Jennifer Mullman
Wilmette Public Library Board
candidate video
responses to voter guide questions
Introduction:
Please tell us about yourself, your qualifications, and what prompted you to run for Library Board?
My name is Jennifer Mullman, and I’ve been a Wilmette resident for 12 years. My husband Jeremy and I have two children, Jack and Jossie. Jack is a New Trier junior and Jossie is a WJHS 8th grader. We have a lovable rescue dog named Stella. Wilmette is a wonderfully warm community, and our family has truly benefitted from living here.
I am running for the Wilmette Public Library Board. This board was first established in 1901, and it’s an honor to carry on this tradition of those early pioneers and the first Library director Anna Law of providing a welcoming community space for learning and enrichment. I am running to support the Library’s success in usage and help the Library navigate growth in capital spaces, collection strategies, and community programming.
I’ve been a fundraiser and connector in the nonprofit sector for 25 years. For the past decade, I have been a member of the senior leadership team at the Northwestern University Libraries and the Northwestern University Press as their chief development officer. My primary role has been a capital campaign to renovate Northwestern’s historic Deering Library. Prior to that role, I led fundraising and communications at Openlands, a regional conservation organization, and directed the capital campaign that created Fort Sheridan’s Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.
I have volunteered for the past three years as a board member of the Friends of the Wilmette Public Library, whose mission is to raise funds to support meaningful programming for the community. Throughout my time in Wilmette, I have also volunteered in a wide range of capacities for New Trier, Wilmette Public Schools District 39, Girl Scouts, and the First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette. And ask any of my neighbors – I throw a pretty good block party too.
My love for libraries runs deep. One of my first jobs as a high school student was serving a student page at my local library in Cleveland, sorting and reshelving books in the afternoons after school. If I go back even further, I fondly remember the story times attended by my mother, sisters, and me. I know resources were tight for my parents, but the library was a place where the generous possibilities were endless. Libraries offer a welcoming and safe setting for intellectual learning and discovery, and it would be a privilege to serve my beloved community as a Library Trustee.
Questions:
What do you see as the main priorities and challenges for the incoming Library board?
In my nonprofit work, I have managed numerous volunteers and boards over the years. I know well what the makings of a good Library Trustee are: Keeping the big picture in mind. With the 2023-2027 strategic plan as a guide, one of my main priorities would be to ensure the Library’s primary goals of providing a welcoming environment, fostering a connected community, and promoting a sustainable future are fulfilled. My priority is to support the library staff members in their work and ensure the goals of the community are met.
The challenge I see: The Library has incredible usage, and we need to ensure our spaces match this community enthusiasm. According to the Library’s FY2023-24 Annual Report, Library visits were up by 12% over the past year. 90% of the district's households have active library cards, which is much higher than the national average. The Library has been nationally recognized as a Five Star Library by Library Journal. Capital needs should be considered by the Trustees, with appropriate funding.
What are your financial goals and concerns for the Library, and how would you work to address them?
As mentioned above, I would want to strategically use the Library’s resources to ensure we have welcoming spaces for Library services. I would like to see our Library on par with other local libraries. I see my role where I am thinking creatively and evaluating capital improvements and being challenged to utilize the reserve funds appropriately and strategically. Additionally, my goals would be to support the Library in its collection development, both in print and digitally, and support programming that meets the needs of our community. My children have grown up benefiting from the programs at the Library, from story time to reading to therapy dogs to displaying their precious Lego creations and artwork in the rotating displays in the children’s library. As a member of the Friends of the Library, I have played a role in raising funds that were used to support vital programming. As a non-profit fundraiser by profession, I can lend my expertise and creativity to increasing support for the Library.
How would you improve the board’s transparency and community engagement?
I think we need to tell more stories about how people’s taxpayer dollars are being used and share successes from the Library more openly. Trained as a journalist as an undergraduate student at Northwestern, my career has been based on storytelling and making the case for support. I would also look at our programming and our outreach to the community as a way to share our successes and communicate our needs.
In 2023, Wilmette government agencies hired a shared Sustainability Coordinator to implement programs that protect our environment, conserve natural resources, and address the climate crisis. In what areas do you feel the Library has made the best use of this Coordinator's time, and where would you like to see increased focus?
The Library has participated in sustainability efforts through the work with Lucy Mellen. The Library drafted a sustainability policy, which the Trustees reviewed and approved. The Library is committed to green initiatives, partnering with local groups like Go Green Wilmette. I began my career working for the regional conservation nonprofit Openalnds. My commitment to the environment and sustainable practices is strong. I would continue to support the vision of the Library’s green initiatives, which include working with green companies and using green building materials, products and methods (did you know the Library uses geothermal wells to provide heating and cooling?). I would like to continue to focus on encouraging green activities through community outreach and programming.
Please tell us about yourself, your qualifications, and what prompted you to run for Library Board?
My name is Jennifer Mullman, and I’ve been a Wilmette resident for 12 years. My husband Jeremy and I have two children, Jack and Jossie. Jack is a New Trier junior and Jossie is a WJHS 8th grader. We have a lovable rescue dog named Stella. Wilmette is a wonderfully warm community, and our family has truly benefitted from living here.
I am running for the Wilmette Public Library Board. This board was first established in 1901, and it’s an honor to carry on this tradition of those early pioneers and the first Library director Anna Law of providing a welcoming community space for learning and enrichment. I am running to support the Library’s success in usage and help the Library navigate growth in capital spaces, collection strategies, and community programming.
I’ve been a fundraiser and connector in the nonprofit sector for 25 years. For the past decade, I have been a member of the senior leadership team at the Northwestern University Libraries and the Northwestern University Press as their chief development officer. My primary role has been a capital campaign to renovate Northwestern’s historic Deering Library. Prior to that role, I led fundraising and communications at Openlands, a regional conservation organization, and directed the capital campaign that created Fort Sheridan’s Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.
I have volunteered for the past three years as a board member of the Friends of the Wilmette Public Library, whose mission is to raise funds to support meaningful programming for the community. Throughout my time in Wilmette, I have also volunteered in a wide range of capacities for New Trier, Wilmette Public Schools District 39, Girl Scouts, and the First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette. And ask any of my neighbors – I throw a pretty good block party too.
My love for libraries runs deep. One of my first jobs as a high school student was serving a student page at my local library in Cleveland, sorting and reshelving books in the afternoons after school. If I go back even further, I fondly remember the story times attended by my mother, sisters, and me. I know resources were tight for my parents, but the library was a place where the generous possibilities were endless. Libraries offer a welcoming and safe setting for intellectual learning and discovery, and it would be a privilege to serve my beloved community as a Library Trustee.
Questions:
What do you see as the main priorities and challenges for the incoming Library board?
In my nonprofit work, I have managed numerous volunteers and boards over the years. I know well what the makings of a good Library Trustee are: Keeping the big picture in mind. With the 2023-2027 strategic plan as a guide, one of my main priorities would be to ensure the Library’s primary goals of providing a welcoming environment, fostering a connected community, and promoting a sustainable future are fulfilled. My priority is to support the library staff members in their work and ensure the goals of the community are met.
The challenge I see: The Library has incredible usage, and we need to ensure our spaces match this community enthusiasm. According to the Library’s FY2023-24 Annual Report, Library visits were up by 12% over the past year. 90% of the district's households have active library cards, which is much higher than the national average. The Library has been nationally recognized as a Five Star Library by Library Journal. Capital needs should be considered by the Trustees, with appropriate funding.
What are your financial goals and concerns for the Library, and how would you work to address them?
As mentioned above, I would want to strategically use the Library’s resources to ensure we have welcoming spaces for Library services. I would like to see our Library on par with other local libraries. I see my role where I am thinking creatively and evaluating capital improvements and being challenged to utilize the reserve funds appropriately and strategically. Additionally, my goals would be to support the Library in its collection development, both in print and digitally, and support programming that meets the needs of our community. My children have grown up benefiting from the programs at the Library, from story time to reading to therapy dogs to displaying their precious Lego creations and artwork in the rotating displays in the children’s library. As a member of the Friends of the Library, I have played a role in raising funds that were used to support vital programming. As a non-profit fundraiser by profession, I can lend my expertise and creativity to increasing support for the Library.
How would you improve the board’s transparency and community engagement?
I think we need to tell more stories about how people’s taxpayer dollars are being used and share successes from the Library more openly. Trained as a journalist as an undergraduate student at Northwestern, my career has been based on storytelling and making the case for support. I would also look at our programming and our outreach to the community as a way to share our successes and communicate our needs.
In 2023, Wilmette government agencies hired a shared Sustainability Coordinator to implement programs that protect our environment, conserve natural resources, and address the climate crisis. In what areas do you feel the Library has made the best use of this Coordinator's time, and where would you like to see increased focus?
The Library has participated in sustainability efforts through the work with Lucy Mellen. The Library drafted a sustainability policy, which the Trustees reviewed and approved. The Library is committed to green initiatives, partnering with local groups like Go Green Wilmette. I began my career working for the regional conservation nonprofit Openalnds. My commitment to the environment and sustainable practices is strong. I would continue to support the vision of the Library’s green initiatives, which include working with green companies and using green building materials, products and methods (did you know the Library uses geothermal wells to provide heating and cooling?). I would like to continue to focus on encouraging green activities through community outreach and programming.