Diana Peck • Executive Director
Diana Peck has always considered the library a sanctuary, a place where friendly staff, quiet corners, and endless shelves of books, magazines, and media fuel both spirit and imagination. A lifelong learner and lover of books, she believes there is no greater resource for strengthening community and enhancing quality of life than the local library.
Diana grew up in California’s Central Valley, where she met her husband Jamie and together had four sons. After moving to Southern California for a life adventure in 2014, they moved to Teton Valley, Idaho, in 2019. Their adult sons, Mason, Cameron, Tristan, and Brandon, soon followed.
She became Executive Director of Teton County Library Foundation & Friends in 2022, bringing more than 15 years’ experience in nonprofit and business management, public relations, advocacy, fundraising, and community engagement. Her diverse career path has ranged from serving as executive director of Kings County Farm Bureau to working as an international tour manager for Adventures by Disney.
When she’s not working, Diana enjoys traveling, reading, exploring the outdoors, and enjoying great food. While nonfiction is her favorite genre, she also loves unforgettable fiction. Two books that have had a lasting impact on her are The Four-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss and Rain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor.
Contact: diana@tclibfoundation.org
Lauren Dickey • At Large
Lauren Dickey grew up on Amelia Island, Florida, where humid summers inspired her to find refuge in the local library. There, she discovered that books could transport her far beyond her coastal hometown. That early love of reading stayed with her when she became a teacher and later moved to Jackson Hole. She also enjoys hiking, biking, and running on local trails, but the library remains an anchor.
Lauren serves on the Teton County Library Foundation & Friends Board because she cares deeply about literacy and the connections it fosters. She believes every resident deserves access to ideas, stories, and information, and she sees the library as a gathering place where neighbors become friends, kids discover the joy of reading, and everyone finds resources to learn new skills or connect. Supporting the library is, to her, a way of strengthening the social fabric of the valley. To Lauren, visiting a great library isn’t just about books, it’s about belonging.
Carolyn Ripps • Vice President
Carolyn Ripps remembers her childhood library in Massachusetts as a magical home-away-from-home where she spent hours exploring the many places her imagination would take her. When she moved to Jackson Hole in 2004, she similarly fell in love with Teton County Library, and over the years has become a regular, checking out books weekly, taking her kids to Storytime, attending community events, and much more. She comes to the Foundation & Friends board with a professional background in communications and fundraising, with a passion for expanding and amplifying the many resources, services, and programs Teton County Library offers. When she’s not re-reading one of her favorite books, most recently Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, she’s adventuring outdoors, gardening, trying new recipes, and enjoying time with her two children, Gwen and Alex, and her husband Andy.
Stewart McIver • President
Stewart McIver has always been driven by a passion for learning and the belief that knowledge unlocks the world. This perspective took root in his early years in Oregon and carried through to Colorado, where he spent countless hours working in his college library and devouring audiobooks. In 2020, after what was meant to be a short visit, Stewart and his wife, Nicolette - who grew up in Jackson Hole - returned to make the valley their home. A CPA and CFA with a skillset in finance, he joined the Library Foundation & Friends board to support the library’s programs, facilities, and resources, empowering the community through education. With a nearly two-year-old son, he doesn’t have much spare time but in those quiet moments, you’ll usually find Stewart working in his yard or tinkering while listening to audiobooks on Libby or Hoopla. Stewart says he gets enough “real world” reading from his work and instead finds refuge in science fiction and epic fantasy novels. He often recommends The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, a book that leaves him pondering the vastness of the Teton night skies and what might lie beyond them.
Katie Mendenhall • Secretary
Katie Mendenhall has fond memories of spending hours after school at her local library in Georgia, studying and connecting with friends. In 2003, her love of adventure and nature brought her to Jackson Hole, where she met her husband, Mack. Together, they have two daughters, Grace and Jenna, whom Katie first introduced to the library as babies through story times and music classes. Today, her family remains actively involved with Youth Programming at Teton County Library.
Katie joined the Foundation & Friends board in 2022, believing that the library is the backbone of any community. She brings years of experience in hospitality industry sales and marketing to the board and enjoys engaging with people at the library and at community events.
Grateful to serve on a board that supports the library’s welcoming spaces and outstanding community programming, such as the Brainstorm Speaker Series and Page to the Podium, Katie sees the library as a true community hub. When she’s not curled up with a good book, she can be found hiking, biking, skiing, watching football, or spending time on the river with family and friends.
Emmie Hill grew up in Washington, D.C., and from an early age always had a soft spot for libraries—treasuring the way they reflect the beauty of community. After a 35-year career on Wall Street, she co-founded Elizabeth’s Hope (now the Children’s Brain Tumor Project Foundation), which supports pediatric brain cancer research. In 2013, she and her husband Michael moved from Bronxville, NY, to Jackson Hole, where her commitment to service led her to join the Foundation & Friends board.
Emmie loves attending the library’s programs and events, checking out digital books, and perusing the stacks with her five granddaughters. She feels it is a privilege to serve on a board that strengthens the capacity of a library serving the entire community. A devoted reader, she especially enjoys novels, biographies, and political, economic, and historical nonfiction. Her favorite book is My Promised Land by Ari Shavit.
When she’s not reading, Emmie can be found skiing, biking, playing tennis, or hiking with Michael and their Chocolate Lab, Hank.
While Michael Adler’s career and travels have taken him to places near and far, it was the profusion of scientific and technical progress in the 50’s and 60’s while growing up in Detroit that ignited his love for physics and astronomy. A graduate of MIT, with a four degrees including a PHd in Solid State Physics, and over 100 papers published on Semiconductor Physics, he has always loved sharing the results of his research and pictures of the world and the skies that has connected him with others around similar passions. A board member of Wyoming Stargazing and Geologists of Jackson Hole, he had a two-month exhibit of his astrophotography in the 2012 inaugural exhibit at the Teton County Library. Michael joined the Foundation & Friends board as a former board member of the Friends of the Library, with a goal of promoting and recognizing library volunteerism and to support opportunities for a new generation of geologists and other enthusiasts to feed their curiosity. He is passionate about expanding appreciation for the library as a place not only for finding and reading books but learning about incredible places and ecosystems such as those in Eager, a book by Ben Goldfarb, and the frontiers of science such as Walter Isaacson’s book on Einstein. When he’s traveling with his wife Virginia, you’ll undoubtedly find him listening to an audio book by Agatha Christie.
Hugh O’Halloran likes to say he was raised by a pack of librarians. His father served as the State Librarian of Missouri, and his mother worked first as an elementary school librarian before becoming the Director of Libraries for their public school system. Sundays often found Hugh roaming the stacks of the State Library’s children’s section, carefully selecting a towering stack of books to take home—books his father would later have to return on his behalf. Despite his early attempt (and swift exit) as a library volunteer in elementary school, a lifelong connection to libraries was firmly set.
Hugh first came to Jackson for the skiing, but quickly fell in love with the mountains, summers, and vibrant sense of community. For someone who grew up surrounded by books and steeped in the value of free expression, joining the Foundation & Friends board felt like a natural step. “Did I really have a choice?” he jokes. With a family background rooted in journalism and publishing, Hugh is passionate about protecting libraries as places of access, opportunity, and belonging—especially in a time when those values are increasingly under threat.
An attorney by profession, Hugh brings deep expertise in nonprofit governance, having served on multiple charitable boards and advised countless others. Known for asking hard questions when necessary, he sees good governance as essential to the strength of any organization.
For Hugh, Teton County Library embodies what modern libraries should be: not only a refuge for readers, but also a provider of critical services to segments of the community who might not otherwise have access to them. Its commitment to inclusion and courage in the face of challenges are what inspire him most.
When he’s not advocating for libraries, you’ll find Hugh skiing, biking on any terrain available, hiking, climbing, cooking, traveling, or listening to obscure jazz. And always reading—often returning to Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, a novel that never fails to reveal something new with every read.
For Diane Winder, libraries have always been a sanctuary—a place of quiet refuge she sought out as a child in places as far-flung as Togo, West Africa, and Beirut. No matter where life took her, the library was a constant source of curiosity and discovery.
Diane and her husband, Philip, first fell in love with Jackson during countless ski trips before making it their permanent home in 2010. With a long career in finance and journalism, Diane now works in investment management and consulting, and often finds herself at the library seeking fresh inspiration for her professional writing.
Diane joined the Foundation & Friends board after experiencing firsthand the library’s vital role as a cornerstone of the community. Whether it’s adults browsing the shelves, kids diving into after-school programs, or someone simply logging on to free internet, she sees the library as a welcoming, inclusive space for all.
Beyond her professional life, Diane enjoys biking, hiking, skiing, film, and art—and traveling with Philip to explore new places near and far. Some of her favorite recent literary adventures include James by Percival Everett and North Woods by Daniel Mason, books that remind her of the power of great stories to transport and transform.
Shauna Lockhart grew up in Seattle and moved to Jackson around 15 years ago. A self-described “Berkeley hippie who married a Wyoming hillbilly,” she values diverse perspectives and is a strong advocate for public libraries—spaces where everyone is welcome. She and her children, Amelia and Callahan, are weekly visitors to the Teton County Library.
With a professional background in marketing and graphic design, Shauna recently pursued a longtime dream by founding Jackson Hole Flower Farm. These days, she spends countless hours in the garden listening to audiobooks—mostly contemporary fiction and classic literature she missed during her school years, when sports took center stage.
Some of her recent favorite reads include East of Eden, Lonesome Dove, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, and Dopamine Nation.
Laura Soltau • Administrative and Outreach Coordinator
Laura Soltau is a nonprofit leader and educator with over 20 years of experience iN program development and organizational leadership. She recently retired as Executive Director of Teton Literacy Center, where she served for nearly a decade, expanding educational opportunities, launching innovative programs, and building strong community partnerships.
Deeply rooted in the Jackson community, Laura has served on steering committees for Expanded Learning Collective and System of Care, as well as the Old Bill’s Run Committee. She is also an active member of Rotary of Jackson Hole and of the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole. Laura has dedicated much of her career to ensuring that community members, students, and families have access to educational resources and support—believing wholeheartedly that literacy opens doors—and she is excited to continue that work with the Library Foundation & Friends.
Laura loves nothing more than snuggling up by the fire with a good book and her family reading alongside her. Some recent favorites that she is still thinking about are Theo of Golden by Allen Levi and The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
Contact: laura@tclibfoundation.org
Alison Engel’s grandmother was a librarian. Her sister is a librarian. She lost her first tooth at one New York City public library and went on her first date with the man who is now her husband at another. So, not surprisingly, Alison is a true believer in the importance of libraries.
After an early career at several New York City advertising agencies, working on clients ranging from MasterCard and UPS to the U.S. Coast Guard, Alison and her husband, Peter, moved to San Francisco. There, she continued her marketing career and began gaining extensive board experience, primarily with two major social service agencies helping at-risk, low-income families and young women achieve stability and self-sufficiency. Her board work focused on strategic planning, development, and governance.
After stepping away from paid work while her two now-adult daughters were young, Alison pivoted in 2014 to running a small business that curates, organizes, and facilitates book groups for adults and for children in grades 1–8 with their parents. While she still spends about a week each month during the school year running 15 book groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives fulltime in Jackson. Like so many, downhill skiing originally brought her to Teton Valley 25 years ago, but it was the magical summers that convinced Alison and her husband to stay. When she’s not reading or rereading for work, Alison enjoys downhill and skate skiing, hiking, biking, golfing, cooking, and, of course, reading for fun.
Jon Chapdelaine’s connection to libraries began as a child in Western Massachusetts, in a community where the library was not just a building, but a launchpad for curiosity. On many summers days Jon could be found sorting through the library card catalog in search of the next great book. Those early experiences have led to a deep appreciation for public spaces dedicated to curiosity and learning for all.
Like many who come to Jackson, Jon came seeking adventure. While the rivers and mountains drew him in first, the community is what made him stay. Jon believes that libraries represent equity, opportunity, and connection. Joining the board allows Jon to support an institution that strengthens the community and is inclusive to all.
Professionally, Jon is someone who likes solving problems, thinking strategically, and working collaboratively. A banker by trade, Jon has spent his career reorganizing underperforming operations, driving major change initiatives, and building systems to mitigate risk and adhere to regulatory compliance. Jon’s goal on the board is to help ensure that our library continues to evolve and thrive as Jackson grows and changes.
For Jon, Teton County Library is special because it’s without question community focused. It’s a place where everyone feels welcome and reflects the core of Jackson: open, generous, and inquisitive.
When he’s not in board meetings, Jon can be found outdoors skiing, biking, fishing, or relaxing with friends and family and, of course, finding a good book to get lost in.
Janice Harris will tell you that home begins in Glendale, California, next door to Burbank, the locale of the Disney Studios. Her father was an animator and cartoonist for Disney, and she’ll laugh recalling Clarence Nash, a neighbor and the voice of Donald Duck, coming to her birthday parties.
After earning her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Stanford and Brown, Janice’s next, and lifelong, home became Wyoming, with a foot in Laramie and a foot in Jackson. She and her husband, Duncan Harris, had decades-long careers as faculty members and administrators in the English Department and the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming. Complementing her bond to Laramie, Duncan’s family has deep ties to Jackson.
Now rooted in Jackson and joining the Board of the Teton County Library Foundation & Friends, Janice expands her definition of home. Whether in the Teton County Library, the Coe Library in Laramie, the British Library in London, or the University of Cape Town Library in South Africa, libraries have opened their doors to her. Librarians have searched their stacks and brought her rare nineteenth-century novels and journals. They have given her safe and quiet spaces to read, research, and write. Staff within Interlibrary Loan units have sent her photocopies of manuscripts (think of that!).
If home is where the heart and mind thrive, Janice believes that libraries and librarians, within this or any community, are precious homes, with knowledgeable and hospitable hosts.