A moment of silence will be held at the next library board meeting on Wed., Jan. 27 for Stephanie Stowe, former CEO of the Pelham Library. Stephanie passed away last week.
Stephanie served as CEO of the Pelham Library from 2001 until her retirement in 2013, ending a long career in service to the public. She had previously held senior positions at the Clarington, Espanola, and Sault Ste. Marie libraries and also served as chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum Board.
Under her guidance, the Pelham Library became known for its innovation. Children's programs increased, seniors' programs were established and the Heart of Niagara Author Series had its debut. Her work in Pelham brought recognition through the Angus Mowat Award for Excellence (2005) and the Niagara Region Peter F. Drucker Award for Strategic Planning (2005). She was proud of the increased use of the library under her leadership and of the awards won by the Pelham Library.
Stephanie is survived by her husband, Peter Solis, her mother, Helen, her brother, Stephan, and an extended family. A service for family members will be held in Essex, Ontario.
Her family would appreciate donations in memory to CODE, an international charity supporting community libraries (www.codecan.org) or to any Ontario public library.
