Library Board

Lorraine Gray (Chair) is a Professional Engineer with 18 years of experience at Hydro One, 15 of which have been in leadership positions. In her current role as Director, Station Services, she leads a team of over 700 that ensures the safe and efficient execution of all capital, preventive, and corrective, work programs for 300+ Transmission and 1000+ Distribution Stations across Ontario. Her team supports many customers such as nuclear and renewable generators, local distribution companies, and large industrial customers. In 2020, Lorraine was recognized as one of Canada's Most Top 100 Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) and in 2021 she was recognized as a Catalyst Honours Champion for her work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This is Lorraine's second term on the WPL Board. She holds a B.Eng.Mgmt. in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University and an MBA from York University.

Liam Nichols (Vice-Chair) is a 30 year Whitby resident and volunteer in the Town. He is entering his second term on the Whitby Public Library Board and looks forward to building on the successes of our previous term.        

Liam was part of the steering committee that founded the Downtown Whitby Business Improvement Area and served as its first Executive Director. Liam also previously held roles with 1855 Whitby, Ontario Tech University, and currently works as the Grants and Strategic Initiatives Coordinator with the Town of Ajax.        

Liam is a graduate of Father Leo J. Austin Catholic School, the University of Toronto St. Michael’s College and Durham College. Liam holds a Certified Human Resources Professional designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association.

Councillor Niki Lundquist (Mayor’s Designate) is serving her first term as Councillor for Centre Ward (3). She is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and is a human rights and labour lawyer. Before her election to Council, she served as a Whitby trustee on the Durham District School Board, as well as Chair of Finance and Vice Chair of the Board. Niki founded Caremongers Whitby, a neighbour-helping-neighbour initiative that supported thousands of community residents during the pandemic. She is an active and engaged volunteer in many charitable and community groups. She has also served as a citizen member of the Town of Whitby’s Accessibility Advisory Committee. Niki is a member of the Brooklin Optimist Club and volunteers with a number of local organizations such as Girls Inc and PFLAG Durham.

Geoff Anderson is a recently retired elementary school principal and educator. He has a BA from the University of Ottawa, a B.Ed from the University of Western Ontario, and a Masters degree from York University.  A long-time Whitby resident, he fondly recalls countless hours spent at the Whitby Public Library with his children, who were avid participants in the many excellent programs on offer. Geoff strongly believes that a good library is a fundamental attribute of an outstanding community and is committed to doing all he can to support the library and all it represents to Whitby residents. This is his second term on the Whitby Public Library Board.

Kate Campbell is a public affairs executive with over 17 years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors. In her current role as Director of Communications & IT for Northumberland County, Kate established the County's first formal Corporate Communications division, supporting Council and staff to effectively inform residents about programs and services, and engage the public in shaping municipal priorities. Kate also oversees the County’s Information Technology division. She leads a dynamic team focused on digital transformation initiatives that are positioning the County and its five external Managed Service Partners to thrive in the digital economy. This is Kate’s first term on the Whitby Library Board. With a passion for enhancing resident experiences with public services, Kate strives to foster increased trust and engagement between community members and public institutions. Kate is a Certified Communications Management Professional®, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Public Policy from the University of Ottawa, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Queen’s University.

Peter Creer has been living in Durham for more than thirty years and in Whitby for the past twenty-five. After a very busy career working in education as a teacher and finally a school principal, he is now retired and believe that it is imperative that we continue to contribute to help our community to grow. We can achieve this by providing programs and services which enhance the lives of the members of our town. There is probably no better example of the impact of community engagement than our public library. As a member of the Library Board, Peter believes that he can use my skills and experiences to help make our “Doorway to Discovery” even more accessible, powerful and fulfilling for everyone in our community.

Akhil Kapoor is an executive leader in IT with over 15 years of business experience in Cybersecurity, Digital transformation, Global expansion, Operational efficiency improvement, Merger integration, Strategic planning, Market and Client strategies. He volunteers as an advisor to start-ups, non-profits, and project management associations. He has lived and worked in North America and Asia, and has visited over 15 countries in his travels.

Akhil holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Post-graduation in Business Administration and several IT industry certifications and training in Cybersecurity, Service Management and Process improvement.

Art Maki is a Professional Engineer in Ontario and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Lakehead University and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from York University. He has worked in the nuclear power industry in Durham region for more than 35 years. He has been a resident of Whitby and a member of the Whitby Public Library for more than 30 years. As a returning member, Art looks forward to another four years of working with the Board and library staff on delivering on its vision and mission.

Maria McDonnell has a 30-year career as a city planner, of which 14 years were spent working for the Town of Whitby. In that time, Maria collaborated with many Whitby organizations and community partners, including the incredible Whitby Library, to support community development and strengthen community connections by highlighting the role of places, like libraries, to bring people together. Among the dynamic projects Maria worked on, one was leading a team in the development of Whitby's first Culture Plan - Culture Connects Whitby - in which the Whitby Library is a key partner in supporting the vision that culture connects people, creativity, communities, places, and stories. aria McDonnell has made Whitby home since 2007 and retired from the Town of Whitby in 2021. Maria now commits to volunteer work by supporting organizations that are critical community connectors and hubs - among them, the Whitby Station Art Gallery, the Whitby-Ajax Community Garden Project, and Parkwood National Historic Museum. Maria is very excited to now join the Whitby Library Board and work with its members to continue the great work in making the Whitby Library a community hub and vibrant place of learning, imagination, creativity and innovation.