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.

Heather is Head 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.

Becky Proie is our 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!

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!

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!).

You may never meet a kinder person than our Elaine! Elaine loves her library so much that she just had to work here, and she is happy to help you out at the front desk or in the youth services department. Besides loving her library and Harry Potter (of course!), Elaine loves and lives for her family. She has a sweet daughter named Lauren, an adopted kitty named Pepper, and a BFF who happens to be her husband, Brian. She's lucky to live close to extended family and just as lucky to live in the West Allegheny community. Elaine likes to stay as busy as a honeybee, so you may see her out and about in the community, at school, or hunting for a great bargain. She also keeps buzzing by working as a Paraprofessional in the Middle School. 

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!

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).