Library Board
- No. of Members: 7
- Term Length: Three Years
- Term Limit: Nine Years (Three consecutive terms)
- Compensation: None
- Training Required: None
- Meeting Schedule: Bi-monthly, 3rd Wed of alternating months – 5:15 p.m.
- Appointment: 4 members are appointed by the Douglas County Board of
- Commissioners; 2 members are appointed by the Douglas County Board of Education; 1 member is appointed by the City of Douglasville Mayor and Council
The Board receives reports from the Library Director and Regional Director, discusses policies, trends, etc., and also tries to find ways to assist the libraries in their Mission. This group is an advisory board.
Qualifications: resident of Douglas County who is interested in the library.
The DC Library Board is an advisory and advocacy board. Two members of the county board also serve on the West GA Regional Library board in Carrollton. The regional board makes policy concerning matters that are within local authority, generally oversees regional library construction projects, and hires the regional library director.
The county board meets at 5:15 p.m. on the third Wednesday of alternating months at one of the libraries in the Douglas County system. A typical meeting consists of reports from the County Librarian and from the WGRL Library Director and general discussion of library issues.
Current Board Members
Janet Payne
Janet Peterson Payne has been a part of the Douglas County community for over 40 years. She is a graduate the historic Bennett College . Janet continued her graduate studies at Atlanta University. Professionally, Janet worked for several years in the social services arena.
As a member of the Delta Air Lines management team, she retired from 30-year career. During her tenure at Delta Airlines, she received multiple awards including the highest employee awards, the Director’s Award and Chairman’s Club Award. Janet currently works for Georgia Legal Services, as a licensed Medicare counselor. She is also a certified Ombudsman, where she continues her advocacy in the area of residents’ rights for citizens of long-term care facilities.
Janet and her husband of 40 years, Frank Payne, together, have four children. Janet’s family has provided the love & support that allows her to pursue her passions. She credits her family background as providing the framework that has shaped her life. Living in a home where there was love, religion, a quest for academic achievement and a dedication to service was fertile ground for positive role models that instilled fairness, ethics, and achievement as a “way of life”. She is on a “life-long journey of learning”, always seeking opportunities for new experiences and ways to make significant contributions.
Janet has been an active part of the local and national arts advocacy community for over 30 years. She believes the quality of arts in the community has a direct correlation to the quality of life in the community. Janet is currently on the Library Advisory Board for Douglas Co. and has served on the Board of Directors for the Cultural Arts Council of Douglas Co. She continues her work with the Cultural Council as a member of its exhibition selection panel. This positions her to actively ensure exhibitions reflect the diverse populations of the community. Janet has received numerous awards over the years for her community initiatives to keep the arts visible and relevant. Janet is the current National Vice President of The Pierians, Inc., a national arts advocacy organization. Janet continues to work with community groups as a change agent for arts initiatives.
GeorgiaCares SHIP Counselor
Georgia Legal Services Program
Appointing Agency: Douglas County BOC
Term 1 Appointment Date: 7/1/2014
Term 2 Appointment Date: 7/1/2017
Term 3 Appointment Date: 7/1/2020
Term 4 Appointment Date:
Current Term Expiration Date: 6/30/2023
Tracy Crooks
Tracy Crooks has been a resident of Douglas County for over 15 years. She is an Account Manager for the American Red Cross; Biomedical Division for the Southern Region of the United States. Tracy has had the opportunity of working with two other Fortune 500 companies in her professional career; United Parcel Service and The Sprint Corporation. She has been nationally recognized for being a top performer and contributor in sales & marketing within national accounts. Tracy is extremely active in Douglas County. She has served on several steering committees for the City of Douglasville’s Economic Development, Planning and Zoning, and The Douglasville’s Downtown Master Plan. Currently, she’s a member of the Douglas County Library Board 2019-2021. Appointed by Chair of Commissioners Dr. Romona Jackson – Jones. The Democratic Women’s Council – VP for District 1 and Post Seat Holder for District 1 for the Democratic Party. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; she is a Silver Star and has served in several roles within her local chapter. Currently, Tracy Crooks is the Stakeholder and Community Engagement Coordinator -Let’s Count Douglas -2020 Census for Douglas County. In her spare time; Tracy’s has managed to combine two of her passions; love for people and marketing; which she formed her own company; “Tracy’s Fabulous Fashion Finds LLC”; her company specializes in creating and perfecting personal & professional branding through wardrobe imaging. Tracy ‘s a firm believer and share’s this quote as a message to all - When you have the confidence in your abilities and the look to match…. You are a positive influencer of change!
Appointing Agency: Douglas County BOC
Term 1 Appointment Date: 6/18/2019
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Current Term Expiration Date: 6/30/2022
Katie Henry
Katie Henry is one of the newest members of the board, appointed by the Board of Education. She grew up in DeKalb and then Douglas County attending Chapel Hill Middle School and is a 3rd generation graduate of Douglas County High School. From there she attended Young Harris College earning an Associate’s Degree in Education then went to LaGrange College where she earned her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Katie then returned to Douglas County to teach. She began her career at New Manchester Elementary teaching 1st grade then moved to Bright Star Elementary teaching 4th and 5th grades. While at Bright Star she completed her Master’s and Specialist Degrees in Media Technology at The University of West Georgia. She then became Media Specialist at North Douglas Elementary where she has been for ten years. Katie served as the Director of Children’s Ministries at Bright Star United Methodist Church for three years. She also currently serves on the state board for P.E.O., an International Philanthropical Educational Organization for women.
Appointing Agency: Douglas County BOE
Term 1 Appointment Date: 6/18/2019
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Current Term Expiration Date: 6/30/2022
Kathleen French
Kathleen French is Director of K-5 Curriculum and Instruction for the Douglas County School System. She has been with DCSS for 25 years in several capacities including teacher, assistant principal and principal. Most recently, she served as principal at Mason Creek Elementary for 10 years where they earned national and international STEM certification through Cognia. Her favorite author is Kim Eldredge author of “The Sky is the Limit”, a former col-league and friend in the Douglas County School System!
Appointing Agency: Douglas County BOE
Term 1 Appointment Date: 6/18/2019
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Current Term Expiration Date: 6/30/2022
Rhonda Sands Turner
Ms. Rhonda Sands Turner currently works as a consultant in the Douglas County School Title 1 Program, as a Lead Tutor, at Lithia Springs Elementary School. She is a retired elementary school principal from the Miami-Dade County Public School System, in South Florida. During her professional education as a teacher, she served on the District’s School Oversite Review Committee and facilitated training for a new districtwide Competency-Based Curriculum initiative, for over 3,000 teachers.
During her tenure as principal, she effectively elevated the school’s rating on the Florida State Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) letter grade from “D” to “A”, in one school year. She worked collaboratively with four other principals in her feeder pattern, and the University of Miami Medical School, in writing a community-based, feeder-pattern grant to open an onsite school health clinic, for all members of the community, totaling $6,250,000 from the T. MacDonald Foundation School Health Initiative, to keep students healthy and in school.
Ms. Turner was highlighted by the Office of Accountability and System-wide Performance, in a compendium study of “Lessons Learned” and Remarkable Transformation; Awarded a $15,000 Title V Parent Academy Grant; received multiple Platinum and Gold Awards for superior school academic performance; recognized by the Sterling Council for the Sterling Challenger Award for organizational focus on performance excellence. She is a community servant leader.
Richelle Miles Ph.D.
Richelle Miles has been a resident of Douglas County for over ten years. She has over 25 years of experience working in education, management, computer, and information science. Richelle has a Ph.D. in Organization and Management with a specialization in Information Technology Management. She has served as an adjunct professor at Saint Leo University and West Georgia Technical College. Richelle is a member of Southern University Atlanta Alumni Chapter, Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
She is active in her local chapter and has served in several key roles within the chapter. Richelle serves on the Board of Directors for the Krystal Williams Foundation. The Krystal Williams Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 2005 by the family and friends of the late Krystal Williams to promote anti-violence events and develop opportunities for teenagers in the Clayton County community and the surrounding counties.
She has also worked as a volunteer with various community organizations, including Hands on Atlanta, Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, March of Dimes, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity.
Richelle lives by the saying: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."