2026 Virginia Library Association Executive Committee Election
Treasurer Candidate Statements
About the Treasurer
The Treasurer is the Chief Fiscal Officer of the Association and supervises preparation of annual operating budget. The Treasurer’s term is two years, and they assume office immediately after the annual conference. The winner between these candidates will serve from October 2025 - October 2027.
What's at Stake
The VLA treasurer's responsibilities relate to the association's budget and financial administration, and they work closely with the Executive Director to oversee investment of funds, general accounting, financial and statistical reporting. They present financial reports regarding these matters to the Executive Committee, Council, and the Association.
There are seven candidates for Virginia Library Association treasurer. Learn more about them below.
 Zach Roberts is a Senior Library Manager with Prince William Public Libraries, where he oversees operations at Chinn Park Regional Library in Woodbridge, Virginia. He has held this leadership role since 2020, guiding strategic initiatives, supervising a diverse team, and advancing community-focused library services. Zach holds a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from San José State University and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Arkansas State University, combining a passion for librarianship with strong foundations in public service and organizational leadership.
Throughout his career, Zach has actively contributed to the broader library profession by serving on a variety of committees and boards. Most recently, he served as a Board Member at Large for the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS), where he supported national advocacy and programming efforts for mobile and outreach librarianship.
Zach is also active in his community, volunteering his time with the local free clinic, his church, and working as a volunteer for the Friends of the Fauquier County Library in the Friends bookstore in downtown Warrenton, Virginia.
 David “Tray” Reynolds is currently a Young Adult Library Assistant for Roanoke City Public Libraries. He has been working in libraries for 3 years and came to librarianship looking for a path to community engagement and encouraging the love of public libraries. Reynolds shares, "A big reason I wanted to become a librarian is because as an African American male I noticed the lack of representation of professionals that looked like me in the Library field. I am looking to inspire my community to see themselves in librarian roles by actively pursuing my MLIS and becoming involved in library organizations such as VLA, ALA, PLA and the Black Caucus Library Foundation. Attending VLA last year was a life changing experience for me as I was able to connect with so many dedicated librarians, attend thought provoking seminars, and join fantastic forums such as Librarians of Color, and the New Members Roundtable forum. I came away really wanting to get involved with VLA by any means necessary and literally jumped at the opportunity to become treasurer for VLA. The most rewarding part of my job is that librarianship has managed to make me a local celebrity thanks to the great work we do and I truly know I am better person for pursuing librarianship. Thank you for the opportunity to express gratitude in this position and my hope is that I am your selection."
 Kristin Evans is the Head of Adult Services at Massanutten Regional Library in Harrisonburg. She grew up in Charlottesville, where she was a regular patron of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, and moved to metro Atlanta before high school where she got her first job at the local public library over 25 years ago. Kristin graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in History, Technology, and Society and earned her MLS from Indiana University-Bloomington. She has spent her entire professional career working in Virginia libraries and has been with MRL since 2014. Kristin’s professional interests lie in library management and leadership, and her passions include supporting librarians and library staff in achieving their goals, ensuring that the library remains a place for all, streamlining workflows, and drafting clear policies and procedures. She is proud to be a member of the 2024 Virginia Library Leadership Academy cohort. Kristin’s VLA claim to fame is winning the Jeopardy!-style trivia during the 2015 conference social. When she isn’t at the library or doing library things, you can find Kristin reading, cross stitching, geocaching, visiting Virginia wineries, or hanging out at home with the boys (two dogs, one cat, and one husband).
 Jeremy Hanes (he/his, they/theirs pronouns) is the Administrative Service Supervisor at Suffolk Public Library. He is a recovering academic with a Ph.D. from University of California, Santa Barbara who worked in university libraries to help pay their way through graduate school at Christopher Newport University's Paul and Rosemary Trible Library and Andover-Harvard Theological Library before transitioning to public libraries. He spent 2017-2020 working at Norfolk Public Library as a circulation floater, before joining the Lafayette Branch as a Library Associate I until the pandemic. More recently, they've been working with Suffolk Public Library as a Library Services Coordinator offering classes and events in the Community Learning department from 2022-2024. Hanes helped implement author and local history talks, Baby Storytimes, Dinner and a Story to help families with kids get a free meal during the evenings, helped grow 2SLGBTQA+ events like Parking Lot Pride and Rainbow Families, and got into mischief by turning libraries into LARPing zones. In 2024, they shifted into a team lead as Administrative Services Supervisor where he help analyze trends in statistics, apply for awards and grants, and manage a team of 3-5 that handles the system's facilities, finances, and fleet. Hanes is going back for his MLIS degree in the fall at Old Dominion University to continue to grow their library skills and find ways to show our communities how much libraries are already doing for them, and how much more we can with stakeholder buy-in and funding.
 Dawn Julie Rentchler Neher, is a Librarian, mother, wife, daughter, pet mother, avid reader, world traveler, martial artist, teacher, chemist, tree hugger, tennis player, beach lover, and active community member. She currently lives on the beach in Norfolk, Virginia with her son, currently in his 3rd year at ODU studying to be an astrophysicist, her husband of 27 years, her 2 dogs, 1 cat and 2 turtles. Her hobbies include reading (everything but loves fantasy and sci-fi the most), karate, travelling, scrapbooking, racquet sports, and anything that involves being outdoors.
Neher was born in Los Angeles, California and graduated from the University of California at San Diego with her bachelor’s in chemistry in 1996. After school, she landed a dream chemistry position at Pfizer as a pharmaceutical chemist and met her husband while he was stationed in Coronado. To be closer to family, she moved to Spokane, Washington, where her daughter, now in Chiropractic school in Atlanta, GA, was born. She moved across the country and settled down and raised her children in Mechanicsville, Virginia. She was a stay-at-home mom for their formative years, then an environmental director for a small statewide non-profit, and finally a high school chemistry teacher. In May of 2024, she earned her master’s in library and information science from Old Dominion University. Neher says, "Giving up teaching and embarking on an entirely new career path was likely the scariest and proudest moment of my life. Now I work as the Manager of the RMP Maker Studio inside the Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library (Norfolk Public Library system). I love my job, I still love helping people and I feel like I have finally found the perfect space for me to be my best self."
 Cindy Scheu, the Library Director of the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library in Appomattox, Virginia, directs a staff of seven individuals and several volunteers. Under Cindy’s leadership the library has rapidly expanded to include new collaboration tables for the young adult section and reorganization of the children’s area, including adding browsing bins for the picture books.
Cindy has worked in libraries for over 16 years, beginning as the Business Associate in the Business Library within the Boatwright Library at the University of Richmond. She transitioned from public services to technical services as the Serials and Binding Associate at the Boatwright Library. After receiving her Master of Liberal Arts in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Richmond, Cindy and her husband moved to California and then to the Florida Keys.
While in the Florida Keys, Cindy worked at the Islamorada Public Library in Islamorada, Florida for a couple of years before moving to the Bortz Library at Hampden Sydney College, finally working with the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. Cindy is currently working on her Master of Library and Information Science at the Catholic University of America with a projected finish date in the Spring of 2026.
 Ann White is the Deputy Director of Handley Regional Library System in Winchester, VA. She has 30 years of experience working in libraries with 20 years in finance, human resources, and library administration. She plays a leadership role in managing the library system’s operations, overseeing budgeting, staffing, and strategic initiatives. Ann is dedicated to fostering a strong organizational culture, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and enhancing public services to meet the evolving needs of the community.
Ann’s coworkers describe her as proactive, supportive, empathetic and collaborative. “She is trusted and well-respected because she understands the mission and consistently acts in the best interest of the organization and its members with positive outcomes.” “Her voice is valued and respected across staff and [the library] board because she is a reliable force who empowers others to succeed.” “Her ability to successfully plan and manage budgetary issues keeps our library system on track and fiscally sound.”
While not at work, Ann enjoys reading and following her son’s writing career, traveling with her husband, spending time with her pets, and making the world a more beautiful place through gardening.
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Zach Elder hopes to use his wide range of experience across academic and public libraries to advance library values and guide our organization through uncertain times. 
Jennifer Brown, PhD, is an accomplished library leader, educator, and advocate for equitable access to library services. She currently serves as Director of the Augusta County Library system, where she leads strategic initiatives across seven locations. With over a decade of public library experience and a strong foundation in instructional design, Dr. Brown brings a unique lens to leadership development, community engagement, and inclusive service design.
Jennifer Resor-Whicker has been named the Immediate Past President of VLA. This appointment follows the relinquishment of the role by Nan Carmack, current VLA Executive Director. She will serve until October 2025.
We are delighted to announce that Hannah Ayers is a 2025 VLA Scholarship Award recipient. A lifelong Virginia resident, Hannah has recognized local libraries as places of comfort and connection. Drawing inspiration from her own childhood librarian, she is creating a career in youth services that focuses on helping the next generation of children engage meaningfully with history.
We are excited to announce that Katherine Zinn is a 2025 VLA Scholarship Award recipient. Katherine has demonstrated a ready commitment to library accessibility and to highlighting the importance of libraries as unique cultural knowledge centers. 
