This document summarizes the 2016-2017 Sustaining Leaders Academy Mentor Teams initiative. It provides photos and descriptions of the 23 Pennsylvania school librarians selected to participate, along with their mentor assignments. The goal of the initiative is to offer school librarians with 6-15 years of experience the opportunity to revitalize their leadership competencies through mentorship. It is a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association and the University of Pittsburgh School Library Certification Program, funded by a LSTA grant.

1. 2016-17 SUSTAINING LEADERS ACADEMY
MENTOR TEAMS
An initiative of the Pennsylvania School Librarians
Association (PSLA) and the University of Pittsburgh School
Library Certification Program funded by a Library Services
and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from Commonwealth
Libraries (PA Department of Education). This 2016-2017
collaborative will offer 23 Pennsylvania school librarians
who have between 6 and 15 years experience as a school
librarian the opportunity to revitalize their leadership
competencies.

2. The Participants and Staff of the 2016-17 Sustaining
Leaders Academy
Hershey Lodge, July 10-13, 2016

3. Dr. Mary Kay Biagini
(center), Project Director,
University of Pittsburgh,
mentors Kathleen Pagano
(left), Council Rock High
School North, and Kristen
Douglas (right), Hempfield
High School).

4. John Emerick, former School
Library Services Director,
Commonwealth Libraries, PDE
(lower left), mentors Dustin
Brackbill (lower right), Mt.
Nittany Elementary, State
College, Rita Saylor (upper left),
Wallenpaupack High School,
and Amy Pickett (upper right),
Ridley High School.

5. Carol Heinsdorf (lower center),
former school librarian, School
District of Philadelphia, mentors
Karen Fornari (upper left), O’Hara
Elementary, Fox Chapel School
District, Sue Dahlstrom (upper
center), Wayne Elementary, Radnor
Township, and Beth Shenefiel
(upper right), Eden Hall Elementary,
Pine Richland School District.

6. Deb Kachel (lower center),
Adjunct Professor, Antioch
University Seattle, mentors Leah
Lindemann (upper left),
Blackhawk High School, Cara
Woudenberg (upper center),
Methacton High School, and
Mary Grace Kelly (upper right),
Fort Couch Middle School,
Upper St. Clair School District.

7. Sue Long, (upper center) Consultant, Ohio
Dept. of Education and retired
superintendent, mentors Megan Casey
(lower right), Moore & Elroy Elementaries,
Brentwood Borough, Jill Millard (lower
center), Shaler Area Middle School, and
Kristen Crans (lower left), Concord
Elementary, Garnet Valley School District.
This group is also mentored by
Cindy Keller, Adjunct Professor,
McDaniel College, Maryland.

8. D’nis Lynch (lower center), Practicum
Supervisor, University of Pittsburgh,
mentors Beth McGuire (upper center),
Wendover Middle School, Hempfield
Area School District, Heather Lesoine
(lower left), Centerville and Landisville
Elementaries, Hempfield School
District, Heather Hedderman (lower
right), Wattsburg Elementary, and
Krista Leonard (separate photo), H.
Austin Snyder Elementary, Sayre Area
School District.

9. Sally Myers (separate photo), Adjunct,
University of Pittsburgh, mentors
Adrienne Matjasic (left), East High
School, West Chester Area School
District, Aimee Lin Emerson (center),
Fretz Middle School, Bradford Area
School District, and Caitlin Varga
(right), Wilson Area High School.

10. Bob McConnell (right), former
school librarian, Grove City
High School, mentors Graig
Henshaw (left), Maple Avenue
Middle School and Littlestown
High School, and Vickie Saltzer
(center), Gettysburg High
School.

11. Mary Kay is awarded the
“Queen of the
Sustaining Leaders
Academy Immersion”!