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Congratulations to the VALLA 2026 Cohort
The Virginia Library Leadership Academy (VALLA) evaluation team received 87 applications for the 2026 cohort. They are excited to announce the following 22 individuals whose applications strongly demonstrated VALLA’s core commitment to equity, accessibility, inclusivity; personal growth; connection building; and individualized leadership. Each of the 22 individuals selected to attend the 2026 cohort stood out as being diverse and primed to continue to develop their leadership skills and embark on their own, personal leadership journey.
Those accepted to the VALLA 2026 Cohort will begin their individualized leadership journey with a 3-day, in-person, intensive workshop, followed by a year’s worth of leadership topics and mentorship to continue to explore and develop their leadership capacity, at no cost to the participants, thanks to our generous sponsors.
The application evaluation process was anonymous, having redacted any personal identifying information, and multiple evaluators scored each application utilizing a predetermined rubric to ensure an objective decision was reached. The 22 chosen applicants represent different types of libraries: Academic (8), Public (13), and one (1) library school student, with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences.
Please join us in congratulating the following individuals on their acceptance into the 2026 VALLA Cohort:
Allison Brueckner, Massanutten Regional Library
Angie Taliferro, William & Mary Wolf Law Library
Cindy Scheu, J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library
Crystal Boyce, George Mason University
David Mercer, Fairfax County Public Library
Delwyn Elizabeth, Prince William Public Library
Diana Aleman-Davey, Christopher Newport University; Newport News Public Library
Donovan O’Daniel, Roanoke County Library
Emma Daugherty, Suffolk Public Library
Jenny Meslener, George Mason Public Library
Jessie West, Virginia Beach Public Library
John Cyrus, Virginia Commonwealth University
Katherine-An Bishop, Chesterfield Public Library
Keirstin Winslow, Suffolk Public Library
Kelly Pecora, Virginia Beach Public Library
Kelly Senser, Loudoun County Public Library
Kerri Copus, Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library
Mariam Ismail, Virginia Tech
Marika Mortimer, Student
Natasha Payne-Brunson, Henrico County Public Library
Summer Arawjo, William & Mary Library
Tray (David) Reynolds, Pittsylvania County Public Library
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