About Friends of Birch Bay Library and the Board of Directors
Friends of Birch Bay Library (FOBBL) is a non-profit 501 organization dedicated to raising funds to build Birch Bay Vogt Community Library, in Birch Bay, Washington.
The property was purchased by Whatcom County Library Association (WCLS). It has taken a lot of planning and fundraising through a Whatcom County grant, donations, book and merchandise sales, and a variety of events.
The construction is projected to be completed near the end of 2026.
At that time our role of friends to the library will change to an organization that funds, promotes and organizes events and programs at our new library.
We’ve been working with our community to make this dream come true, and it’s happening.
Dianne Marrs-Smith ~ President
Dianne Marrs-Smith fell in love with the Blaine/Birch Bay area 15 years ago and decided Birch Bay was the place she would call home. Her wife, two daughters and son left Seattle and settled into the area with one of the first stops on their move being the Blaine Library. She had worked at the Ferndale Library during their 8 year building project. She has experience with fundraising, building design, and events. With her love for libraries, community and Birch Bay, it was natural for her to join the Friends of Birch Bay Library. She is currently the branch manager of the Lynden Library and the union president for ACFSME Local 1581. She has just started her term as President of the Lynden Noon Kiwanis. In her spare time she enjoys reading scary stories, 80's music, all kinds of movies, baking, her four cats and spending as much time as she can with her granddaughter.
Keith Alesse ~ Vice President
Keith Alesse of The C Shop fame, is a friend to at least two libraries. His first home is in Concrete Washington, but Birch Bay is his well established second home. Keith is involved with many Birch Bay projects, but foremost he is head candy maker and manager of The C Shop. With his parents they bring a real sweetness to our community. Ever since he was a boy he can remember the bookmobile stopping on Wednesdays at The C Shop. That is when their family started the tradition of offering a free snow cone to any person that showed off the book they checked out from the library.
Jan Bergman ~ Treasurer
In 2019, having retired from a 42-year career in banking, Jan convinced her husband to leave their home in Montana and move to Washington to be closer to their two oldest children and three grandchildren. She had previously enjoyed volunteering with community organizations like the Beautification Advisory Board and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board in Bozeman, Montana as well as volunteering to teach adult education programs like the USDA First Time Home Buyers classes in Gallatin County. Volunteering helped her form connections within her community and was a great way to meet people. Once COVID restrictions were lifted, Jan started volunteering for FOBBL events and was eventually elected Treasurer of the FOBBL board. For Jan, libraries have always been an essential part of her life, so being involved in bringing a public library to her new home in Birch Bay has been a real joy. She has met some wonderful people and now feels fully rooted in Birch Bay.
Brian Bell ~ Secretary & Communications
Brian has spent a lot of time in libraries, starting in middle school in Vancouver (BC), absorbing many great (or just entertaining) works of literature; so much to read and so little time. After a first brush with computers was in high school he went on to earn his Computer Science degree. Since then he’s spent several decades laboring to make the darn things perform useful tasks.
Brian and then wife Karen relocated to Birch Bay from Michigan in 2012, preparing for a planned 2014 retirement. With time on his hands following retirement, Brian learned of an initiative to build a library in beautiful Birch Bay. Intrigued at the prospect of working with a bunch of smart, like-minded volunteers to help make it happen, he joined FOBBL and was elected as a director, focusing on communications.
Books, computers and a community library in which to house them: What could be finer?
Doralee Booth ~ Director
Doralee Booth has loved Birch Bay all of her life. Her family traveled from Seattle each summer to spend lazy days beach combing, riding bikes, roller skating, crabbing, enjoying hot dogs, beach fires, building sandcastles and playing in the warm water of Birch Bay. She introduced her husband Bill to the Bay and they purchased property and built a summer cottage so their three sons could experience summers at Birch Bay. After planning on retiring in their vacation home, Doralee began investing in Birch Bay community planning becoming Vice-chair of the Birch Bay Steering Committee. She has served six years as a Birch Bay Chamber Director, President of the Friends of Birch Bay State Park and now serves on the Friends of the Birch Bay Library Board. Libraries build community. Bringing a library to Birch Bay is “not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” Henry Ward Beecher
Laurie Bender ~ Director
Laurie grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reading her brother’s science fiction and fantasy books and loving nature. After getting a degree in engineering, her careers included software support, technical writing, and 20 years teaching middle school math. Laurie had lived in the northeast and southwest before retiring to Washington with her husband. She feels so fortunate to live in beautiful Birch Bay - while her 3 children and 3 grandchildren live close by in Custer and Bellingham. Laurie’s taste in books has expanded and she still loves reading, but she spends most of her time in service projects around the county. Opportunities she is involved in include the Community Assistance Program in Blaine, Whatcom Million Trees Project and Blue Skies for Children. She is excited to join FOBBL to contribute during the Birch Bay library upgrade and beyond.
Harieklia Bryant ~ Director
Harieklia has traveled from Montana to Seattle and many worldly places in between then finally ending up, accidentally, in Birch Bay and it has been a most wonderful journey. Her commitment to community is very strong, from Birch Bay to the women’s philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Church. She has been on the Birch Bay Vogt Library board previously and has been involved in creating events to raise monies for our library. She loves to dance, sing, eat and read (having once opened a bookstore and 17 years later, closed it in the 90’s)….and a good party in bringing people together.
Jim Cheatle ~ Director
Jim Cheatle and his wife, Pauline Nefcy, love Birch Bay more than any other place in the world. They built their dream second home here in 1996 and spent many summers here with their three children. In 2008, they moved from Seattle to Birch Bay. Jim has been an IT Professional for most of his career, working in large corporations (Andersen Consulting, AT&T, Marsh McClennan), as a consultant, and currently works at Samson Rope in Ferndale. Meanwhile, Pauline had a successful career in healthcare as an analyst, finance director, and consultant. She holds an MBA, an MS in Community Health and a CPA certification. Jim and Pauline will be continuing to work together as avid supporters of the Birch Bay library as they are passionate about education and libraries.
Connie Beach - Director
Connie Beach, known for her cackling laugh and wisenheimer jokes, loves to play and work in Birch Bay. Strength of Family, availability of education and building a compassionate community are her priorities. After a 15 year career in public education as a technology specialist and special ed aide, she completed a masters program in teaching. She has recently retired. Getting a library built in her favorite neighborhood will bring educational resources to all her neighbors, especially those riding a bus for a half hour to get to school. She enjoys contributing to the communications provided by FOBBL, and also as a board member of the Birch Bay Historical society. As a mother and grandmother, and matriarch, she is also thinking about her personal legacy in Birch Bay, a place she has enjoyed for her whole life.
Any of our board members can be reached by using our Contact Us form.