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Cook Library trustee defers to sister’s career and resigns
Updated: April 2, 2012 8:34AM
The Cook Memorial Library District is looking to fill a vacancy on the library board created by the recent resignation of long-time library trustee Mary Ann Phillips.
Phillips of Libertyville officially resigned from the Cook board at the Feb. 21 board meeting, according to Cook Library Executive Director Stephen Kershner.
Kershner said the district recently hired Phillips’ sister, Melissa Henderson, as new youth services manager for the library and Henderson will be taking her new job with the library on March 5.
Kershner said library policies prohibit relatives of board members from working for the district so Phillips stepped down to prevent any conflict.
“Since Ms. Henderson was being hired by the library district, Ms. Phillips had to resign from the board. She didn’t want to stand in the way of her sister’s career,” he said.
Kershner said the hiring of Henderson was an administrative decision and was not made by the board.
Henderson served on the board for seven years. During her time on the library board the district moved forward with the building of the new Aspen Drive library in Vernon Hills and the expansion of the Cook Library in downtown Libertyville.
“She came to the board at time when there seemed to be a lot of contention in the community about building new library facilities,” he said. “I think she was very much a force of bringing the community together to seek positive solutions for the betterment of library services in the district.”
Phillips could not be reached for comment about her resignation.
The library district is seeking applications to fill Phillips’ vacancy on the board. Applications are available on the library district’s website at www.cooklib.org. Completed applications must be mailed to the Administration Department at the Cook Memorial Library District, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, Ill., 60048 no later than March 19.
The library district covers Libertyville, most of Vernon Hills, Green Oaks, Indian Creek, Mettawa, part of unincorporated Libertyville Township and a portion of Mundelein. Individuals who would like more information about the library board post can call Kershner at (847) 362-2330.
