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Myers, Bucher appointed to library board
Each of the county’s 24 commissioners was permitted to vote for two of the three nominees under consideration.
Myers received support from all 24 commissioners. Bucher received 21 votes, while Gerri Reese received three.
Myers and Bucher will serve three-year terms expiring in June 2029.
The vacancies were created by the expiration of the terms of former board chairman Harry Ingle and trustee Cynthia Putman on June 30.
The library board initially recommended Reese and Craig Fickling to the County Commission following its review of applicants. Fickling later withdrew his name, and the board met in a special-called session and selected Myers as its second recommendation.
Reese is a retired educator from Monterey and serves on the Putnam County Planning Commission. Myers is a retired educator who worked in the Jackson County school system and serves on the Twin Lakes Cooperative board.
The County Commission’s Nominating Committee forwarded the matter without a recommendation, leaving commissioners to consider the library board’s nominees and any additional nominations made from the floor.
Bucher, a local author and educator involved in the homeschool community, was nominated from the floor by District 10 Commissioner Kim Bradford.
Five residents spoke before commissioners cast their votes.
Patricia Phillips, who said she had approximately 40 years of library experience, encouraged commissioners to accept the library board’s recommendations of Myers and Reese.
Phillips said the board had worked to identify applicants with strong qualifications who would also be able to work effectively with the existing trustees.
“This board, in all my experience, has been one of the best I’ve seen,” Phillips said.
Kosta Yepifantsev also urged commissioners to appoint Myers and Reese. He said the library was operating well and argued that officials should focus their attention on other community needs rather than continuing to intervene in library operations.
Yepifantsev encouraged commissioners to direct the public energy surrounding the issue toward children’s literacy, poverty and homelessness.
Jack Gill was the first of three speakers to advocate for the appointment of Myers and Bucher.
Gill said the increased public attention surrounding library materials demonstrated a need to strengthen public confidence in the board’s oversight.
“Appointing Bucher and Myers would bring an independent perspective to the board,” Gill said, adding that their appointments would help ensure decisions reflected the concerns of the entire county.
Tabitha Merritt, a homeschooling mother who said she had been part of the homeschool community for nearly 25 years, also spoke in support of Bucher.
Merritt said she had seen increasing concern among homeschooling families about materials available to children and said Bucher would represent a growing portion of the county’s population.
“She would serve that segment of your population very well,” Merritt said. “It’s a segment that’s growing quickly.”
Local business owner and nonprofit leader Dave Roland echoed Gill and Merritt’s support for Myers and Bucher.
Roland read from Matthew 18, including a passage warning against causing children to stumble, before asking commissioners to consider the two candidates.
Several commissioners commented before the roll-call vote.
District 10 Commissioner Gene Mullins said Myers and Bucher had both contacted him and provided information about their qualifications.
“Dr. Myers submitted an exemplary resume,” Mullins said. “Maryleigh is an author and teacher and uses the library to support her homeschoolers. She’s been attending library board meetings regularly.”
Library Director Kathryn Wisenger spoke in support of Reese, saying Reese’s connection to Monterey would benefit the library system.
“We’ve put a lot of time and resources into Monterey, and she would be a fantastic resource,” Wisenger said.
Several commissioners also addressed the respective roles of the library board and County Commission in the appointment process.
Commissioners noted that the library board’s recommendations were advisory and that final appointment authority rests with the County Commission and Cookeville City Council.
District 11 Commissioner Kathy Dunn also said the County Commission had not directed the library board to establish an age-appropriate section.
“This commission did not make any such recommendation,” Dunn said.
Myers received 24 votes, Bucher received 21 and Reese received three.
The three commissioners who voted for Myers and Reese were District 2 Commissioner Sam Sandlin, District 4 Commissioner Theresa Tayes and District 12 Commissioner Cathy Qualls Reel.
The remaining 21 commissioners voted for Myers and Bucher.
Thirteen votes were required for appointment.
The library board meets at 4:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the meeting room near the main entrance of the Putnam County Library.
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