Little Rock Central High Principal Nancy Rousseau attended her last meeting Thursday in her capacity as the Central Arkansas Library System's board president.
Rousseau and John Bush -- both Little Rock appointees to the library system's governing body -- will end their tenures on the board this month, and two new members are set to join.
Speaking at the recent board meeting, Rousseau said that as a former English teacher, she believed there was nothing more important than books, with the exception of obvious things such as family. She said it had been "a treat to be part of the Central Arkansas Library System," adding, "I'm so proud of what we do."
The 13-member board that oversees the regional library system includes seven residents of Little Rock. Other members hail from the jurisdictions of Pulaski and Perry counties as well as the cities of Jacksonville, Maumelle and Sherwood. Members are appointed to three-year terms and can serve a maximum of two terms.
Rousseau was first appointed in late 2014 to replace another board member who had resigned. She went on to serve two more terms of her own. Bush began his tenure on the board in January 2016 and was reappointed three years later to serve another term, according to Nate Coulter, the library system's executive director.
At the meeting Thursday, the library system's board voted to elect Stephanie Gibson Branton, a Maumelle appointee, as president and Stacey McAdoo, a Little Rock appointee, as vice president for next year.
The Little Rock Board of Directors is set to make two appointments to the library system's governing body at the city board's upcoming meeting, which is scheduled to take place Tuesday evening unless officials call a special meeting before then.
A resolution on the city board's agenda would appoint Ryan Davis and Madhav Shroff to their first terms on the library system's board, with each term set to expire at the end of 2024.
Davis is the director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Children International program. He is also a past candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives and the board of the Little Rock School District.
Shroff is a litigation associate at the Little Rock office of the law firm Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard. He served as a co-chair of a campaign group during the library system's successful push to raise Little Rock's millage rate for operations and maintenance by 0.5 mills via a Nov. 9 referendum.
In an emailed statement, Shroff said he was grateful for the support of Coulter as well as Little Rock's mayor and city board members.
"I am also thankful for the service and leadership of outgoing CALS Board members, John Bush and Nancy Rousseau, whose shoes Ryan and I will attempt to fill," Shroff wrote. "It is an honor to continue their work to ensure that Little Rockers have access to a great library and great public programs."
He added: "To me, CALS is an incredible organization not only because it provides a bevy of resources for each of its citizens, but also because it takes the pulse of the Little Rock community. This library system has a knack for identifying the most important needs of Central Arkansas and responding with intentional, well thought-out programs. I am beyond excited to continue and join CALS in these efforts."
The library system's treasurer on the board, Brandon Grice, will serve another term after being reappointed by the city of Sherwood, Coulter said at the recent board meeting.