Claire may be a familiar face at NC LIVE, but as she steps into the role of Executive Director, we wanted to share more about her vision, leadership style, and priorities for our organization. This Q&A provides insight into her plans for NC LIVE as well as a glimpse into her interests beyond the workplace!
Even though you’re new to the Executive Director role, you’ve been at NC LIVE for about eight years. What is your favorite part about working at NC LIVE?
One of the things I love most about working at NC LIVE is the opportunity to collaborate with library staff from across the state and make a meaningful impact on libraries and the communities they serve. Working with so many colleagues from different types of libraries and organizations keeps my work at NC LIVE endlessly engaging and rewarding.
When I joined NC LIVE eight years ago and attended my first advisory committee meeting, I was immediately struck by the dedication of library staff—each representing their own institutions yet united in the commitment to NC LIVE’s shared mission. This spirit of collaboration continues to inspire and motivate me every day, reinforcing my belief that we can achieve so much more when we work together.
What are some of your priorities as Executive Director?
As Executive Director, my top priority is to listen to our member libraries, learn from them, and understand their needs and priorities. I will then work closely with NC LIVE governance, including the Executive Committee, Librarians’ Council, and Advisory Committees to translate these insights into meaningful actions that support libraries across the state and advance NC LIVE's mission. NC LIVE is a membership organization, dedicated to serving and supporting our libraries in the ways they want to be supported. This fundamental understanding is what guides me in my work at NC LIVE.
One key priority, as identified by our member libraries through the NC LIVE Strategic Plan, is securing increased recurring state funding. This is essential to maintaining our buying power and ensuring continued access to the high-quality resources that libraries and their communities rely on. This remains a critical focus for NC LIVE, and we will continue working to address it.
How can library staff connect with you?
I encourage library staff to connect with me! You’re always welcome to email me, and I’ll be making an effort to visit libraries and attend events as much as possible as part of my ongoing priority to stay connected with library staff. You can find me at NC LIVE workshops and events, community of interest meetings, statewide gatherings like NCLA, and outreach visits with libraries. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d love to hear from you!
What are you looking forward to in the next year?
I’m looking forward to starting in this new role as Executive Director and continuing to work with the NC LIVE team and library staff around the state. I’m also looking forward to a couple of family trips I have planned for this year, including visiting my grandma for her 97th birthday and going to the beach this summer with my family.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I have two small kids, so my husband and I spend most of our time outside of work taking care of them. I try to spend as much time as possible outside, such as running, walking or taking my kids on a bike ride to a nearby playground or park. I love spending time on the greenway system in Raleigh and thinking up new routes I can take to get places around town.
What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I play four musical instruments: piano, voice, mandolin and clarinet. I was a music major in college—not because I wanted to perform or go into the music industry, but because I loved music and was already taking the classes I needed for the major. I played mandolin in a string band in college, traveling to small towns across Western New York playing American folk music at square dances and small gatherings.
What’s the last book you read that you really enjoyed?
I really enjoyed Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. I listened to the audiobook (from my local public library), and I loved experiencing the book as narrated by Ina. Her descriptions of food, her life in the Hamptons and her travels across Europe were a nice escape as I drove around town and waited in the carpool pickup line. I also loved hearing about her business instincts, how she built her brand, and how she navigated tricky situations.
If you could grow any food in your backyard, what would it be?
I love growing plants! In general, I prefer to plant flowering plants in my garden outside because I like my yard to be filled with colorful flowers. However, I would make an exception for lemons, olives and avocados for the backyard if I lived in a warmer climate. In fact, I currently have a lemon tree and an olive tree in pots in my backyard, which I bought when I lived in Louisiana. Now that I’m in North Carolina, they live outside for most of the year, but I do need to bring them inside whenever the temperature gets below freezing. I also planted a banana tree in my backyard a couple of years ago. Although none of these plants currently produce much fruit, I love that they bring a little slice of more tropical climates to my backyard.
To connect with Claire or any of the NC LIVE staff, you can reach out to our Help Desk.