Nanci Morrison, Board President, Nanci’s interest in libraries began as a child when the bookmobile would come to her neighborhood every 2 weeks. She loved to read and looked forward to the bookmobile bringing new adventures into her life. She has been on the Board of the Palm Springs Library for the past 13 years. The primary mission is to provide for the everyday needs of the library. For example, the Friends organization funds the koi pond, the ‘hot off the press’ books, the summer reading program, crafting supplies–and so much more. The Friends are also the sponsor of Palm Springs Speaks.” We can only do this with YOUR support, both financially and/or being a volunteer! We appreciate YOU!”
Kathleen Turner, Kathy is a native Chicagoan but she and her husband have made Palm Springs their home for the past twelve years. A life-long user of public libraries, Kathy strongly believes that free and easy access to books of every genre benefits the whole community, providing a window to see into other cultures and beliefs. Raising funds to support our library in the purchase of new books and providing speakers on a wide range of topics is a goal she is proud to work towards. She is honored to have joined the Board of FOPSL and to work with such a dedicated team of fellow members to support our library.
Michael Hirschbein, Since retiring as an architect in 2013, Michael has been volunteering for the library, and has been a board member of the Friends and co-chair of the events committee for the last 7 years. During this time, he’s had the pleasure of working with other volunteers, board members, and staff. Because of his love for reading, he get a great deal of personal satisfaction in helping the library reach its goals.
Laura Miller is currently serving as a tireless Volunteer Coordinator for all of our events. “I love the Library and want to help it grow to meet the needs or our changing community. I am an active volunteer-working at the Friends Book Sales and on the Membership Committee at the Mizell Senior Center and with the Neighborhood Safety and Security Committee. I have always been interested in libraries since growing up in L.A. and spending many after-school hours in one.”
Rosemary Flaherty is a retired nurse who loves living in Palm Springs. Serving on the Board of the Library opened up a connection to the community, the staff and fellow board members that is very rewarding. She loves a good party, a good book, a positive community and meeting people. Being on the Events committee and helping with the Friends Social Media fills an important and happy place for Rosemary’s personal growth and giving to the community.
Everybody loves the library!
Ashley St. Pierre Martin is an advocate for the Palm Springs Library and passionate about the power of community. She joined the Friends in 2024, bringing with her a dynamic background in creative marketing. Ashley is Executive Producer / Head of Business and Brand Development for DixonCo creative agency overseeing international collaborations. She is excited to contribute fresh ideas and foster meaningful connections that inspire people to engage more deeply with the library. Outside of her professional pursuits, Ashley co-piloted the launch of ChangemakeHERS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit women’s leadership organization dedicated to Helping Each other Rise (HER). She and her husband, Sven Martin, also launched Kids Jam in 2022—a community initiative that brings families together through the joy of music.
Gary Maehara, Board VP and Treasurer. “I retired to the desert in 2017 after a legal career in Seattle and most recently, as a Human Resources Director for the Ventura County Community College District.
Volunteering for community non-profits organizations is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community in which I live. I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie and shared goals of the Board members as we support the library and its programs.”
Ginger Semple is a retired Registered Nurse who relocated here from Chicago and immediately joined the FOPLS Book Cub. This lead to volunteering at book sales and ultimately, selling some of those books online. Her favorite book of recent times is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Matthew Cavnar lives in Palm Springs with his family; his wife is a native of the city and grew up going to the Palm Springs Library. Matthew works in software technology business development, investing in and concepting new company ideas. He is a Partner at the incubation fund Five Four Ventures, which has launched a number of technology businesses. Previously he has worked as a start up founder and in digital publishing initiatives. He began his career recording audio books for Recorded Books in New York City.
Robert Collins grew up in a home where books were very much a part of family life. He was very familiar with the library, before learning what a kindergarten was. He spent his first career in a corporate environment. His second career was in education. He spent the last 24 years as an Education Specialist. As such, he educated special needs teenagers. He holds three credentials, with supplemental authorizations in emotionally disturbed and autism populations. He has been a volunteer at the library for 17 years, a Board member for four. Robert holds a BS in Business, from Arizona State University and a MAT from Chapman University in Orange, California.
Craig Borba, EdD Assistant Superintendent Palm Springs Unified (retired). Presently an Educational Consultant. My family and I were fortunate to move to Palm Springs in 1986. We immediately found the PS library as a wonderful resource for learning and enrichment. We have been long-term members of the Friends PS library and I’m a recent addition to the Friends Board. I’m honored to be a part of this esteemed, hardworking, creative, dedicated group that is so successful in enhancing the PS library and its services. I was previously chairman of the library board of trustees and presently serving on the Executive Board of the Regional Access Program (RAP).
Daniel Navarro is a Palm Springs native who grew up spending countless hours reading at the library and of course the occasional coy fish watching. With a background in banking and finance, Daniel is excited to give back to the place that helped spark a lifelong love of learning. Believing that our library plays a vital role in the community to inspire, educate and bring people together, Daniel is proud to support the Friends of the Palm Springs Library cause with the hopes to help keep the library a welcoming space for future generations to enjoy, just as he did.
Debbi Hinton is a native Californian who grew up in San Diego. While she has lived in a variety of other places, her heart always, without fail, remained in Southern California. She was thrilled to be able to return to SoCal in 2000, living first in Los Angeles for 10 years before moving full-time to beautiful Palm Springs.
Debbi spent most of her career working as a business professional for non-profit organizations, most notedly in public radio and television. During that time, she was fortunate to be involved in a variety of early childhood education projects, which included several children’s literacy programs. This experience helped her better understand the challenges of improving literacy and also reinforced her belief that literacy is a key building block to educational and economic success. As a result, she has continued to look for ways to support programs that tackle this problem and that make a difference in our community. Our library plays a central role in providing resources, support and opportunities to children and adults, and she is proud to assist in these efforts through her service on the Friends of the Palm Springs Library Board of Directors.
Candace Cook,