3D printers, sewing machines, podcast booths, memory labs. 🎶 Libraries-as-a-service: borrowing instruments, games, tools → the “original sharing economy” 🧠 Neuroscience + Creativity: 🪢 Knitting calms the vagus nerve, shifting from stress to creativity. 🪑 Rocking chairs in airports = neuroscience-backed stress relief. 😂 Humor + 🤝 helping others activate the prefrontal cortex, improving wellbeing. 📚 Reading & Growth 📖 Nan is a voracious reader, uses library e-resources extensively Did you know: 🌍 Reading builds empathy and emotional intelligence by experiencing lives of others ❤️ Favorite recommendation: Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund ✨ Life Lessons 🤲 Helping and humor = best brain fuel 🧘 Rest, meditation, and creative rituals = essential for leadership and resilience 📚 Libraries live at the intersection of social justice + intellectual curiosity 🌌 “Manifestation” isn’t woo-woo—it’s neuroscience (brain wiring through intention)