Board of Trustees

Our Library Board of Trustees is appointed by the Stark County Commissioners and the Court of Common Pleas for seven-year terms, and holds fiduciary responsibility for the Stark Library system.

About the Board Members

Steven Pittman

President

Steve brings smart business strategy to the library board, backed by more than 40 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, tax strategy, financial accounting, and strategic planning.

Joining Bruner Cox LLP, a regional accounting and financial service firm in 1978, Steve became its managing partner in 2011. In 2016, Bruner Cox merged with CLA, the eighth largest U.S. accounting firm, and Steve became Managing Principal of its Eastern Ohio Region. In December 2020, Steve retired from CLA but remains active as a board member for several Northeast Ohio based companies.

Steve earned a bachelor of science in business administration from University of Akron and a master’s degree in business administration from Baldwin-Wallace College.

Steve is a past trustee and chairman of Quest Recovery Services, past president of the Jackson Township Rotary Club, past president of Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, a former board member of Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and is treasurer of The Builders Exchange of East Central Ohio.

Susan Rodgers

Vice President

Susan’s love of books is rooted in a childhood spent in the stacks of the library searching for the next great read. Her passion for reading led to a career in law, which enables her to provide a smart legal perspective to the board. A partner at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLC, Susan serves as a member of the Executive Committee, general counsel and as chair of the Employment & Labor Practice Group.

Susan earned a law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University.

An active member of the community, Susan also currently serves on the GentleBrook board, and was a member of the ninth class of Leadership Stark County.

Robert F. Belden

Board of Trustees

Bob brings a smart foundation of operational and management experience through his tenure as chairman and CEO of The Belden Brick Company in Canton. Always a forward-thinker, he is eager to make an impact on the future of this dynamic organization.

As an active community builder, Bob has served on the board of many organizations including Canton Central Catholic High School Board, The Canton Student Loan Foundation, The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton, and Stark County Historical Society to name a few.

Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in Operations Research/Management Science from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business.

Sally Efremoff

Board of Trustees

Sally feels that her involvement with the Library is a natural next step in her life and that her past experiences have directed her to this challenge. She understands the need for educational and learning opportunities for all members of the community and feels that the library can meet that need.

Sally earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. She retired in June of 2014 from her role as chief magistrate of Stark County Family Court. She served in the court for 21 years following three additional decades of her legal career.

She serves on the Stark State Foundation Board and has been involved with various arts, social service, and educational entities. She was awarded the Victim’s Rights Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the United Way Gold Key award and Woman of the Year by both the YWCA and the Junior League.

Joseph French

Board of Trustees

Joseph, CEO of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, has dedicated his life to serving the needs of children and helping them to see a brighter future.

Joe is an active member in the Stark County community. He lives by the motto: “we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Joe is a graduate of Leadership Stark County and serves on the boards of Family Council of Stark County, Leadership Stark County, JRC, YMCA of Central Stark County, and was appointed by Governor DeWine to the Early Childhood Advisory Council. He is also a Meyers Lake Village Councilman.

Joe has received several awards of distinction: Leadership Stark County's 30 Faces of Leadership, the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Ystark Twenty Under Forty Award, and the DeHoff Emerging Philanthropist Award from the United Way of Greater Stark County.

Joseph holds a Bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree from Ashland University in Early Childhood Education- Curriculum and Instruction, and is pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Robin Mingo-Miles

Board of Trustees

Robin brings her passionate focus on community service and education to the board.

Active in the community, Robin dedicates her time and effort in providing families the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency. She has initiated and coordinated many youth programs that demonstrate the importance of education, including a Young Moms Program. She is currently on the board of trustees for the Child Fatality Review Board and she is active on many community collaboratives.

Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Slippery Rock University.

Daniel Petricini

Board of Trustees

Dan is a lifelong bookworm and library lover. One of his earliest childhood memories is being read the stories of Roald Dahl by his school teacher Mother, which he credits for fostering his love of reading and curiosity from an early age. Professionally, Dan is a Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office.

As a member of the board Dan is excited to foster and expand the library’s unique position as one of the last truly public gathering spaces and a place of exciting community engagement.

Dan earned a law degree from the University of Akron in 2009, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Kent State University in 2006. He lives in Plain Township with his wife and two daughters (who he hopes will like The Hobbit as a bedtime story soon).

Meeting Schedule

All Board of Trustees meetings are open to the public and are held at the Main Library at 5:00 p.m. Click the meeting date to view the agenda and related documents.

August (no meeting)

September 6, 2023 (4:00 PM)

September 25, 2023

October 17, 2023

November 21, 2023