Interim director of Sonoma County Library leaving

Sandy Gray, formerly the manager of the county’s central library in Santa Rosa, has been interim director since last July.|

The Sonoma County Library’s interim director will step down next week, making her the system’s third leader to leave in the last five years.

Tracy Gray is resigning to become the library services director for the city of Mountain View, according to the Sonoma County Library Commission. Gray, formerly the manager of the county’s central library in Santa Rosa, has been interim director since July.

Gray said her last day on the job is June 1.

“It was definitely a difficult decision,” Gray said. “I’ve enjoyed working for the Sonoma County Library. It’s a great staff and community. Mountain View was a new and different opportunity.”

Gray was promoted last year following the unexpected departure of former director Brett Lear, who took the reins in 2014, several months after former director Sandy Cooper retired in 2013. Gray’s salary as interim director was about $145,000, she said.

During her nearly one-year tenure at the helm of the county library system, Gray began implementing various changes afforded by Measure Y, the sales tax measures county voters approved in 2016 to fund library services. The commission credited Gray with adding new programs for children and adults, bringing additional staff members on to handle the system’s expanded hours and moving the system’s administrative staff from the central Santa Rosa branch to an office in Rohnert Park.

“She did a fabulous job and we were very happy with her work,” said Helena Whistler, chairwoman of the 11-member library commission.

“We’re very sorry to see her go.”

Whistler also praised Gray’s leadership during the October wildfires, commending her for keeping the commission and staff members informed of how branches were affected initially and communicating later through regular updates.

The library commission had been seeking a long-term director while Gray was serving as interim head. Commissioners brought on a consulting firm to help with the search early this year, and Gray had put her name in the mix, Whistler said.

“She was interested, but then I think this other offer came in before we were ready,” Whistler said.

Gray agreed, characterizing the move as a matter of timing.

The commission will appoint another interim leader to fill in while continuing the search, Whistler said.

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