Kathy was born in California, raised in Oregon, and went to college in Walla Walla, WA, where she lived and worked until she and her spouse, Jeff, sold their boat dealership and moved to Hawaii in 2020. The Priesters each had one child when they blended the family, which 33 years later includes 3 grandchildren in Vermont and 1 in California.
Reading was her jam. Her teacher dad read aloud daily at family worship, always at least one bedtime story, and they could ask for a lap story anytime. On her 6th birthday, she got her very own library card. Thursday was “library day” at their house, but one traumatic day (around the time her baby sister was born) they didn’t return the books on time and had to pay a FINE!
Kathy still enjoys reading and has added knitting, stand-up paddleboarding, and scuba as favorites. After retiring, she was looking for a way to get involved in the community and build connections, so she signed up as a member of F.O.L.K. From there, she answered an email asking for volunteers. She has found her ‘peeps.’ She continues to answer the emails to volunteer and is learning her new role as the organization’s Publicity Director.
Kathy believes everyone deserves the opportunity to learn to read, become confident readers, and discover the same love of books that has enriched her life. She hopes to increase community awareness about the local libraries, their services, and literacy programs and to help to raise funds for the libraries so those services can continue.