Previous Positions (last 10 years)

• Interim Director, School of Medicine Library, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 2021-2022.
• GME Liaison & Collections Manager, UNLV Health Sciences Library, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 2019-2021.
• Systems Librarian, Library Services, Orlando Health, Orlando, FL, 2015-2019.

Official MLA Activities (last 10 years)

National

• Medical Library Association member 2019-present;
• Rising Stars: guest leadership speaker 2024-2026;
• Nominating Committee: member 2022-2023;
• MLA Community Council: member 2020-2022;
• MLA Research Training Institute 2020.

Caucus

• Latinx: member 2019-present, chair 2020-2022, chair-elect 2019-2020.
• African American Medical Librarians Alliance: AAMLA member 2019-present; Virtual Engagement Committee: co-chair 2020-2021, member 2019-2021.

Chapter

• Northern California and Nevada Medical Librarian Group: member 2020-present; MLGSCA/NCNMLG Joint Meeting Registration Committee: member 2025-2026;
• Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association: member 2016-2019; Research Committee: member 2016.

Professional Experience (last 10 years)

Professional Activities

• Health Sciences Libraries of Nevada: member 2019-present; chair 2024-2025, vice chair 2023-2024;
• NNLM Region 5, Executive Committee: member 2024-present; Access and Outreach Subcommittee: member 2021-present;
• Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries: member 2021-present;
• JAMA Library Advisory Board: member 2020-present; Diversity Working Group: member 2021-2022;
• Florida and Caribbean Chapter of the Special Libraries Association: member 2019; webmaster 2019;
• Florida Health Sciences Library Association: member 2019;
• Health Care Finance Management Association: member 2018;
• American Librarian Association: member 2016;
• Tampa Bay Medical Library Network: member 2011-2019; Nominating Committee: member 2011, 2017.

Professional Honors

• MLA Caucus Project of the Year Award, 2023.
• MLA Carla J. Funk Governmental Relations Award (Co-Recipient), 2023.
• MLA President’s Award, 2023.
• MLA Erich Meyerhoff Prize, 2021.
• MLA President’s Award, 2021.
• MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) Virtual Institute Scholarship, 2020.
• MLA Annual Meeting Travel Grant Recipient, 2019.
• Technology Improvement Grant Award from NN/LM Southeastern Region, 2017.

Candidate Questions from the Nominating Committee

How can we (MLA) as an organization provide the maximum value to our members and provide opportunities for involvement and relevance in these changing times?

Keep MLA affordable, rewarding, and relevant for members:

Sustaining affordability: Continue efforts to make MLA affordable for all individuals, ensuring membership fees and professional development opportunities, including certification, remain competitive and accessible.

Rewarding leadership commitment: Implement a system such as stipends or travel grants to recognize and support members who take on significant organizational leadership roles, offsetting the personal financial burden of involvement, particularly attendance at the annual conference.

Professional pathways and recommendations: Develop curated “pathways” that provide personalized recommendations for resources, professional development, and involvement opportunities based on a member’s career status and/or interests (e.g., student, early-career, mid-level, leader) or sector (e.g., academic, hospital, public health, special). Make it easier for members to know how they can connect (or reconnect) with MLA.

What would you as a board member do to help build community within our association and create an environment where members feel a sense of belonging?

As a board member I would be interested in helping to rebuild MLA’s community through improving the website’s platform, listservs, and engaging members at the continuum of their careers:

Bridging the information gap: Simplify the process for members to find and access key resources, funding opportunities, professional networks (caucuses/communities), and ways to engage on the website.

Meet members where they are: Actively solicit feedback to understand members’ current involvement, pain points, and aspirations for the organization, adapting MLA programming and initiatives accordingly.

What one strategic initiative do you think would be most helpful for ensuring that MLA remains a vibrant and useful association?

Focus on M.L.A. – Members Like Affordability:

Maintain low membership cost options, connect members with funding sources to support professional growth in ways that are relevant to them (i.e. attendance at the annual conference, gaining AHIP certification, and/or MLA specializations) and leveraging other funding sources such as institutional memberships to help maintain lower costs for individual members.