New Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Board Officers Elected

For Immediate Release
January 20, 2016

Burton Craig, JPA Chair

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – January 20, 2016, Burton Craig, Monte Sereno Council Member, has been elected Chair of the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Governing Board.  Craig succeeds Emily Lo, 2014 JPA Chair and current Council Member for the City of Saratoga.  Mike Wasserman, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor for District 1 has been elected as JPA Vice-Chair.  The SCCLD Joint Powers Authority Board provides policy direction and governance, as well as oversees the budget for the Library District.  As the incoming SCCLD Joint Powers Authority Chair, Burton will preside at all JPA meetings with Wasserman, Vice Chair, presiding in his absence.  

"I am a huge fan of libraries and a firm believer in the importance they serve our communities. Public libraries here in the Santa Clara County Library District have always been places where residents can learn and explore new things,” stated newly elected JPA Chair Burton Craig.   “From the enormous collection of books and materials offered by the district to the constantly changing and updating of services and technologies, our libraries function as communal meeting places, cultural centers and a resource center to entrepreneurs, small businesses and job seekers. Consistently recognized as one of America’s STAR libraries, SCCLD continues to receive honors and awards for their innovation and service to local residents.  I am honored to have been selected as Chair of the District’s Governing Board and to represent such an important community organization,” Craig continued.

The SCCLD Joint Powers Authority Board is composed of eleven members, with one member from each of the nine member city councils (Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga and the County of Santa Clara) and two members from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Shortly after earning a Computer Information Systems degree from the University of Miami, Craig entered into the tech industry selling Apple II computers in the Miami area.  His interest in high-tech brought him to the emerging Silicon Valley and the city of Monte Sereno.  A Santa Clara County resident for over 25 years, Craig has since worked for many locally based companies including Ashton-Tate, Symantec, Apple and Silicon Graphics.  Currently, Craig is the Chief Technology Officer for a local financial company.  In addition to serving as JPA Chair for the Santa Clara County Library District, Burton Craig served as Cultural Commissioner for Monte Sereno in 2008 and currently sits on the city’s Youth Commission and is the Scoutmaster for a local Boy Scout troop. 

Held annually, JPA elections take place on the last meeting of the calendar year with new officers beginning their one year term in January of the following year.  Craig will lead the first JPA meeting of 2016, scheduled for January 28, 2016, 1:30 p.m. at the Library District’s Services and Support Center, located at 1370 Dell Avenue in Campbell, CA.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting.   

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About the Santa Clara County Library District
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) promotes knowledge, ideas, and cultural enrichment. Its collection includes more than 1.9 million books, videos, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, eBooks and extensive online resources accessible from home or work.

In 2014, SCCLD celebrated one hundred years of service to local residents. For the last several years, SCCLD has been consistently recognized as one of America’s Star Libraries by Library Journal. In 2014, SCCLD was ranked among the top ten large libraries in the United States in the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. In 2014 and 2015, SCCLD won Innovator Awards from the Urban Libraries Council.

The Santa Clara County Library District includes two bookmobiles, an online library, seven community libraries and one branch library serving Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. In 2014, the Santa Clara County Library District had more than 225,000 library cardholders and welcomed 3.3 million visitors who borrowed 9.4 million items, making it one of the most used resources in the region. Visit Santa Clara County Library District online at www.sccl.org.

Contact:
Nancy Howe/Chris Brown /Lili Smith
Santa Clara County Library District
(408) 293-2326 ext. 3001/3010/3014