About Us

Meet Amy, our dynamic leader! She's a busy woman, juggling her role as a loving wife, a mom to three whirlwind boys (Connor, Colby, and Caiden), and Library Director. Beyond her professional role, she actively serves on the board of the Allegheny Family Network and co-chairs the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce's Ambassador Committee. With a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science, a Master's in Special Education, a Bachelor's in Human Development, and a C.A.G.S. in Positive Behavior Supports, Amy's academic credentials are impressive. Though a New Englander at heart, rooting for both the Patriots and Red Sox, she's a familiar face in our community, often seen at local events and fundraisers. When she's not leading our team, she enjoys spending time at her peaceful cabin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Becky Proie is our Assistant Director and Youth Services Manager. She is a self-admitted theatre geek and has a penchant for costumes. Did you see her dressed as Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus for Halloween? It was AMAZING! When she's not doing storytimes and running the show in Youth Services, Becky is a Pens fan and a sucker for a good brewery. Her "guilty pleasure" TV show is The Masked Singer, and though she doesn't have a lot of time to sit down with a good book, she does multi-task by listening to audiobooks on Libby while working. Gotta get the reading in somehow!

Heather is Manager of Library Services, i.e. “jack-of-all-trades” at the library, where she teaches some tech classes, manages the collection, creates the newsletter and website, and yells at the computers when they don’t behave. Heather’s also a registered notary public and a self-published author (under H. L. Blake). Her dearest obsessions include sci-fi/fantasy (especially Ender's Game and Lord of the Rings), the ocean, newborn kittens, adventure games, and of course libraries of all shapes and sizes. Heather’s usually hidden in the back office so you may never see her, but her handiwork is all around. If you need some tech help, just ask - she enjoys the chance to get away from her desk!

Our caffeine-loving Library Mama, Laura, is a true multitasker. She plays a vital role in our fundraising efforts, actively participating in both the planning and execution of our Fall for Your Library event. Laura also assists with library mailings and sends out hundreds of heartfelt thank-you notes each year. In addition, she takes care of the beautiful stickers and protective covers on our books. With a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Laura brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to everything she does. A fan of hard-boiled eggs, she might even impress you with a little soft-shoe when answering a question—depending on the day! Passionate about Italian Greyhound Rescue, she’s also the proud owner of a German Shepherd named Max, who might just shower you with kisses (and possibly a little too much enthusiasm).

Mackenzie is a proud West Allegheny alumna with a heart of gold and a bright, cheerful personality. She’s a true people person, always making meaningful connections. Mackenzie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. In her free time, she enjoys being with family and friends, listening to music, going on road trips, and swimming.

Lexi has worked with children for over 10 years! She has her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education and has taught and worked with children 6 weeks - 4th grade. When not working, she loves to read, especially Romance. She enjoys playing with her cats, Captain and Bucky. She also loves hanging outside, swimming, hiking, and playing games with her friends. Lexi is super excited that her passion for reading and children came together serving our WACL families!

Meet Kimberly, our Adult Services Programming Specialist! For seventeen years, she was a classroom teacher in Branson, Colorado, where she taught Information Technology, English, and Theatre. She was born and raised in our community in Hankey Farms and returned several years ago. She holds a Master’s in Adolescent Literacy and Technology, and a Bachelor’s in Speech, Theatre, and English.

Marie is our bookkeeper and has her Bachelor's in accounting from Robert Morris College. Her full-time job is as an accounting consultant for a diverse clientele, including non-profits (like us!). Marie resides in North Fayette with her husband and daughter. When she's not crunching numbers, you can find her building puzzles, shoe shopping, or watching HGTV.

Donna may just be the most organized person we've ever met! She grew up in Freeport and raised triplets (whom she is very proud of). Donna works behind the scenes with a lot of our library reports and lists, drawing heavily on her B.S. degree in Management Information Systems. A seriously hardworking and amazing multi-tasker, she also hunts for missing and lost books around the library (it's like a treasure hunt!). She is totally into watermelon, Rocky I and II, and claims she cannot remember ever receiving a gift she wasn’t truly grateful for (now that’s a nice person!).

Susan has worked as a college career counselor, corporate trainer, and preschool teacher - not to mention her favorite full-time job, mom to her two amazing kids (Owen and Lucy), kitties, and a new puppy! Susan loves kayaking with her husband, taking long walks, and reading books with happy endings (us too!).

Eastin began working at the library in March of 2024. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, learning new things, being outdoors, watching sports, playing with his golden retriever Juniper, and listening to music! Eastin is currently completing a bachelor's degree in computer science and physics with the intent of pursuing a career in quantum computing or data analysis. His favorite book of all time is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Elizabeth is sure to be a familiar face in our community, as she comes to us after retiring from 22 years of teaching at West A. In her free time, she achieved a Master Gardener Certificate from Penn State Extension of Allegheny County. Elizabeth says she also loves baseball - yes, even the Pirates!

Jamie has loved to write ever since she was a little girl, and she studied professional writing at Pitt. Besides working at the library, reading, and writing, she also likes playing piano (especially Chopin), working out at home because the gym is scary, and watching an ungodly amount of romance reality tv. She lives by the motto, "the grass is greener where you water it," and she really believes we should all lead with empathy because everyone is going through something!

Julian began as a volunteer at the library for about five years, and then decided to make it official and join us on staff. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. In his spare time, Julian enjoys writing/journaling and spending time with his dogs Raven and Harper (cool names!). Plus, he's always there to help out his busy family with their busy lives!

Nancy is technically retired from the library, but still fills in with a smile when we need her! She has lived an interesting life (one wonders how she ended up in in Western PA?!) and has a beautiful cherry red Pontiac Solstice convertible she calls the Doll Shoe. Nancy is a US Army Veteran and retired from a 33-year career with the FAA Air Traffic Technical Operations as Electronics Technician and Manager at the Pittsburgh Airport. Nancy loves Charlie’s Angels and enjoys munching on Necco Wafers while watching movies, when she's not going on an amazing safari or cruise to some exotic destination (we're so jealous, but we love hearing her stories when she comes back!).

Stephen is one of our circulation clerks, but he does much more than that, especially after hours when he turns into "Maintenance Man"! You might occasionally see him doing some heavy lifting or with his head in the ceiling, but don't be concerned - he's just doing his job. Stephen is married - to our own Heather (they met working at the library...awwww). He’s also a self-published author and our resident artist, happy to draw a pony or superhero right on the spot for any child who asks. Before coming to WACL, he worked for the government (it’s classified).

Kay and her family have lived in North Fayette for 18 years. She has been an active participant in libraries since she was a young girl and even worked in a library as her first job. She considers it a life goal to be on the WACL Board of Directors and serve her community in that way.

Skip has been a Board Member since the start of 2021 and is Chairperson for Building & Grounds. He is retired (37 years) from Bayer Corporation. Western Allegheny Community Library has been a big part of his family since his wife, Donna (who now works at the library!), introduced their three children to WACL at a very young age by taking them to storytime.

Zac is an Oakdale resident where he has lived for over 10 years. Married for almost 12 years with two boys and a dog, he enjoys spending time with family and friends. You can normally find him outside with neighbors, by a campfire, or playing pickleball. He grew up in Pittsburgh but has never enjoyed the snow!

Aleks is in her second 3-year term on the Board and currently serves as Secretary. She is a family law attorney with BOK Law & Mediation Services, a law firm founded by her and two partners in 2023. Aleks is passionate about the services provided by libraries to our community and has been a long-time supporter of libraries dating back to childhood. Aleks is excited to see what WACL will accomplish next!

Maryann Wiesner has been serving on the board since 2019, with a stint as Treasurer from 2022-2024, and is currently on the finance committee, drawing on her expertise as a financial analyst and her degree in accounting. Being a board member has fulfilled her lifelong dream of being a part of the library community. She is proud to serve on the board as it allows her to support and advocate for programs that promote lifelong learning, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Juliana is originally from Brazil, and she achieved her Bachelor’s degree in ESL teaching back home. With her love for children, she adventured to this country as a live-in nanny with a family in Mars, PA. Today she lives in our community with her husband who grew up in Oakdale and her two sons. Her family became active at our library through our amazing programs and diverse inclusion. She loves spend time outdoors running and doing activities with her family.

Born and raised in Oil City, PA, Bob has been a resident of Oakdale since November of 1975. He managed Carnegie Supply Co. in Carnegie, PA for three years and was employed as an insurance adjustor for thirty-six years with various insurance companies and independent adjusting companies. He is a retired Major from the Army and Army reserve after serving 20 & ½ years, with tours of duty in Vietnam and Iraq. A widower with two children and three grandchildren, Bob has served on the library board since January 2022.

Mike has nearly 10 years of experience working primarily with non-profits in the financial sector as both an auditor and finance director, which provided him with valuable insights into the financial management and operational challenges non-profits face. Having lived in North Fayette Township for over seven years, he came to admire the library and was impressed by the diverse range of programs it offers to the community. He is eager to use his experience and passion for non-profit work to help ensure it continues to be a resource for our local community. Mike currently works as Accounting Manager for CEC, Inc. (Civil & Environmental Consulting) and also serves on the board of Animal Friends.