Board of Trustees

As a Grant County representative to the NCW Libraries Board, Kathleen brings a variety of life experiences. She is a retired teacher & school librarian, having taught middle school, high school and at the college level in Olsztyn, Poland, Oroville (WA), and Ephrata (WA) for 39 years. A local and state-level officer of the Washington Library Media Association, president of the Ephrata Education Association, board member of Our Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and a council member on the Ephrata City Council since 2003, Kathleen believes in being part of the community. Her first memories of library visits begin with the Moses Lake Library in the early 1960s and her two children chose books from the Oroville Public Library as toddlers.

Kathleen Allstot was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 1/1/2018. Her current term expires on 12/31/2031.

Calloway has lived in Grant County with her husband, Rex, for more than 25 years. She is a graduate of the Agriculture School at Oregon State University and has worked in the agricultural sector throughout her career. She currently holds the position of sales and product representative at Syngenta Vegetable Seeds.

“Rural area libraries play a crucial role in providing access to books and other resources for communities that may not have easy access to them,” she said. “In addition to lending books, libraries often offer various services such as internet access, educational programs, community events, and resources for job seekers. They serve as important hubs for learning, socializing, and connecting with others in rural areas.”

Calloway is a current member of the Quincy Rotary Club. She serves on the board of directors for Ag Forestry Leadership.

Melva Calloway was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 1/1/2024. Her current term expires on 12/31/2030.

Nancy Churchill has been a resident of Republic since 2017 and is active in the community. Nancy is originally from Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Nancy brings a wide variety of career experiences to her role on the board. She has worked around the country as a systems engineer, a small business owner, and in various retail customer-facing positions. She currently works as a marketing consultant providing freelance digital marketing services and email marketing to clients locally and globally.

Nancy Churchill was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 2/22/2022. Her current term expires on 12/31/2026.

Jim is the Douglas County Civil Deputy Prosecutor serving as the county legal advisor/counsel for all elected and appointed officials and agencies for all non-criminal matters. Prior to moving to Wenatchee, he served as a criminal prosecutor in Western Washington, and at the US Attorney’s Office in San Francisco. Jim is also a retired US Navy Command Master Chief, having served, among other assignments, as a Strategic Operations Advisor on the National Emergency Airborne Command Post, Chief of the Boat on the USS Florida, and Command Master Chief of Submarine Squadron 17 in Bangor. Jim currently sits on the National District Attorneys Association Veteran’s Advisory Board, the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys’ Civil Committee, and the North Central Washington Accountable Community of Health Opiod Stakeholder Work Group. A lifelong outdoor lover, he is a former alpine climbing guide, current US Ski and Snowboard certified alpine race coach, and USA Snowboard and Freeski Association certified freestyle coach, seen on some weekends tearing it up with the Mission Ridge Ski Team Youth Ski League little rippers.

Jim Mitchell was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 12/17/2018. His current term expires on 12/31/2025.

Jill is a Texan and a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Accounting. After working for five years as an auditor and consultant with an international accounting and consulting firm in Houston, Jill relocated to Seattle to serve clients in the Pacific Northwest. Since founding her management consulting company, S2 Advisors, in 1997, Jill has delivered value to clients by guiding strategic and tactical business planning and implementing complex process and technology improvements. Along with her husband, Jill moved to Winthrop in 2009 to chase her twin sons around ski trails, down the slopes of the Loup and on mountain biking trails all over the Methow Valley. She is a member of three book clubs. Jill founded the Junior Golf Program at Bear Creek, serves as the Treasurer of the Confluence Art Gallery in Twisp and has volunteered as a Nordic ski coach, an alpine race coordinator, a Guardian Angel and a high school tutor. She strongly believes in the power of public spaces to draw people together and envisions libraries in which every single person feels welcome and delighted to enter the front door.

Jill Sheley was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 12/7/2020. Her current term expires on 12/31/2027.

Denise Sorom is from the Seattle, Washington area. She received her BA in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in Business with a major in Arts Administration from the University of Wisconsin’s Graduate School of Business. Prior to attending graduate school, Denise worked in San Francisco and Seattle as a producer for large-scale digital media and web development projects. Throughout her education and career, Denise remained active in the arts, working at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Denise joined the staff Rochester Art Center in Minnesota in 2003 and became its Executive Director in 2005. In Rochester, Denise was heavily involved with arts initiatives throughout the community, serving on the Rochester Downtown Alliance’s Avenue of the Arts Committee, the Arts Administrators Round Table, and the board of the Rochester Arts Council. In Eugene, Oregon, Denise worked for the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences as a Development Associate and then at the UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History as its Marketing and Special Projects coordinator. In June 2013, Denise and her husband Abe and their three children relocated to Abe’s hometown of Wenatchee to raise their children and enjoy proximity to their families. Denise enjoys hiking, running, skiing, tennis and the arts.

Denise Sorom was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 7/31/2017. Her current term expires on 12/31/2029.

Spurgeon is a longtime resident and education specialist in North Central Washington. She worked for 20 years with Head Start early childhood education programs in Wenatchee and then in Seattle (commuting from Wenatchee). Spurgeon then served 10 years as Director of Early Childhood Education at Wenatchee Valley College before retiring in 2018.

“Libraries have always been important to me in my life,” she said. “I believe that libraries are one of the central most important resources in our communities. Right now, with all the online learning and internet connection, particularly in some of the small, rural communities we serve, the library is really the only thing they have. I support anything that makes it easier for families to connect to vital resources.”

Nancy Spurgeon was appointed to the Board of Trustees on 9/16/2020. Her current term expires on 12/31/2028.