2023-Present

Kat Valentine spent nearly 20 years as a resident of the Fairmount neighborhood before moving to nearby Rosemont. In her professional life she spends her days project managing and performing data analytics and visualization as a healthcare administrator in a higher education setting. An avid reader herself, she is passionate about literacy and promoting the love of reading for all. Kat is also a vocal activist for the LGBTQIA community and other causes dedicated to ensuring diversity and inclusion. Additionally, she dedicates her time to raising awareness for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), a disease she has been diagnosed with since childhood. When she's not volunteering, she enjoys spending time at home with her teenager and three furry children watching anime, reading and napping.

2015-Present

Christina Brinker fell in love with Fairmount when searching for homes with her husband Andrew, and moved into the 'hood in 2009. She has two active kids, Baxter and Finnley, that keep her very busy along with her full-time job, and other volunteer roles in the community. Growing up she often read on long car trips with her family, and The Green Mile (Stephen King series) was when she recalls becoming a true book enthusiast. Christina agrees wholeheartedly with author Neil Gaiman that "A book is a dream that you hold in your hand", and often finds respite in books from her hectic life.

2023-Present

Carol Standerfer is a retired school librarian with 32 years of library experience. She is excited about the Fairmount Community Library reopening and has enjoyed volunteering with the dedicated, energetic board. Carol and her husband love to travel to national parks and spend time with their family. Carol also swims on a masters team, crochets, and of course reads. Her favorites are mystery and detective stories where the ending is a total shocker.

2023-Present

Haley started volunteering in September 2023 and shortly thereafter became Board Secretary. She got involved at the library in part for a love of reading, in part for a belief that third spaces like FCL are critically important to thriving communities, and in part to get to know her neighbors. Haley loves volunteering at FCL because she gets to play a part in facilitating a truly special resource for our community.

Spending time at the library peacefully reading or crocheting is a bonus!

2023-Present

Miranda moved to Fairmount in 2020 from Oakland California. She fell in love with the old houses and the sense of community. She believes that it’s a human responsibility to help and give back as much as possible. She previously spent her time in the corporate world bringing brand awareness, and training over a hundred associates in different parts of the U.S. Pulling from her previous career has helped her navigate being our Volunteer Coordinator. In her free time she loves finding new and interesting restaurants, taking long walks with her husband Davis, son Griffin and dog Dudley and enjoying a good book with a glass of wine. Having an inclusive space to learn, play and socialize is so important and she’s extremely excited about what the future holds for our fun, quirky, library.

Her favorite book growing up and remains one of her favorites to this day is The Great Gatsby. She found the double meanings and different interpretations fascinating and believes you can truly find something new every time you read it.

2026-Present
Facilities Manager 2023-2026

Jeb moved to the neighborhood in 2018 and fell in love with Fairmount. He enjoys the constant learning and challenge that maintaining an old house affords him. A desk bound engineer during the day, the constant tinkering the library needs is a welcomed change of pace.

Jeb mainly reads non-fiction. He credits Quiet by Susan Cain for helping him become more comfortable and confident in who he is.

2025-Present
Marketing 2023-2025

Becky is a Fort Worth native who moved to the Fairmount neighborhood in 2018. The strong sense of community, eclectic culture, and love for the arts (...and cats) drew her to this area. She is a freelance graphic designer who works with companies and organizations who seek to make the world a better place.

Becky enjoys reading about the human experience. Some books that have left an impact include the Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck), Fathers and Sons (Ivan Turgenev), Peter Pan (J. M. Barrie), and The Uncool (Cameron Crowe).

2024-Present

Sophia and her husband fell in love with Fairmount and planted roots in 2019. After welcoming their daughter, she quickly made the library their favorite third place. A proud Aggie (whoop!), Sophia studied Geographic Information Science (GIS) and spent her college days working at the Texas A&M Map & GIS Library. She continued on to become a Civil Engineering GIS project manager taking a special interest in flood studies. 

When she’s not chasing after her toddler, or trying out a new recipe, Sophia can be found deep in a romance or fantasy novel—preferably with a cup of tea. Her favorite book is also her favorite movie- Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She’s thrilled to be part of the Fairmount Community Library and loves connecting with neighbors through books, maps, and children.

2023-Present

Bonnie Blackwell moved to Fort Worth in 1998, and bought a folk Victorian cottage in Fairmount in 2003 after visiting for Home Tour several years in a row. She was drawn by a love of historic homes, cottage gardens, and the proximity to Texas Christian University, where she teaches English and Film Studies.

As an English professor, she resists picking one favorite book, but Bonnie’s favorite genres are fiction, graphic novel, satire, true crime, murder mystery and theory. Her favorite authors include Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, Emma Donoghue, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, Pablo Neruda, Federico Garcia Lorca, Agatha Christie, Toni Morrison, Ann Rule, and Dylan Thomas. 

Bonnie is in charge of the gardens and beautification, and she hates having her picture taken.

2025-Present

Stephen moved to Fort Worth in 2019, where Fairmount’s front porches and strong sense of community quickly made it feel like home. He has spent his professional career helping organizations navigate the evolving world of cybersecurity.

A lifelong reader, one of his standout book moments was attending the midnight release ofHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Times Square. These days, he gravitates toward historical non-fiction but is always eager for a great fiction recommendation. An avid listener of If Books Could Kill, he believes even bad books can sharpen your thinking. He’s grateful to be part of the Fairmount Community Library and enjoys connecting with neighbors through a shared love of reading.

2026-Present

Help us spread the word about all the great things happening at FCL! If you’re savvy on Instagram, Facebook, and/or MailChimp - we need you!

Email fairmountcommunitylibraryfw@gmail.com for more information about joining the board of directors.

2023-Present

A Fairmount resident since 2011, Karen Kysar is a mom and entrepreneur in Fort Worth who is passionate about the well-being and enrichment of children and families. Karen was previously a Consumer Experience Strategist at dentsu and now owns The First Milestones, a nanny placement agency. In her free time, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and dog, reading, gardening, crafting and traveling. The book that solidified Karen's love for reading is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.