2009 Eureka! Leadership Institute: Jennifer Lawson

I've worked in libraries in some capacity for the past 18 years. I've been the Teen Services Coordinator at the San Diego County Library for the past 4+ years. My previous positions have included everything from Youth Services Librarian at our Santee Branch to Database and Cataloging Technician at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law to my first library position as a student worker at San Diego State University. I have served on a few committees for YALSA, including last year's Odyssey Award Committee and the current Young Adult Literature Symposium Task Force. I have also been on the CLA Summer Reading Steering Committee since 2008 and will be the incoming chair after the annual conference in November.

I am interested in attending the Eureka! Leadership Institute, because I heard many good things about the experience from co-workers who attended the first one. I hope to gain a better understanding of myself as a leader and to improve my leadership skills.

I am married, have a 5-year-old boy who just started kindergarten and three cats. I like to read (mostly teen literature), sleep late and think pictures always look better with a prop (see my photo with our teen website mascot, Lola, the Gock puppet).