Executive Board

James Allen Davis Jr. has over 22 years of public library experience, James has made contributions to the profession, particularly through his notable works, including a featured piece in “Intellectual Freedom Stories from a Shifting Landscape,” edited by Valerie Nye. He is also the author of a chapter in “The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening,” published in 2022. James has held leadership roles that reflect his passion for mentoring and professional development. He served as Chair of the Exhibits and Placement Center Committee on the Steering Committee of the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) and a former Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). Additionally, he is a founding member and former President of the Colorado Black Library Association, which highlights his dedication to advocating for diversity and inclusion within the library sector. Outside of his professional achievements, James enjoys writing music and cherishing quality time with his family. His blend of advocacy, expertise, and creative spirit defines him as a vibrant force in the library community and beyond.

Tamela Chambers is the Southwest District Chief at the Chicago Public Library, a member of BCALA’s Executive Board, and President of the Chicago Chapter of BCALA. Over several decades, she has worked with children, teens, and families in both school and public libraries, dedicating herself to fostering a love of literacy and inquiry in the communities she serves. Tamela holds a B.S. in Advertising and an M.S. in Library Science from the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign, and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction plus a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Technology from National Louis University.

Wanda K. Brown is the director of library services at the C. G. O’Kelly Library at Winston-Salem State University. Prior to that appointment, she served as the Associate Dean of Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Brown has spent more than 40 years in the profession. During this time, she has focused on being “professionally active” in state and national library organizations. In June of 2019, she assumed the role of president for the American Library Association (ALA). As ALA president, Brown was the chief elected officer for the largest library association in the world. Brown has severed in numerous positions at the Black Caucus of the American Library Association including as treasurer (2016-2018), as president (2006-08), as treasurer (1992-96) and two terms as an executive board member (2001 to 2003, 2014 to 2016). She was the 2011-2013 president of the North Carolina Library Association and has held various other positions with NCLA, including treasurer (1991-1998) and the 2005-2009 chair of the Finance Committee. An ALA member for more than 30 years, Brown is an active member of the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Library Leadership and Management Association. She has held multiple leadership positions within each division. She is the 2015 recipient of the DEMCO/ALA Black Caucus Award for Excellence, the 2013 BCALA Leadership Award, and the 2012 BCALA Distinguished Service Award. In 2009, Brown received University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Kovacs Award for Outstanding Alumni Achievement. In 2013, UNCG awarded Brown with the School of Education Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. Brown holds a BA in English, with a minor in psychology from Winston-Salem State University, and an MLS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Biography to Come.

Biography to Come.

Gladys Smiley Bell is an Executive Board member of the Black Caucus…

Biography to Come.

Biography to Come.

Jina DuVernay is the Adult Services Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library and serves on the Executive Board of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She has engaged in numerous professional initiatives, including serving as Councilor‑at‑Large for the American Library Association and as a juror for the Coretta Scott King Award. Jina earned her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Alabama.

Sheena Kelly is a member of the BCALA Executive Board (2026-2027). Kelly is a dedicated school librarian, advocating for the advancement of school libraries through active leadership activities, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications. Kelly holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Denver. She currently serves as the District Library Coordinator in Boulder Valley School District, Colorado.

Jessica Salow, MLIS, is an Executive Board member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (2025–2027). She is the Archivist of Black Collections at Arizona State University Libraries, where she leads reference, instruction, and curation efforts for a rich community-centered collection documenting the Black experience in Arizona. She was selected as an American Library Association Emerging Leader (Class of 2024) and received the Archival Innovator Award from the Society of American Archivists for her work with the Community-Driven Archives Initiative. Currently, Jessica serves as President of the Arizona Library Association. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona and is an alumna of Arizona State University.

Chasity Strawder Chasity L. Strawder is an Executive Board Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (2025-2027). She is a graduate student in the School of Information Science at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Strawder is a Research Facilitator for the student chapter of the American Library Association at Wayne State University, and she is a member of The Ohio Library Council. Strawder’s future aspirations include becoming a teen librarian and a library director.

Biography to Come.

Lyndon Batiste is an Executive Board Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and Head of User Services for Emory University Libraries and Museum. With more than 16 years of leadership experience in public and academic libraries, his work focuses on advancing user-centered services, strategic leadership, and innovative approaches to library access and engagement. Recognized nationally as an American Library Association Emerging Leader, American Library Association Spectrum Scholar, and Association of Research Libraries Kaleidoscope Scholar, he is also a graduate of the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians. Batiste earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Morehouse College, a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Beulah Heights University, and a Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alabama. He is currently a McNair Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in Social Justice and Inclusion at the University of Alabama.

Kenya Iverson, M.S. HRM, MBA, is a Board Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (2026-2028), the President of the Health Sciences Library Association of Louisiana, and Chair of Louisiana Support Staff of Libraries (LaSSAL) and incoming Trustees Vice-Chair for the Louisiana Library Association (2026–2027). She also serves as the Chair-Elect to the South-Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s Hospital and Clinical Section. She serves as the Access Services Manager and Project Coordinator at the LSU Health Shreveport Library, which serves the Graduate, Medical, and Health Professions and Sciences Schools, focusing on library operations, health information literacy, staff development, and digital accessibility. As an active leader in state library initiatives, she organized a major multi-caucus webinar on digital accessibility rules and has served as President and Secretary for the Louisiana Library Association. Iverson was recently honored as a 2026 recipient of the Herbie and Misty Thorpe Associates Grassroots Grant. Additionally, she is an advocate for community engagement and literacy, coordinating regional initiatives such as the ShelfCare Book Club, Healing Oaks Storytime, and health information seminars. Iverson holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration and is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science.

Bio to come

Bio to come

Shabriana McPherson, MLIS, is an Executive Board Member of the Black Caucus American Library Association [BCALA]. She works as the First Year Instruction and Outreach Librarian for Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As an active member of ALA, she is a 2024 Spectrum Scholar, a 2025 Emerging Leader, and a Coretta Scott King Book Awards Roundtable [CSKBART] Breakfast Committee member. McPherson was recently accepted to the University of Maryland – College Park for the Doctor of Information Science Leadership and Community Engagement program, class of 2029. Additionally, McPherson serves as the Director of Marketing and Publicity of the North Carolina Library Association [NCLA] and the BCALA Marketing and Social Media Committee Co-Chair.

Shaunterria Owens serves on the Executive Board of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). Bringing over twenty years of experience in school and public libraries to her role, she currently works as a Youth Services Specialist at the North Miami Public Library. Beyond her dedication to BCALA, Owens is highly active within the broader library community and serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the Library Support Staff Round Table (LSSRT). Her commitment to youth literacy and collection development is further demonstrated by her leadership as Chair of the Best Graphic Novels for Children Committee, as well as her past tenure as Secretary of the Sibert Committee.

Victor E. Simmons, Jr. serves as an Executive Board Member for the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). He brings over 30 years of public library experience to the role, having spent his career between the New York Public Library, working predominantly in the Harlem community, and the Fulton County Library System, working in its West End community. For the past decade, Simmons, Jr. has served as the Library Administrator for the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film from the City University of New York’s City College and a Master of Library Science from Queens College’s School of Information Studies. An active leader in the profession, he also serves on the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table’s (CSKBART) Programs Standing Committee.

Maurice Thomas Jr. is an executive board member for the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. He works as a Librarian IV/Branch Manager at the Wrightwood-Ashburn Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Thomas has worked for Chicago Public Library since 1998, starting as a Library Page, and has served as a branch manager since 2016. Thomas is an active member of the local affiliate, Chicago Chapter of BCALA (CCBCALA), where he served as chair of the Nominations committee and has served on the Professional Development committee. Thomas is a graduate of Dominican University in River Forest, IL, with a master’s degree in library and information science.