Friends of the Brainerd Public Library Board of Directors
Board President: Karen Johnson
Karen has called Brainerd home for over 40 years. She has two daughters and 5 granddaughters. Karen worked at Northern Orthopedics for over 35 years; she retired from Essentia Health where she was involved with Crow Wing Energized. She loves to volunteer and has been actively involved at her church and within the schools. An ideal day includes reading to her grand girls.
2nd 3 Year Term ends Feb. 2027
Board Treasurer: Mary Susan Anderson
Mary Susan was raised in Fort Wayne, IN, and graduated from Ball State University. She spent 30 years as a CPA in Rochester, MN. Mary Susan enjoys reading, biking, knitting, gardening, and kayaking on North Long Lake.
2nd 3 Year Term ends Feb. 2028
Board Secretary: Amanda Niemann
Amanda works in healthcare and has been in the Brainerd area for 9 years. She attended Concordia College-Moorhead for Biology and Spanish and received a master’s from University of South Dakota. She enjoys mountain biking, camping, baking, skiing & hiking with her 2 dogs.
2nd 3 Year Term ends Feb. 2029
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Board Member: Kristin Thoennes
Kristin moved to the Brainerd Lakes in 2020 and is a full-time community college English instructor. Kristin been in a writers group for 26 years. She has written over 40 children’s nonfiction books for the school library market.
1st 3 Year Term ends Feb. 2028
Board Member: Peg Mann
Peg grew up in Browerville and graduated from The College of St. Benedict. After a career as an Analyst in the Healthcare Insurance Industry, she moved to Brainerd in 2019. She soon found her “people” through the Brainerd Library and its Wednesday Book Club. When she’s not reading you’ll find her quilting, baking, traveling, attending teas, and spending time with her three grandchildren.
1st 3 Year Term ends Feb. 2027
Board Media Specialist: Theresa Bourke
Theresa grew up in Wisconsin and has lived and worked as a journalist in the Brainerd lakes area since 2016. She has degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of St. Thomas and started out her working career at the PineandLakes Echo Journal in Pequot Lakes. She's been a reporter at the Brainerd Dispatch since 2018 and covers all sorts of topics, including city government, education and books. She spends as much of her free time as possible reading, playing trivia and nerding out about Harry Potter.
1st 3 Year Term ends Feb. 2028
Board Member: Donn Beaubien
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Donn worked for 2+ years in the retail industy. After obtaining a Master's Degree in social work, she worked at Crow Wing County and Northern Pines Mental Health Center. Since moving to the Brainerd Lakes area, she has been active in her church. She has volunteered and served on several nonprofit boards such as Bridges of Hope, RSA (formerly Mid-Minnesota Women’s Center), Essentia Health Foundation, St. Francis Catholic School Foundation, Lakes Area Food Shelf, and Lakes Area Music Festival. She is a hospice volunteer with Good Samaritan Hospice. She enjoys travelling with her husband; they have four adult married children and four grandchildren.
1st year Term ends Feb. 2027